Instead of being able to go on learning and keeping up with the other
girls, she had to return home, and for three long years to lie nearly all
the time on her back, often suffering very much. She had a serious spinal
complaint, and her friends sometimes doubted whether she would ever walk
again.

You wonder what she did in those three years? I will tell you. When the
pain would permit it, she would knit and sew. She could not, of course,
hold heavy needlework; but little things, like babies' socks and hoods,
pin-cushions, and so forth, she would make most beautifully, and then
they would be sold to help on the work of God.

Besides her sewing, Katie read a great deal. First, as I have already
told you, she read her Bible, and learnt to know God's thoughts about the
world and sin, and His wishes for His people. For seven months at one
time Catherine had to lie on her face on a special sort of couch made on
purpose for her; but she invented a contrivance by which, even then, she
could read her Bible, though still remaining in the position that the
doctors wished. Then, too, she would read good books--explanations of the
Bible, about Holiness, soul-saving, lives of those who have lived and
worked for God, and so on. When she had read a chapter she would shut the
book, and write down as much as she could remember of it. This helped her
to think clearly and to remember what she read, and also to put her
thoughts into words.

But she never wasted her time reading stories and novels. Later on in her
life she said she was so thankful for this, for she thought that novels
and silly story books made people discontented with their own homes and
duties, and put wrong, hurtful ideas into their minds. Let us recollect
and follow our Army Mother's example here, and not waste time on stories