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It¡¡was¡¡evidently¡¡not¡¡a¡¡failure£»¡¡for¡¡the¡¡next¡¡day¡¡he

invited¡¡me¡¡to¡¡follow¡¡him¡¡around¡¡in¡¡his¡¡circuit£»¡¡which

included¡¡thirty¡­six¡¡appointments£»¡¡he¡¡wished¡¡me¡¡to

preach¡¡in¡¡each¡¡of¡¡the¡¡thirty¡­six¡¡places£»¡¡as¡¡it¡¡was¡¡de¡­

sirable¡¡to¡¡let¡¡the¡¡various¡¡ministers¡¡hear¡¡and¡¡know

me¡¡before¡¡I¡¡applied¡¡for¡¡my¡¡license¡¡as¡¡a¡¡local¡¡preacher¡£



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first¡¡notice¡¡of¡¡me¡¡ever¡¡printed¡¡in¡¡a¡¡newspaper¡£¡¡

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was¡¡brief¡¡but¡¡pointed¡£¡¡¡¡It¡¡read£º





A¡¡young¡¡girl¡¡named¡¡Anna¡¡Shaw£»¡¡seventeen¡¡years¡¡old£»£§1£§

preached¡¡at¡¡Ashton¡¡yesterday¡£¡¡¡¡Her¡¡real¡¡friends¡¡deprecate¡¡the

course¡¡she¡¡is¡¡pursuing¡£



£§1£§¡¡A¡¡misstatement¡¡by¡¡the¡¡brother¡­in¡­law¡£¡¡¡¡Dr¡£¡¡Shaw¡¡was¡¡at¡¡this

time¡¡twenty¡­three¡¡years¡¡old¡£E¡£¡¡J¡£





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a¡¡lighted¡¡match¡¡applied¡¡to¡¡gunpowder¡£¡¡¡¡An¡¡ex¡­

plosion¡¡of¡¡public¡¡sentiment¡¡followed¡¡it£»¡¡the¡¡entire

community¡¡arose¡¡in¡¡consternation£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡became¡¡a

bone¡¡of¡¡contention¡¡over¡¡which¡¡friends¡¡and¡¡strangers

alike¡¡wrangled¡¡until¡¡they¡¡wore¡¡themselves¡¡out¡£¡¡

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council£»¡¡sent¡¡for¡¡me£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡responded¡£¡¡¡¡They¡¡had

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ting¡¡it¡¡before¡¡me¡£¡¡¡¡If¡¡I¡¡gave¡¡up¡¡my¡¡preaching¡¡they

would¡¡send¡¡me¡¡to¡¡college¡¡and¡¡pay¡¡for¡¡my¡¡entire

course¡£¡¡¡¡They¡¡suggested¡¡Ann¡¡Arbor£»¡¡and¡¡Ann¡¡Arbor

tempted¡¡me¡¡sorely£»¡¡but¡¡to¡¡descend¡¡from¡¡the¡¡pulpit

I¡¡had¡¡at¡¡last¡¡enteredthe¡¡pulpit¡¡I¡¡had¡¡visualized

in¡¡all¡¡my¡¡childish¡¡dreamswas¡¡not¡¡to¡¡be¡¡considered¡£¡¡

We¡¡had¡¡a¡¡long¡¡evening¡¡together£»¡¡and¡¡it¡¡was¡¡a¡¡very

unhappy¡¡one¡£¡¡¡¡At¡¡the¡¡end¡¡of¡¡it¡¡I¡¡was¡¡given¡¡twenty¡­

four¡¡hours¡¡in¡¡which¡¡to¡¡decide¡¡whether¡¡I¡¡would¡¡choose

my¡¡people¡¡and¡¡college£»¡¡or¡¡my¡¡pulpit¡¡and¡¡the¡¡arctic

loneliness¡¡of¡¡a¡¡life¡¡that¡¡held¡¡no¡¡family¡­circle¡£¡¡¡¡It

did¡¡not¡¡require¡¡twenty¡­four¡¡hours¡¡of¡¡reflection¡¡to

convince¡¡me¡¡that¡¡I¡¡must¡¡go¡¡my¡¡solitary¡¡way¡£



That¡¡year¡¡I¡¡preached¡¡thirty¡­six¡¡times£»¡¡at¡¡each¡¡of

the¡¡presiding¡¡elder's¡¡appointments£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡follow¡­

