the story of a pioneer-第23章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



to　enforce　their　ruling。''



It　was　interesting　to　observe　how　rapidly　the

men　of　my　congregation　disappeared　from　that　hall。　

Like　shadows　they　crept　along　the　walls　and　vanished

through　the　doors。　　But　the　preparations　for　the

dance　went　merrily　on。　　I　walked　to　the　middle　of

the　room　and　raised　my　voice。　　I　was　always　listened

to；　for　my　hearers　always　had　the　hope；　usually

realized；　that　I　was　about　to　get　into　more　trouble。



‘‘You　are　determined　to　dance；''　I　began。　　‘‘I

cannot　keep　you　from　doing　so。　　But　I　can　and　will

make　you　regret　that　you　have　done　so。　　The　law

of　the　State　of　Massachusetts　is　very　definite　in　re…

gard　to　religious　meetings　and　religious　gatherings。　

This　hall　was　engaged　and　paid　for　by　the　Wesleyan

Methodist　Church；　of　which　I　am　pastor；　and　we

have　full　control　of　it　to…night。　　Every　man　and

woman　who　interrupts　our　exercises　by　attempting

to　dance；　or　by　creating　a　disturbance　of　any　kind；

will　be　arrested　to…morrow　morning。''



Surprise　at　first；　then　consternation；　swept　through

the　ranks　of　the　Free　Religious　Group。　　They　denied

the　existence　of　such　a　law　as　I　had　mentioned；　and

I　promptly　read　it　aloud　to　them。　　The　leaders　went

off　into　a　corner　and　consulted。　　By　this　time　not

one　man　in　my　parish　was　left　in　the　hall。　　As　a

result　of　the　consultation　in　the　corner；　a　committee

of　the　would…be　dancers　came　to　me　and　suggested

a　compromise。



‘‘Will　you　agree　to　arrest　the　men　only？''　they

wanted　to　know。



‘‘No；''　I　declared。　　‘‘On　the　contrary；　I　shall　have

the　women　arrested　first！　　For　the　women　ought　to

be　standing　with　me　now　in　the　support　of　law　and

order；　instead　of　siding　with　the　hoodlum　element

you　represent。''



That　settled　it。　　No　girl　or　woman　dared　to　go

on　the　dancing…floor；　and　no　man　cared　to　revolve

merrily　by　himself。　　A　whisper　went　round；　how…

ever；　that　the　dance　would　begin　when　I　had　left。　

When　the　clock　struck　twelve；　at　which　hour；　ac…

cording　to　the　town　rule；　the　hall　had　to　be　closed；

I　was　the　last　person　to　leave　it。　　Then　I　locked　the

door　myself；　and　carried　the　key　away　with　me。　

There　had　been　no　Free　Religious　dance　that　night。



On　the　following　Sunday　morning　the　attendance

at　my　church　broke　all　previous　records。　　Every

seat　was　occupied　and　every　aisle　was　filled。　　Men

and　women　came　from　surrounding　towns；　and

strange　horses　were　tied　to　all　the　fences　in　East

Dennis。　　Every　person　in　that　church　was　looking

for　excitement；　and　this　time　my　congregation　got

what　it　expected。　　Before　I　began　my　sermon　I

read　my　resignation；　to　take　effect　at　the　discretion

of　the　trustees。　　Then；　as　it　was　presumably　my

last　chance　to　tell　the　people　and　the　place　what　I

thought　of　them；　I　spent　an　hour　and　a　half　in　fer…

vidly　doing　so。　　In　my　study　of　English　I　had　ac…

quired　a　fairly　large　vocabulary。　　I　think　I　used　it

all　that　morningcertainly　I　tried　to。　　If　ever　an

erring　congregation　and　community　saw　themselves

as　they　really　were；　mine　did　on　that　occasion。　　I

was　heartsick；　discouraged；　and　full　of　resentment

and　indignation；　which　until　then　had　been　pent

up。　　Under　the　arraignment　my　people　writhed

and　squirmed。　　I　ended：



‘‘What　I　am　saying　hurts　you；　but　in　your　hearts

you　know　you　deserve　every　word　of　it。　　It　is　high

time　you　saw　yourselves　as　you　area　disgrace　to

the　religion　you　profess　and　to　the　community　you

live　in。''



I　was　not　sure　the　congregation　would　let　me

finish；　but　it　did。　　My　hearers　seemed　torn　by

conflicting　sentiments；　in　which　anger　and　curios…

ity　led　opposing　sides。　　Many　of　them　left　the

church　in　a　white　fury；　but　othersmore　than　I　had

expectedremained　to　speak　to　me　and　assure　me

of　their　sympathy。　　Once　on　the　streets；　different

groups　formed　and　mingled；　and　all　day　the　little

town　rocked　with　arguments　for　and　against　‘‘the　gal。''



