the story of a pioneer-第25章

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pastor　of　the　Methodist　Protestant　Church　in　Tarry…

town；　was　very　friendly　toward　me　and　my　ordina…

tion；　and　he　proved　his　friendship　in　a　singularly

prompt　and　efficient　fashion。　　Late　as　it　was；　he

immediately　called　together　the　trustees　of　his

church；　and　they　responded。　　To　them　I　made　my

application　for　church　membership；　which　they　ac…

cepted　within　five　minutes。　　I　was　now　a　member

of　the　Church；　but　it　was　too　late　to　obtain　any

further　action　from　the　Conference。　　The　next　day；

Sunday；　all　the　men　who　had　applied　for　ordination

were　ordained；　and　I　was　left　out。



On　Monday　morning；　however；　when　the　Con…

ference　met　in　its　final　business　session；　my　case　was

reopened；　and　I　was　eventually　called　before　the

members　to　answer　questions。　　Some　of　these　were

extremely　interesting；　and　several　of　the　episodes

that　occurred　were　very　amusing。　　One　old　gentle…

man　I　can　see　as　I　write。　　He　was　greatly　excited；

and　he　led　the　opposition　by　racing　up　and　down

the　aisles；　quoting　from　the　Scriptures　to　prove　his

case　against　women　ministers。　　As　he　ran　about　he

had　a　trick　of　putting　his　arms　under　the　back　of

his　coat；　making　his　coat…tails　stand　out　like　wings

and　incidentally　revealing　two　long　white　tape…

strings　belonging　to　a　flannel　undergarment。　　Even

in　the　painful　stress　of　those　hours　I　observed　with

interest　how　beautifully　those　tape…strings　were

ironed！



I　was　there　to　answer　any　questions　that　were

asked　of　me；　and　the　questions　came　like　hail…

stones　in　a　sudden　summer　storm。



‘‘Paul　said；　‘Wives；　obey　your　husbands；'　''　shouted

my　old　man　of　the　coat…tails。　　‘‘Suppose　your　hus…

band　should　refuse　to　allow　you　to　preach？　　What

then？''



‘‘In　the　first　place；''　I　answered；　‘‘Paul　did　not

say　so；　according　to　the　Scriptures。　　But　even　if　he

did；　it　would　not　concern　me；　for　I　am　a　spinster。''



The　old　man　looked　me　over。　　‘‘You　might　marry

some　day；''　he　predicted；　cautiously。



‘‘Possibly；''　I　admitted。　　‘‘Wiser　women　than　I

am　have　married。　　But　it　is　equally　possible　that　I

might　marry　a　man　who　would　command　me　to

preach；　and　in　that　case　I　want　to　be　all　ready　to

obey　him。''



At　this　another　man；　a　bachelor；　also　began　to

draw　from　the　Scriptures。　　‘‘An　elder；''　he　quoted；

‘‘shall　be　the　husband　of　one　wife。''　　And　he　de…

manded；　triumphantly；　‘‘How　is　it　possible　for　you

to　be　the　husband　of　a　wife？''



In　response　to　that　I　quoted　a　bit　myself。　　‘‘Paul

said；　‘Anathema　unto　him　who　addeth　to　or　taketh

from　the　Scriptures；'　''　I　reminded　this　gentleman；

and　added　that　a　twisted　interpretation　of　the

Scriptures　was　as　bad　as　adding　to　or　taking　from

them；　and　that　no　one　doubted　that　Paul　was

warning　the　elders　against　polygamy。　　Then　I　went

a　bit　further；　for　by　this　time　the　absurd　character

of　the　questions　was　getting　on　my　nerves。



‘‘Even　if　my　good　brother's　interpretation　is　cor…

rect；''　I　said；　‘‘he　has　overlooked　two　important

points。　　Though　he　is　an　elder；　he　is　also　a　bachelor；

so　I　am　as　much　of　a　husband　as　he　is！''



A　good　deal　of　that　sort　of　thing　went　on。　　The

most　satisfactory　episode　of　the　session；　to　me；　was

the　downfall　of　three　pert　young　men　who　in　turn

tried　to　make　it　appear　that　as　the　duty　of　the　Con…

ference　was　to　provide　churches　for　all　its　pastors；

I　might　become　a　burden　to　the　Church　if　it　proved

impossible　to　provide　a　pastorate　for　me。　　At　that；

one　of　my　friends　in　the　council　rose　to　his　feet。



‘‘I　have　had　official　occasion　to　examine　into　the

matter　of　Miss　Shaw's　parish　and　salary；''　he　said；

‘‘and　I　know　what　salaries　the　last　three　speakers

are　drawing。　　It　may　interest　the　Conference　to

know　that　Miss　Shaw's　present　salary　equals　the

combined　salaries　of　the　three　young　men　who　are

so　afraid　she　will　be　a　burden　to　the　Church。　　If；

before　being　ordained；　she　can　earn　three　times　as

much　as　they　now　earn　after　being　ordained；　it　seems

fairly　clear　that　they　will　never　have　to　support　her。　

We　can　only　hope　that　she　will　never　have　to　sup…

port　them。''



