the story of a pioneer-第22章

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I　would　say　about　the　trouble；　but　I　ignored　the

whole　matter。　　I　preached　the　sermon　I　had　pre…

pared；　the　subject　of　which　was　as　remote　from

church　quarrels　as　our　atmosphere　was　remote　from

peace；　and　my　congregation　dispersed　with　expres…

sions　of　such　artless　disappointment　that　it　was　all

I　could　do　to　preserve　a　dignified　gravity。



That　night；　however；　the　war　was　brought　into

my　camp。　　At　the　evening　meeting　the　leader　of　one

of　the　factions　rose　to　his　feet　with　the　obvious　pur…

pose　of　starting　trouble。　　He　was　a　retired　sea…cap…

tain；　of　the　ruthless　type　that　knocks　a　man　down

with　a　belaying…pin；　and　he　made　his　attack　on　me

in　a　characteristically　‘‘straight　from　the　shoulder''

fashion。　　He　began　with　the　proposition　that　my

morning　sermon　had　been　‘‘entirely　contrary　to　the

Scriptures；''　and　for　ten　minutes　he　quoted　and　mis…

quoted　me；　hammering　in　his　points。　　I　let　him　go

on　without　interruption。　　Then　he　added：



‘‘And　this　gal　comes　to　this　church　and　under…

takes　to　tell　us　how　we　shall　pray。　　That's　a　high…

handed　measure；　and　I；　for　one；　ain't　goin'　to　stand

it。　　I　want　to　say　right　here　that　I　shall　pray　as　I

like；　when　I　like；　and　where　I　like。　　I　have　prayed

in　this　heavenly　way　for　fifty　years　before　that　gal

was　born；　and　she　can't　dictate　to　me　now！''



By　this　time　the　whole　congregation　was　aroused；

and　cries　of　‘‘Sit　down！''　　‘‘Sit　down！''　came　from

every　side　of　the　church。　　It　was　a　hard　moment；

but　I　was　able　to　rise　with　some　show　of　dignity。　

I　was　hurt　through　and　through；　but　my　fighting

blood　was　stirring。



‘‘No；''　I　said；　‘‘Captain　Sears　has　the　floor。　　Let

him　say　now　all　he　wishes　to　say；　for　it　is　the　last

time　he　will　ever　speak　at　one　of　our　meetings。''



Captain　Sears；　whose　exertions　had　already　made

him　apoplectic；　turned　a　darker　purple。　　‘‘What's

that？''　he　shouted。　　‘‘What　d'ye　mean？''



‘‘I　mean；''　I　replied；　‘‘that　I　do　not　intend　to

allow　you　or　anybody　else　to　interfere　with　my

meetings。　　You　are　a　sea…captain。　　What　would

you　do　to　me　if　I　came　on　board　your　ship　and

started　a　mutiny　in　your　crew；　or　tried　to　give　you

orders？''



Captain　Sears　did　not　reply。　　He　stood　still；　with

his　legs　far　apart　and　braced；　as　he　always　stood

when　talking；　but　his　eyes　shifted　a　little。　　I　answered

my　own　question。



‘‘You　would　put　me　ashore　or　in　irons；''　I　re…

minded　him。　　‘‘Now；　Captain　Sears；　I　intend　to

put　you　ashore。　　I　am　the　master　of　this　ship。　　I

have　set　my　course；　and　I　mean　to　follow　it。　　If

you　rebel；　either　you　will　get　out　or　I　will。　　But

until　the　board　asks　for　my　resignation；　I　am　in

command。''



As　it　happened；　I　had　put　my　ultimatum　in　the

one　form　the　old　man　could　understand。　　He　sat

down　without　a　word　and　stared　at　me。　　We　sang

the　Doxology；　and　I　dismissed　the　meeting。　　Again

we　had　omitted　prayers。　　The　next　day　Captain

Sears　sent　me　a　letter　recalling　his　subscription　tow…

ard　the　support　of　the　church；　and　for　weeks　he

remained　away　from　our　services；　returning　under

conditions　I　will　mention　later。　　Even　at　the　time；

however；　his　attack　helped　rather　than　hurt　me。　

At　the　regular　meeting　the　following　Thursday

night　no　personal　criticisms　were　included　in　the

prayers；　and　eventually　we　had　peace。　　But　many

battles　were　lost　and　won　before　that　happy　day

arrived。



Captain　Sears's　vacant　place　among　us　was

promptly　taken　by　another　captain　in　East　Dennis；

whose　name　was　also　Sears。　　A　few　days　after　my

encounter　with　the　first　captain　I　met　the　second　on

the　street。　　He　had　never　come　to　church；　and　I

stopped　and　invited　him　to　do　so。　　He　replied　with

simple　candor。



‘‘I　ain't　comin'；''　he　told　me。　　‘‘There　ain't　no

gal　that　can　teach　me　nothin'。''



‘‘Perhaps　you　are　wrong；　Captain　Sears；''　I　re…

plied。　　‘‘I　might　teach　you　something。''