Night　brought　another　surprisingly　large　attend…

ance。　　I　expected　more　trouble；　and　I　faced　it　with

difficulty；　for　I　was　very　tired。　　Just　as　I　took　my

place　in　the　pulpit；　Captain　Sears　entered　the　church

and　walked　down　the　aislethe　Captain　Sears　who

had　left　us　at　my　invitation　some　weeks　before

and　had　not　since　attended　a　church　service。　　I　was

sure　he　was　there　to　make　another　attack　on　me

while　I　was　down；　and；　expecting　the　worst；　I

wearily　gave　him　his　opportunity。　　The　big　old　fel…

low　stood　up；　braced　himself　on　legs　far　apart；　as

if　he　were　standing　on　a　slippery　deck　during　a　high

sea；　and　gave　the　congregation　its　biggest　surprise

of　the　year。



He　said　he　had　come　to　make　a　confession。　　He

had　been　angry　with　‘‘the　gal''　in　the　past；　as　they

all　knew。　　But　he　had　heard　about　the　sermon　she

had　preached　that　morning；　and　this　time　she　was

right。　　It　was　high　time　quarreling　and　backbiting

were　stopped。　　They　had　been　going　on　too　long；

and　no　good　could　come　of　them。　　Moreover；　in

all　the　years　he　had　been　a　member　of　that　congre…

gation　he　had　never　until　now　seen　the　pulpit　oc…

cupied　by　a　minister　with　enough　backbone　to　up…

hold　the　discipline　of　the　church。　　‘‘I've　come　here

to　say　I'm　with　the　gal；''　he　ended。　　‘‘Put　me　down

for　my　original　subscription　and　ten　dollars　extra！''



So　we　had　the　old　man　back　again。　　He　was　a

tower　of　strength；　and　he　stood　by　me　faithfully

until　he　died。　　The　trustees　would　not　accept　my

resignation　（indeed；　they　refused　to　consider　it　at　all）；

and　the　congregation；　when　it　had　thought　things

over；　apparently　decided　that　there　might　be　worse

things　in　the　pulpit　than　‘‘the　gal。''　　It　was　even

known　to　brag　of　what　it　called　my　‘‘spunk；''　and

perhaps　it　was　this　quality；　rather　than　any　other；

which　I　most　needed　in　that　particular　parish　at

that　time。　　As　for　me；　when　the　fight　was　over　I

dropped　it　from　my　mind；　and　it　had　not　entered

my　thoughts　for　years；　until　I　began　to　summon

these　memories。



At　the　end　of　my　first　six　months　in　East　Dennis

I　was　asked　to　take　on；　also；　the　temporary　charge

of　the　Congregational　Church　at　Dennis；　two　miles

and　a　half　away。　　I　agreed　to　do　this　until　a　per…

manent　pastor　could　be　found；　on　condition　that　I

should　preach　at　Dennis　on　Sunday　afternoons；　using

the　same　sermon　I　preached　in　my　own　pulpit　in　the

morning。　　The　arrangement　worked　so　well　that　it

lasted　for　six　and　a　half　yearsuntil　I　resigned　from

my　East　Dennis　church。　　During　that　period；　more…

over；　I　not　only　carried　the　two　churches　on　my

shoulders；　holding　three　meetings　each　Sunday；　but

I　entered　upon　and　completed　a　course　in　the

Boston　Medical　School；　winning　my　M。D。　in　1885；

and　I　also　lectured　several　times　a　month　during

the　winter　seasons。　　These　were；　therefore；　among

the　most　strenuous　as　well　as　the　most　interesting

years　of　my　existence；　and　I　mention　the　strain　of

them　only　to　prove　my　life…long　contention；　that

congenial　work；　no　matter　how　much　there　is　of

it；　has　never　yet　killed　any　one！



After　my　battle　with　the　Free　Religious　Group

things　moved　much　more　smoothly　in　the　parish。　

Captain　Crowell；　instead　of　resenting　my　defiance

of　his　ruling；　helped　to　reconcile　the　divided　factions

in　the　church；　and　though；　as　I　have　said；　twice

afterward　I　submitted　my　resignation；　in　each　case

the　fight　I　was　making　was　for　a　cause　which　I

firmly　believed　in　and　eventually　won。　　My　second

resignation　was　brought　about　by　the　unwillingness

of　the　church　to　have　me　exchange　pulpits　with　the

one　minister　on　Cape　Cod　broad…minded　enough　to

invite　me　to　preach　in　his　pulpit。　　I　had　done　so；

and　had　then　sent　him　a　return　invitation。　　He　was

a　gentleman　and　a　scholar；　but　he　was　also　a　Uni…

tarian；　and　though　my　people　were　willing　to　let

me　preach　in　his　church；　they　were　loath　to　let　him

preach　in　mine。　　After　a　surprising　amount　of　dis…

cussion　my　resignation　put　a　different　aspect　on　the

matter；　it　also　led　to　the　satisfactory　rul