The　three　young　ministers　subsided　into　their

seats　with　painful　abruptness；　and　from　that　time

my　opponents　were　more　careful　in　their　remarks。　

Still；　many　unpleasant　things　were　said；　and　too

much　warmth　was　shown　by　both　sides。　　We

gained　ground　through　the　day；　however；　and　at

the　end　of　the　session　the　Conference；　by　a　large

majority；　voted　to　ordain　me。



The　ordination　service　was　fixed　for　the　following

evening；　and　even　the　gentlemen　who　had　most

vigorously　opposed　me　were　not　averse　to　making

the　occasion　a　profitable　one。　　The　contention　had

already　enormously　advertised　the　Conference；　and

the　members　now　helped　the　good　work　along　by

sending　forth　widespread　announcements　of　the

result。　　They　also　decided　that；　as　the　attendance

at　the　service　would　be　very　large；　they　would　take

up　a　collection　for　the　support　of　superannuated

ministers。　　The　three　young　men　who　had　feared　I

would　become　a　burden　were　especially　active　in

the　matter　of　this　collection；　and；　as　they　had　no

sense　of　humor；　it　did　not　seem　incongruous　to　them

to　use　my　ordination　as　a　means　of　raising　money

for　men　who　had　already　become　burdens　to　the

Church。



When　the　great　night　came　（on　October　12；　1880）；

the　expected　crowd　came　also。　　And　to　the　credit

of　my　opponents　I　must　add　that；　having　lost　their

fight；　they　took　their　defeat　in　good　part　and　grace…

fully　assisted　in　the　services。　　Sitting　in　one　of　the

front　pews　was　Mrs。　Stiles；　the　wife　of　Dr。　Stiles；

who　was　superintendent　of　the　Conference。　　She

was　a　dear　little　old　lady　of　seventy；　with　a　big；

maternal　heart；　and　when　she　saw　me　rise　to　walk

up　the　aisle　alone；　she　immediately　rose；　too；　came

to　my　side；　offered　me　her　arm；　and　led　me　to　the

altar。



The　ordination　service　was　very　impressive　and

beautiful。　　Its　peace　and　dignity；　following　the

battle　that　had　raged　for　days；　moved　me　so　deep…

ly　that　I　was　nearly　overcome。　　Indeed；　I　was　on

the　verge　of　a　breakdown　when　I　was　mercifully

saved　by　the　clause　in　the　discipline　calling　for　the

pledge　all　ministers　had　to　makethat　I　would

not　indulge　in　the　use　of　tobacco。　　When　this　vow

fell　from　my　lips　a　perceptible　ripple　ran　over　the

congregation。



I　was　homesick　for　my　Cape　Cod　parish；　and　I

returned　to　East　Dennis　immediately　after　my

ordination；　arriving　there　on　Saturday　night。　　I

knew　by　the　suppressed　excitement　of　my　friends

that　some　surprise　awaited　me；　but　I　did　not　learn

what　it　was　until　I　entered　my　dear　little　church

the　following　morning。　　There　I　found　the　com…

munion…table　set　forth　with　a　beautiful　new　com…

munion…service。　　This　had　been　purchased　during

my　absence；　that　I　might　dedicate　it　that　day　and

for　the　first　time　administer　the　sacrament　to　my

people。





VI



CAPE　COD　MEMORIES



Looking　back　now　upon　those　days；　I　see　my

Cape　Cod　friends　as　clearly　as　if　the　interven…

ing　years　had　been　wiped　out　and　we　were　again　to…

gether。　　Among　those　I　most　loved　were　two　widely

differing　typesCaptain　Doane；　a　retired　sea…cap…

tain；　and　Relief　Paine；　an　invalid　chained　to　her

couch；　but　whose　beautiful　influence　permeated　the

community　like　an　atmosphere。　　Captain　Doane

was　one　of　the　finest　men　I　have　ever　knownhigh…

minded；　tolerant；　sympathetic；　and　full　of　under…

standing；　He　was　not　only　my　friend；　but　my

church　barometer。　　He　occupied　a　front　pew；　close

to　the　pulpit；　and　when　I　was　preaching　without

making　much　appeal　he　sat　looking　me　straight　in

the　face；　listening　courteously；　but　without　interest。　

When　I　got　into　my　subject；　he　would　lean　forward

the　angle　at　which　he　sat　indicating　the　degree

of　attention　I　had　arousedand　when　I　was　strongly

holding　my　congregation　Brother　Doane　would　bend

toward　me；　following　every　word　I　uttered　with

corresponding　motions　of