the story of a pioneer-第27章

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many　a　gallant　and　subsequently　resentful　man　at…

tempted　the　feat。



On　one　occasion　a　man　I　greatly　disliked；　and　who　I

had　reason　to　know　disliked　me；　insisted　that　he　could

unhitch　her；　and　started　to　do　so；　notwithstanding

my　protests　and　explanations。　　At　his　approach　she

rose　on　her　hind…legs；　and　when　he　grasped　her　bridle

she　lifted　him　off　his　feet。　　His　expression　as　he

hung　in　mid…air　was　an　extraordinary　mixture　of

surprise　and　regret。　　The　moment　I　touched　her；

however；　she　quieted　down；　and　when　I　got　into　the

buggy　and　gathered　up　the　reins　she　walked　off　like

a　lamb；　leaving　the　man　staring　after　her　with　his

eyes　starting　from　his　head。



The　previous　owner　had　called　the　horse　Daisy；

and　we　never　changed　the　name；　though　it　always

seemed　sadly　inappropriate。　　Time　proved；　however；

that　there　were　advantages　in　the　ownership　of

Daisy。　　No　man　would　allow　his　wife　or　daughter

to　drive　behind　her；　and　no　one　wanted　to　borrow

her。　　If　she　had　been　a　different　kind　of　animal　she

would　have　been　used　by　the　whole　community；

We　kept　Daisy　for　seven　years；　and　our　acquaintance

ripened　into　a　pleasant　friendship。



Another　Cape　Cod　resident　to　whose　memory　I

must　offer　tribute　in　these　pages　was　Polly　Ann

Searsone　of　the　dearest　and　best　of　my　parish…

ioners。　　She　had　six　sons；　and　when　five　had　gone

to　sea　she　insisted　that　the　sixth　must　remain　at

home。　　In　vain　the　boy　begged　her　to　let　him　follow

his　brothers。　　She　stood　firm。　　The　sea；　she　said；

should　not　swallow　all　her　boys；　she　had　given　it

fiveshe　must　keep　one。



As　it　happened；　the　son　she　kept　at　home　was　the

only　one　who　was　drowned。　　He　was　caught　in　a

fish…net　and　dragged　under　the　waters　of　the　bay

near　his　home；　and　when　I　went　to　see　his　mother

to　offer　such　comfort　as　I　could；　she　showed　that

she　had　learned　the　big　lesson　of　the　experience。



‘‘I　tried　to　be　a　special　Providence；''　she　moaned；

‘‘and　the　one　boy　I　kept　home　was　the　only　boy

I　lost。　　I　ain't　a…goin'　to　be　a　Providence　no

more。''



The　number　of　funerals　on　Cape　Cod　was　tragi…

cally　large。　　I　was　in　great　demand　on　these　occa…

sions；　and　went　all　over　the　Cape；　conducting　fune…

ral　serviceswhich　seemed　to　be　the　one　thing　people

thought　I　could　doand　preaching　funeral　sermons。　

Besides　the　victims　of　the　sea；　many　of　the　resi…

dents　who　had　drifted　away　were　brought　back　to

sleep　their　last　sleep　within　sound　of　the　waves。　

Once　I　asked　an　old　sea…captain　why　so　many　Cape

Cod　men　and　women　who　had　been　gone　for　years

asked　to　be　buried　near　their　old　homes；　and　his　reply

still　lingers　in　my　memory。　　He　poked　his　toe　in

the　sand　for　a　moment　and　then　said；　slowly：



‘‘Wal；　I　reckon　it's　because　the　Cape　has　such

warm；　comfortable　sand　to　lie　down　in。''



My　friend　Mrs。　Addy　lay　in　the　Crowell　family

lot；　and　during　my　pastorate　at　East　Dennis　I

preached　the　funeral　sermon　of　her　father；　and　later

of　her　mother。　　Long　after　I　had　left　Cape　Cod　I

was　frequently　called　back　to　say　the　last　words

over　the　coffins　of　my　old　friends；　and　the　saddest

of　those　journeys　was　the　one　I　made　in　response　to

a　telegram　from　the　mother　of　Relief　Paine。　　When

I　had　arrived　and　we　stood　together　beside　the　ex…

quisite　figure　that　seemed　hardly　more　quiet　in

death　than　in　life；　Mrs。　Paine　voiced　in　her　few

words　the　feeling　of　the　whole　community‘‘Where

shall　we　get　our　comfort　and　our　inspiration；　now

that　Relief　is　gone？''



