When he arrived, Lucy was lying up stairs in a high fever. Upon hearing his voice below, she sprang from her bed and flew' down stairs, as though she was altogether well, and was so rejoiced to hear that her relatives were all still living, and in better health than when she left them, that the excitement performed an entire cure. She soon regained her strength and we returned home. It now became necessary for Joseph to take a journey to the city of Washington, for he had been commanded of the Lord, while in prison, to pray for redress at the feet of the President, as well as Congress, when his family should be so situated that he could leave home. Accordingly, Joseph started, in company with Sidney Rigdon, Elias Higbee, Dr. Foster and Porter Rockwell, to fulfill this injunction. After arriving in Washington, Joseph and Sidney waited upon his Excellency Martin Van Buren, but it was some time before they had an opportunity of laying their grievances before him; however, they at length succeeded in getting his attention. After listening to the entire history of the oppression and abuse, which we had received at the hands of our enemies, he replied, "Gentlemen, your cause is just; but I can do nothing for you!" The matter was, however, laid before Congress. They, too, concluded that our cause was just, but that they could do nothing for us, as Missouri was a sovereign, independent state; and that the "Mormons" might appeal to her for redress, for, in their opinion, she neither wanted the power nor lacked the disposition to redress the wrongs of her own citizens. During Joseph's absence, Mr. Smith was at times very weak, and coughed dreadfully, so that some nights we had to lift him out of bed. On one occasion of this kind he expressed a fear that he should die with me alone. I told him that this would not be the case, for it was impressed upon my mind that, when he died, he would have his children around him. This comforted him much, for he was very anxious to live until Joseph should return, that he might bless him again before he should die. This was in the winter of 1840. Before spring he got some better, so that he was able to walk about a little, and attend a few blessing meetings, in one of which he blessed Mrs. Page, the wife of one of the Twelve, and a young woman whom Brother Page had baptized and confirmed on Bear Creek but a few days previous. In blessing the latter, Mr. Smith repeated a prophecy which had been pronounced upon her head in her confirmation, as precisely as though he had been present when it was uttered, stating that the Spirit testified that these things had been predicted upon her head in her confirmation, which very much surprised her, as she knew that he had not received any intimation of the same, except by the Spirit of God.