the story of a pioneer-第15章

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year。



The　following　spring　our　brother　James；　who

was　now　living　in　St。　Johnsbury；　Vermont；　invited

my　sister　Mary　and　me　to　spend　the　summer

with　him；　and　Mary　and　I　finally　dug　a　grave　for

our　little　hatchet　and　went　East　together　with

something　of　our　old…time　joy　in　each　other's　so…

ciety。　　We　reached　St。　Johnsbury　one　Saturday；

and　within　an　hour　of　our　arrival　learned　that　my

brother　had　arranged　for　me　to　preach　in　a　local

church　the　following　day。　　That　threatened　to　spoil

the　visit　for　Mary　and　even　to　disinter　the　hatchet！　

At　first　she　positively　refused　to　go　to　hear　me；　but

after　a　few　hours　of　reflection　she　announced　gloom…

ily　that　if　she　did　not　go　I　would　not　have　my　hair

arranged　properly　or　get　my　hat　on　straight。　　Moved

by　this　conviction；　she　joined　the　family　parade　to

the　church；　and　later；　in　the　sacristy；　she　pulled　me

about　and　pinned　me　up　to　her　heart's　content。　

Then；　reluctantly；　she　went　into　the　church　and

heard　me　preach。　　She　offered　no　tributes　after　our

return　to　the　house；　but　her　protests　ceased　from

that　time；　and　we　gave　each　other　the　love　and

understanding　which　had　marked　our　girlhood　days。　

The　change　made　me　very　happy；　for　Mary　was　the

salt　of　the　earth；　and　next　only　to　my　longing　for

my　mother；　I　had　longed　for　her　in　the　years　of　our

estrangement。



Every　Sunday　that　summer　I　preached　in　or　near

St。　Johnsbury；　and　toward　autumn　we　had　a　big

meeting　which　the　ministers　of　all　the　surrounding

churches　attended。　　I　was　asked　to　preach　the　ser…

mona　high　complimentand　I　chose　that　impor…

tant　day　to　make　a　mistake　in　quoting　a　passage

from　Scripture。　　I　asked；　‘‘Can　the　Ethiopian　change

his　spots　or　the　leopard　his　skin？''　　I　realized　at

once　that　I　had　transposed　the　words；　and　no　doubt

a　look　of　horror　dawned　in　my　eyes；　but　I　went　on

without　correcting　myself　and　without　the　slightest

pause。　　Later；　one　of　the　ministers　congratulated

me　on　this　presence　of　mind。



‘‘If　you　had　corrected　yourself；''　he　said；　‘‘all　the

young　people　would　have　been　giggling　yet　over

the　spotted　nigger。　　Keep　to　your　rule　of　going

right　ahead！''