The　funeral　which　took　all　my　courage　from　me；

however；　was　that　of　my　sister　Mary。　　In　its　sudden…

ness；　Mary's　death；　in　1883；　was　as　a　thunderbolt

from　the　blue；　for　she　had　been　in　perfect　health

three　days　before　she　passed　away。　　I　was　still　in

charge　of　my　two　parishes　in　Cape　Cod；　but；　as　it

mercifully　happened；　before　she　was　stricken　I　had

started　West　to　visit　Mary　in　her　home　at　Big

Rapids。　　When　I　arrived　on　the　second　day　of　her

illness；　knowing　nothing　of　it　until　I　reached　her；

I　found　her　already　past　hope。　　Her　disease　was

pneumonia；　but　she　was　conscious　to　the　end；　and

her　greatest　desire　seemed　to　be　to　see　me　christen

her　little　daughter　and　her　husband　before　she　left

them。　　This　could　not　be　realized；　for　my　brother…

in…law　was　absent　on　business；　and　with　all　his

haste　in　returning　did　not　reach　his　wife's　side　until

after　her　death。　　As　his　one　thought　then　was　to

carry　out　her　last　wishes；　I　christened　him　and　his

little　girl　just　before　the　funeral；　and　during　the

ceremony　we　all　experienced　a　deep　conviction

that　Mary　knew　and　was　content。



She　had　become　a　power　in　her　community；　and

was　so　dearly　loved　that　on　the　day　her　body　was

borne　to　its　last　resting…place　all　the　business　houses

in　Big　Rapids　were　closed；　and　the　streets　were　filled

with　men　who　stood　with　bent；　uncovered　heads　as

the　funeral　procession　went　by。　　My　father　and

mother；　also；　to　whom　she　had　given　a　home　after

they　left　the　log…cabin　where　they　had　lived　so　long；

had　made　many　friends　in　their　new　environment

and　were　affectionately　known　throughout　the　whole

region　as　‘‘Grandma　and　Grandpa　Shaw。''



When　I　returned　to　East　Dennis　I　brought　my

mother　and　Mary's　three　children　with　me；　and

they　remained　throughout　the　spring　and　summer。　

I　had　hoped　that　they　would　remain　permanently；

and　had　rented　and　furnished　a　home　for　them　with

that　end　in　view；　but；　though　they　enjoyed　their

visit；　the　prospect　of　the　bleak　winters　of　Cape　Cod

disturbed　my　mother；　and　they　all　returned　to　Big

Rapids　late　in　the　autumn。　　Since　entering　upon　my

parish　work　it　had　been　possible　for　me　to　help　my

father　and　mother　financially；　and　from　the　time

of　Mary's　death　I　had　the　privilege；　a　very　precious

one；　of　seeing　that　they　were　well　cared　for　and　con…

tented。　　They　were　always　appreciative；　and　as

time　passed　they　became　more　reconciled　to　the

career　I　had　chosen；　and　which　in　former　days　had

filled　them　with　such　dire　forebodings。





After　I　had　been　in　East　Dennis　four　years　I　be…

gan　to　feel　that　I　was　getting　into　a　rut。　　It　seemed

to　me　that　all　I　could　do　in　that　particular　field　had

been　done。　　My　people　wished　me　to　remain；　how…

ever；　and　so；　partly　as　an　outlet　for　my　surplus

energy；　but　more　especially　because　I　realized　the

splendid　work　women　could　do　as　physicians；　I　be…

gan　to　study　medicine。　　The　trustees　gave　me　per…

mission　to　go　to　Boston　on　certain　days　of　each　week；

and　we　soon　found　that　I　could　carry　on　my　work

as　a　medical　student　without　in　the　least　neglecting

my　duty　toward　my　parish。



I　entered　the　Boston　Medical　School　in　1882；　and

obtained　my　diploma　as　a　full…fledged　physician　in

1885。　　During　this　period　I　also　began　to　lecture

for　the　Massachusetts　Woman　Suffrage　Association；

of　which　Lucy　Stone　was　president。　　Henry　Black…

well　was　associated　with　her；　and　together　they　de…

veloped　in　me　a　vital　interest　in　the　suffrage　cause；

which　grew　steadily　from　that　time　until　it　became

the　dominating　influence　in　my　life。　　I　preached　it

in　the　pulpit；　talked　it　to　those　I　met　outside　of　the

church；　lectured　on　it　whenever　I　had　an　oppor…

tunity；　and　carried　it　into　my　medical　work　in　the

Boston　slums　when　I　was　trying　my　prentice　hand

on　helpless　pauper　patients。



Here　again；　in　my　association　with　the　women　of

the　streets；　I　realized　the　limitations　of　my　work　in

the　ministry　and　in　medicine。　　As　minister　to　soul

and　body　one　could　do　little　for　these　women。　　For

such　as　them；　one's　efforts　must　begin　at　the　very

foundation　of　the　social　structure。　　Laws　for　them

must　be　made　and　enforced；　and　some　of　those　laws

could　only　be　made　and　enforced　by　women。　　So

many　great　avenues　of　life　were　opening　up　before

me　that　my　Cape　Cod　environment　seemed　almost

a　prison　where　I　was　held　with　tender　force。　　I

loved　my　people　and　they　loved　mebut　the　big

outer　world　was　calling；　and