the story of a pioneer-第21章

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suddenly　piped　up　shrilly　in　the　silence。　　‘‘　Long　live

the　Queen！''　he　cried。　　‘‘Long　live　the　Queen！''



The　gracious　Margherita　heard　the　childish　voice；

and；　amused　and　interested；　leaned　over　the　bal…

cony　to　see　where　it　came　from。　　What　she　saw

doubtless　touched　the　mother…heart　in　her。　　She

caught　the　eye　of　the　tattered　urchin　clinging　to　the

pillar；　and　radiantly　smiled　on　him。　　Then；　prob…

ably　thinking　that　the　King　was　absorbing　the　at…

tention　of　the　great　assemblage；　she　indulged　in　a

little　diversion。　　Leaning　far　forward；　she　kissed　the

tip　of　her　lace　handkerchief　and　swept　it　caressingly

across　the　boy's　brown　cheek；　smiling　down　at　him

as　unconsciously　as　if　she　and　the　enraptured　young…

ster　were　alone　together　in　the　world。　　The　next

instant　she　had　straightened　up　and　flushed；　for　the

watchful　crowd　had　seen　the　episode　and　was　wild

with　enthusiasm。　　For　ten　minutes　the　people

cheered　the　Queen　without　ceasing；　and　for　the　next

few　days　they　talked　of　little　but　the　spontaneous；

girlish　action　which　had　delighted　them　all。



One　more　sentimental　record；　and　I　shall　have

reached　another　mile…stone。　　As　I　have　said；　my

friend　Mrs。　Addy　left　me　in　her　will　fifteen　hundred

dollars　for　my　visit　to　Europe；　and　before　I　sailed

her　father；　who　was　one　of　the　best　friends　I　have

ever　had；　made　a　characteristically　kind　proposition

in　connection　with　the　little　fund。　　Instead　of　giving

me　the　money；　he　gave　me　two　railroad　bonds；　one

for　one　thousand　dollars；　the　other　for　five　hundred

dollars；　and　each　drawing　seven　per　cent。　interest。　

He　suggested　that　I　deposit　these　bonds　in　the　bank

of　which　he　was　president；　and　borrow　from　the

bank　the　money　to　go　abroad。　　Then；　when　I　re…

turned　and　went　into　my　new　parish；　I　could　use

some　of　my　salary　every　month　toward　repaying

the　loan。　　These　monthly　payments；　he　explained；

could　be　as　small　as　I　wished；　but　each　month　the

interest　on　the　amount　I　paid　would　cease。　　I　glad…

ly　took　his　advice　and　borrowed　seven　hundred

dollars。　　After　I　returned　from　Europe　I　repaid　the

loan　in　monthly　instalments；　and　eventually　got　my

bonds；　which　I　still　own。　　They　will　mature　in　1916。　

I　have　had　one　hundred　and　five　dollars　a　year　from

them；　in　interest；　ever　since　I　received　them　in　1878

more　than　twice　as　much　interest　as　their　face

valueand　every　time　I　have　gone　abroad　I　have

used　this　interest　toward　paying　my　passage。　　Thus

my　friend　has　had　a　share　in　each　of　the　many　visits

I　have　made　to　Europe；　and　in　all　of　them　her

memory　has　been　vividly　with　me。



With　my　return　from　Europe　my　real　career　as

a　minister　began。　　The　year　in　the　pulpit　at　Hing…

ham　had　been　merely　tentative；　and　though　I　had

succeeded　in　building　up　the　church　membership　to

four　times　what　it　had　been　when　I　took　charge；　I

was　not　reappointed。　　I　had　paid　off　a　small　church

debt；　and　had　had　the　building　repaired；　painted；　and

carpeted。　　Now　that　it　was　out　of　its　difficulties　it

offered　some　advantages　to　the　occupant　of　its　pul…

pit；　and　of　these　my　successor；　a　man；　received　the

benefit。　　I；　however；　had　small　ground　for　com…

plaint；　for　I　was　at　once　offered　and　accepted　the

pastorate　of　a　church　at　East　Dennis；　Cape　Cod。　

Here　I　went　in　October；　1878；　and　here　I　spent　seven

of　the　most　interesting　years　of　my　life。







V



SHEPHERD　OF　A　DIVIDED　FLOCK



On　my　return　from　Europe；　as　I　have　said；　I

took　up　immediately　and　most　buoyantly　the

work　of　my　new　parish。　　My　previous　occupation

of　various　pulpits；　whether　long　or　short；　had　always

been　in　the　role　of　a　substitute。　　Now；　for　the　first

time；　I　had　a　church　of　my　own；　and　was　to　stand

or　fall　by　the　record　made　in　it。　　The　ink　was　barely

dry　on　my　diploma　from　the　Boston　Theological

School；　and；　as　it　happened；　the　little　church　to

which　I　was　called　was　in　the　hands　of　two　warring