‘‘What？''　demanded　the　captain；　with　chilling

distrust。



‘‘Oh；''　I　said；　cheerfully；　‘‘let　us　say　tolerance；　for

one　thing。''



‘‘Humph！''　muttered　the　old　man。　　‘‘The　Lord

don't　want　none　of　your　tolerance；　and　neither

do　I。''



I　laughed。　　‘‘He　doesn't　object　to　tolerance；''　I

said。　　‘‘Come　to　church。　　You　can　talk；　too；　and

the　Lord　will　listen　to　us　both。''



To　my　surprise；　the　captain　came　the　following

Sunday；　and　during　the　seven　years　I　remained　in

the　church　he　was　one　of　my　strongest　supporters

and　friends。　　I　needed　friends；　for　my　second　battle

was　not　slow　in　following　my　first。　　There　was；　in…

deed；　barely　time　between　in　which　to　care　for　the

wounded。



We　had　in　East　Dennis　what　was　known　as　the

‘‘Free　Religious　Group；''　and　when　some　of　the

members　of　my　congregation　were　not　wrangling

among　themselves；　they　were　usually　locking　horns

with　this　group。　　For　years；　I　was　told；　one　of　the

prime　diversions　of　the　‘‘Free　Religious''　faction

was　to　have　a　dance　in　our　town　hall　on　the　night

when　we　were　using　it　for　our　annual　church　fair。　

The　rules　of　the　church　positively　prohibited　danc…

ing；　so　the　worldly　group　took　peculiar　pleasure　in

attending　the　fair；　and　during　the　evening　in　getting

up　a　dance　and　whirling　about　among　us；　to　the

horror　of　our　members。　　Then　they　spent　the　re…

mainder　of　the　year　boasting　of　the　achievement。　

It　came　to　my　ears　that　they　had　decided　to　follow

this　pleasing　programme　at　our　Christmas　church

celebration；　so　I　called　the　church　trustees　together

and　put　the　situation　to　them。



‘‘We　must　either　enforce　our　discipline；''　I　said；

‘‘or　give　it　up。　　Personally　I　do　not　object　to　danc…

ing；　but；　as　the　church　has　ruled　against　it；　I　intend

to　uphold　the　church。　　To　allow　these　people　to

make　us　ridiculous　year　after　year　is　impossible。　

Let　us　either　tell　them　that　they　may　dance　or　that

they　may　not　dance；　but　whatever　we　tell　them；

let　us　make　them　obey　our　ruling。''



The　trustees　were　shocked　at　the　mere　suggestion

of　letting　them　dance。



‘‘Very　well；''　I　ended。　　‘‘Then　they　shall　not

dance。　　That　is　understood。''



Captain　Crowell；　the　father　of　my　dead　friend

Mrs。　Addy；　and　himself　my　best　man　friend；　was　a

strong　supporter　of　the　Free　Religious　Group。　

When　its　members　raced　to　him　with　the　news　that

I　had　said　they　could　not　dance　at　the　church's

Christmas　party；　Captain　Crowell　laughed　good…

humoredly　and　told　them　to　dance　as　much　as　they

pleased；　cheerfully　adding　that　he　would　get　them

out　of　any　trouble　they　got　into。　　Knowing　my

friendship　for　him；　and　that　I　even　owed　my　church

appointment　to　him；　the　Free　Religious　people

were　certain　that　I　would　never　take　issue　with　him

on　dancing　or　on　any　other　point。　　They　made　all

their　preparations　for　the　dance；　therefore；　with

entire　confidence；　and　boasted　that　the　affair　would

be　the　gayest　they　had　ever　arranged。　　My　people

began　to　look　at　me　with　sympathy；　and　for　a　time

I　felt　very　sorry　for　myself。　　It　seemed　sufficiently

clear　that　‘‘the　gal''　was　to　have　more　trouble。



On　the　night　of　the　party　things　went　badly　from

the　first。　　There　was　an　evident　intention　among

the　worst　of　the　Free　Religious　Group　to　embarrass

us　at　every　turn。　　We　opened　the　exercises　with　the

Lord's　Prayer；　which　this　element　loudly　applauded。　

A　live　kitten　was　hung　high　on　the　Christmas　tree；

where　it　squalled　mournfully　beyond　reach　of

rescue；　and　the　young　men　of　the　outside　group

threw　cake　at　one　another　across　the　hall。　　Finally

tiring　of　these　innocent　diversions；　they　began　to

prepare　for　their　dance；　and　I　protested。　　The

spokesman　of　the　group　waved　me　to　one　side。



‘‘Captain　Crowell　said　we　could；''　he　remarked；

airily。



‘‘Captain　Crowell；''　I　replied；　‘‘has　no　authority

whatever　in　this　matter。　　The　church　trustees　have

decided　that　you　cannot　dance　here；　and　I　intend

to　enforce　their　ruling。''



It　was　interesting　to　observe　how　rapidly　the

men　of　my　congregation　disappear