Joseph did not at once begin to translate, but for a time worked on a small farm he had bought from his wife's father, Isaac Hale. He received a number of important revelations about this time for the comfort and instruction of himself and of others who came to him. When he began to translate again the work went on very slowly for he had no one to write for him regularly. Sometimes his wife Emma could spare time and a little progress was made. But Joseph and Emma had lost their firstborn child, a son, soon after his birth in July 1828, and the mother through grief and poor health could give but little assistance in the work. This state of affairs continued until April 1829. CHAPTER VIII. 1829. OLIVER COWDERY BECOMES SCRIBE--JOSEPH AND OLIVER PRAY FOR NEW LIGHT--THE PRIESTHOOD RESTORED--THE FIRST BAPTISMS--KINDNESS OF JOSEPH KNIGHT. Joseph was now twenty-three years old, and his life up to this time had been in a sense only a preparation for his work. He had held the plates for a year and a half and though he had studied them and had translated a considerable part yet through Martin Harris' sin he was still at the beginning of the book. But that time had been valuable for him, though he had little to show for it. He had learned what the displeasure of the Lord means and, though forgiven, he had been taught a lesson that he never forgot. Still he had been true to his trust in guarding the plates and no mortal eyes except his own had looked upon them. As the sun was setting on Sunday, April 5, 1829, a young man came into Harmony and sought Joseph for the purpose of making his acquaintance and of helping him. This man was Oliver Cowdery, who during the past winter had taught school at Manchester and, as teachers in country schools used to do, he boarded around at the students' homes. In these visits he came to live with the family of Joseph Smith, Senior, and there he heard of the younger Joseph and his work. He was at first struck by the strangeness of it all, and then prayed seriously to God to learn whether He really had revealed Himself in this day. The Holy Ghost manifested to him that Joseph had assuredly been visited by celestial beings and that he was called to aid the young Prophet in his work. When school had closed, therefore, Oliver came to Pennsylvania, and two days after meeting Joseph, the young men set themselves earnestly to the work of translation. There were few interruptions, and as Oliver was used to writing, the progress was rapid. Sometimes they found things in the Book of Mormon or the Bible that they did not understand, although they talked them over together and studied them ever so hard, and when this happened they asked the Lord to explain these matters to them. Sometimes they prayed just as we do, and sometimes Joseph put on the Urim and Thummim besides; but the Lord always answered them and showed them what they did not understand.