factions；　whose　battles　furnished　the　most　fervid

interest　of　the　Cape　Cod　community。　　But　my　in…

experience　disturbed　me　not　at　all；　and　I　was　bliss…

fully　ignorant　of　the　division　in　the　congregation。　

So　I　entered　my　new　field　as　trustfully　as　a　child

enters　a　garden；　and　though　I　was　in　trouble　from

the　beginning；　and　resigned　three　times　in　startling

succession；　I　ended　by　remaining　seven　years。



My　appointment　did　not　cause　even　a　lull　in　the

warfare　among　my　parishioners。　　Before　I　had

crossed　the　threshold　of　my　church　I　was　made　to

realize　that　I　was　shepherd　of　a　divided　flock。

Exactly　what　had　caused　the　original　breach　I　never

learned；　but　it　had　widened　with　time；　until　it

seemed　that　no　peacemaker　could　build　a　bridge

large　enough　to　span　it。　　As　soon　as　I　arrived　in

East　Dennis　each　faction　tried　to　pour　into　my　ears

its　bitter　criticisms　of　the　other；　but　I　made　and

consistently　followed　the　safe　rule　of　refusing　to

listen　to　either　side；　I　announced　publicly　that　I

would　hear　no　verbal　charges　whatever；　but　that　if

my　two　flocks　would　state　their　troubles　in　writing

I　would　call　a　board　meeting　to　discuss　and　pass

upon　them。　　This　they　both　resolutely　refused　to

do　（it　was　apparently　the　first　time　they　had　ever

agreed　on　any　point）；　and　as　I　steadily　declined

to　listen　to　complaints；　they　devised　an　original

method　of　putting　them　before　me。



During　the　regular　Thursday…night　prayer…meet…

ing；　held　about　two　weeks　after　my　arrival；　and　at

which；　of　course；　I　presided；　they　voiced　their　diffi…

culties　in　public　prayer；　loudly　and　urgently　calling

upon　the　Lord　to　pardon　such　and　such　a　liar；　men…

tioning　the　gentleman　by　name；　and　such　and　such

a　slanderer；　whose　name　was　also　submitted。　　By

the　time　the　prayers　were　ended　there　were　few　un…

tarnished　reputations　in　the　congregation；　and　I

knew；　perforce；　what　both　sides　had　to　say。



The　following　Thursday　night　they　did　the　same

thing；　filling　their　prayers　with　intimate　and　sur…

prising　details　of　one　another's　history；　and　I　en…

dured　the　situation　solely　because　I　did　not　know

how　to　meet　it。　　I　was　still　young；　and　my　theo…

logical　course　had　set　no　guide…posts　on　roads　as

new　as　these。　　To　interfere　with　souls　in　their　com…

munion　with　God　seemed　impossible；　to　let　them

continue　to　utter　personal　attacks　in　church；　under

cover　of　prayer；　was　equally　impossible。　　Any　course　I

could　follow　seemed　to　lead　away　from　my　new　parish；

yet　both　duty　and　pride　made　prompt　action　neces…

sary。　　By　the　time　we　gathered　for　the　third　prayer…

meeting　I　had　decided　what　to　do；　and　before　the

services　began　I　rose　and　addressed　my　erring　chil…

dren。　　I　explained　that　the　character　of　the　prayers

at　our　recent　meetings　was　making　us　the　laughing…

stock　of　the　community；　that　unbelievers　were

ridiculing　our　religion；　and　that　the　discipline　of

the　church　was　being　wrecked；　and　I　ended　with

these　words；　each　of　which　I　had　carefully　weighed：



‘‘Now　one　of　two　things　must　happen。　　Either

you　will　stop　this　kind　of　praying；　or　you　will　re…

main　away　from　our　meetings。　　We　will　hold　prayer…

meetings　on　another　night；　and　I　shall　refuse　ad…

mission　to　any　among　you　who　bring　personal　criti…

cisms　into　your　public　prayers。''



As　I　had　expected　it　to　do；　the　announcement

created　an　immediate　uproar。　　Both　factions　sprang

to　their　feet；　trying　to　talk　at　once。　　The　storm

raged　until　I　dismissed　the　congregation；　telling　the

members　that　their　conduct　was　an　insult　to　the

Lord；　and　that　I　would　not　listen　to　either　their

protests　or　their　prayers。　　They　went　unwillingly；

but　they　went；　and　the　excitement　the　next　day

raised　the　sick　from　their　beds　to　talk　of　it；　and

swept　the　length　and　breadth　of　Cape　Cod。　　The

following　Sunday　the　little　church　held　the　largest

attendance　in　its　history。　　Seemingly；　every　man

and　woman　in　town　had　come　to　hear　what　more

I　would　say　about　the　trouble；　but　I　ignored　the

whole　matter。　　I　preached　th