At　the　end　of　the　summer　the　various　churches

in　which　I　had　preached　gave　me　a　beautiful　gold

watch　and　one　hundred　dollars　in　money；　and　with

an　exceedingly　light　heart　I　went　back　to　college

to　begin　my　second　year　of　work。



From　that　time　life　was　less　complex。　　I　had

enough　temperance…work　and　preaching　in　the

country　school…houses　and　churches　to　pay　my　col…

lege　expenses；　and；　now　that　my　financial　anxieties

were　relieved；　my　health　steadily　improved。　　Sev…

eral　times　I　preached　to　the　Indians；　and　these

occasions　were　among　the　most　interesting　of　my

experiences。　　The　squaws　invariably　brought　their

babies　with　them；　but　they　had　a　simple　and　effective

method　of　relieving　themselves　of　the　care　of　the

infants　as　soon　as　they　reached　the　church。　　The

papooses；　who　were　strapped　to　their　boards；　were

hung　like　a　garment　on　the　back　wall　of　the　building

by　a　hole　in　the　top　of　the　board；　which　projected

above　their　heads。　　Each　papoose　usually　had　a

bit　of　fat　pork　tied　to　the　end　of　a　string　fastened

to　its　wrist；　and　with　these　sources　of　nourishment

the　infants　occupied　themselves　pleasantly　while

the　sermon　was　in　progress。　　Frequently　the　pork

slipped　down　the　throat　of　the　papoose；　but　the

struggle　of　the　child　and　the　jerking　of　its　hands

in　the　strangulation　that　followed　pulled　the　piece

safely　out　again。　　As　I　faced　the　congregation　I　also

faced　the　papooses；　to　whom　the　indifferent　backs

of　their　mothers　were　presented；　it　seemed　to　me

there　was　never　a　time　when　some　papoose　was　not

choking；　but　no　matter　how　much　excitement　or

discomfort　was　going　on　among　the　babies；　not　one

squaw　turned　her　head　to　look　back　at　them。　　In

that　assemblage　the　emotions　were　not　allowed　to

interrupt　the　calm　intellectual　enjoyment　of　the

sermon。



My　most　dramatic　experience　during　this　period

occurred　in　the　summer　of　1874；　when　I　went　to　a

Northern　lumber…camp　to　preach　in　the　pulpit　of　a

minister　who　was　away　on　his　honeymoon。　　The

stage　took　me　within　twenty…two　miles　of　my　desti…

nation；　to　a　place　called　Seberwing。　　To　my　dismay；

however；　when　I　arrived　at　Seberwing；　Saturday

evening；　I　found　that　the　rest　of　the　journey　lay

through　a　dense　woods；　and　that　I　could　reach　my

pulpit　in　time　the　next　morning　only　by　having　some

one　drive　me　through　the　woods　that　night。　　It　was

not　a　pleasant　prospect；　for　I　had　heard　appalling

tales　of　the　stockades　in　this　region　and　of　the

women　who　were　kept　prisoners　there。　　But　to　miss

the　engagement　was　not　to　be　thought　of；　and　when；

after　I　had　made　several　vain　efforts　to　find　a　driver；

a　man　appeared　in　a　two…seated　wagon　and　offered

to　take　me　to　my　destination；　I　felt　that　I　had　to　go

with　him；　though　I　did　not　like　his　appearance。　

He　was　a　huge；　muscular　person；　with　a　protruding

jaw　and　a　singularly　evasive　eye；　but　I　reflected

that　his　forbidding　expression　might　be　due；　in　part

at　least；　to　the　prospect　of　the　long　night　drive

through　the　woods；　to　which　possibly　he　objected

as　much　as　I　did。



It　was　already　growing　dark　when　we　started；

and　within　a　few　moments　we　were　out　of　the　little

settlement　and　entering　the　woods。　　With　me　I　had

a　revolver　I　had　long　since　learned　to　use；　but　which

I　very　rarely　carried。　　I　had　hesitated　to　bring　it

nowhad　even　left　home　without　it；　and　then；　im…

pelled　by　some　impulse　I　never　afterward　ceased

to　bless；　had　returned　for　it　and　dropped　it　into

my　hand…bag。



I　sat　on　the　back　seat　of　the　wagon；　directly

behind　the　driver；　and　for　a　time；　as　we　entered

the　darkening　woods；　his　great　shoulders　blotted　out

all　perspective　as　he　drove　on　in　stolid　silence。　

Then；　little　by　little；　they　disappeared　like　a　rapidly

fading　negative。　　The　woods　were　filled　with　Norway

pines；　hemlocks；　spruce；　and　tamaracks…great；

somber　trees　that　must　have　shut　out　the　light　even

on　the　brightest　days。　　To…night　the　heavens　held

no　lamps　aloft　to　guide　us；　and　soon　the　darkness

folded　around　us　like　a　garment。　　I　could　see　neither

the　driver　nor　his　horses。　　I　could　hear　only　the

sibilant　whisper　of　the　trees　and　the　creak　of　our

slow　wheels　in　the　rough　forest　road。



Suddenly　the　driver　began　to　talk；　and　at　first

I　was　glad　to　hear　the　reassuring　human　tones；　for

the　experience　had　begun　to　seem　like　a　bad　dream。　

I　replied　readily；　and　at　once　regretted　that　I　had

done　so；　for　the　man's　choice　of　topics　was　most

unpleasant。　　He　began　to　tell　me　stories　of　the

stockadesgrim　stories　with　horrible　details；　re…

peated　so　fully　and　with　such　gusto　that　I　soon

realized　he　was　deliberately　affronting　my　ears。　

I　checked　him　and　told　him　I　could　not　listen　to

such　talk。



He　replied　with　a　series　of　oaths　and　shocking

vulgarities；　stopping　his　horses　that　he　might　turn

and　fling　the　words　into　my　face。　　He　ended　by

snarling　that　I　must　think　him　a　fool　to　imagine

he　did　not　know　the　kind　of　woman　I　was。　　What

was　I　doing　in　that　rough　country；　he　demanded；

and　why　was　I　alone　with　him　in　those　black　woods

at　night？



Though　my　heart　missed　a　beat　just　then；　I　tried

to　answer　him　calmly。



‘‘You　know　perfectly　well　who　I　am；''　I　reminded

him。　　‘‘And　you　understand　that　I　am　making　this

journey　to…night　because　I　am　to　preach　to…morrow

morning　and　there　is　no　other　way　to　keep　my

appointment。''



He　uttered　a　laugh　which　was　a　most　unpleasant

sound。



‘‘Well；''　he　said；　coolly；　‘‘I'm　damned　if　I'll　take

you。　　I've　got　you　here；　and　I'm　going　to　keep　you

here！''



I　slipped　my　hand　into　the　satchel　in　my　lap；　and

it　touched　my　revolver。　　No　touch　of　human　fingers

ever　brought　such　comfort。　　With　a　deep　breath

of　thanksgiving　I　drew　it　out　and　cocked　it；　and

as　I　did　so　he　recognized