ing¡¡spring£»¡¡at¡¡the¡¡annual¡¡Methodist¡¡Conference¡¡of

our¡¡district£»¡¡held¡¡at¡¡Big¡¡Rapids£»¡¡my¡¡name¡¡was¡¡pre¡­

sented¡¡to¡¡the¡¡assembled¡¡ministers¡¡as¡¡that¡¡of¡¡a¡¡can¡­

didate¡¡for¡¡a¡¡license¡¡to¡¡preach¡£¡¡¡¡There¡¡was¡¡unusual

interest¡¡in¡¡the¡¡result£»¡¡and¡¡my¡¡father¡¡was¡¡among¡¡those

who¡¡came¡¡to¡¡the¡¡Conference¡¡to¡¡see¡¡the¡¡vote¡¡taken¡£¡¡

During¡¡these¡¡Conferences¡¡a¡¡minister¡¡voted¡¡affirma¡­

tively¡¡on¡¡a¡¡question¡¡by¡¡holding¡¡up¡¡his¡¡hand£»¡¡and

negatively¡¡by¡¡failing¡¡to¡¡do¡¡so¡£¡¡¡¡When¡¡the¡¡question

of¡¡my¡¡license¡¡came¡¡up¡¡the¡¡majority¡¡of¡¡the¡¡ministers

voted¡¡by¡¡raising¡¡both¡¡hands£»¡¡and¡¡in¡¡the¡¡pleasant

excitement¡¡which¡¡followed¡¡my¡¡father¡¡slipped¡¡away¡£

Those¡¡who¡¡saw¡¡him¡¡told¡¡me¡¡he¡¡looked¡¡pleased£»¡¡but

he¡¡sent¡¡me¡¡no¡¡message¡¡showing¡¡a¡¡change¡¡of¡¡view¡­

point£»¡¡and¡¡the¡¡gulf¡¡between¡¡the¡¡family¡¡and¡¡its¡¡black

sheep¡¡remained¡¡unbridged¡£¡¡¡¡Though¡¡the¡¡warmth¡¡of

Mary's¡¡love¡¡for¡¡me¡¡had¡¡become¡¡a¡¡memory£»¡¡the

warmth¡¡of¡¡her¡¡hearthstone¡¡was¡¡still¡¡offered¡¡me¡£¡¡¡¡I

accepted¡¡it£»¡¡perforce£»¡¡and¡¡we¡¡lived¡¡together¡¡like

shadows¡¡of¡¡what¡¡we¡¡had¡¡been¡£¡¡¡¡Two¡¡friends¡¡alone

of¡¡all¡¡I¡¡had¡¡made¡¡stood¡¡by¡¡me¡¡without¡¡qualification

Miss¡¡Foot¡¡and¡¡Clara¡¡Osborn£»¡¡the¡¡latter¡¡my

¡®¡®chum''¡¡at¡¡Big¡¡Rapids¡¡and¡¡a¡¡dweller¡¡in¡¡my¡¡heart

to¡¡this¡¡day¡£



In¡¡the¡¡mean¡¡time¡¡my¡¡preaching¡¡had¡¡not¡¡inter¡­

fered¡¡with¡¡my¡¡studies¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡was¡¡working¡¡day¡¡and¡¡night£»

but¡¡life¡¡was¡¡very¡¡difficult£»¡¡for¡¡among¡¡my¡¡school¡­

mates£»¡¡too£»¡¡there¡¡were¡¡doubts¡¡and¡¡much¡¡head¡­shaking

over¡¡this¡¡choice¡¡of¡¡a¡¡career¡£¡¡¡¡I¡¡needed¡¡the¡¡sound¡¡of

friendly¡¡voices£»¡¡for¡¡I¡¡was¡¡very¡¡lonely£»¡¡and¡¡suddenly£»

when¡¡the¡¡pressure¡¡from¡¡all¡¡sides¡¡was¡¡strongest¡¡and

I¡¡was¡¡going¡¡down¡¡physically¡¡under¡¡it£»¡¡a¡¡voice¡¡was

raised¡¡that¡¡I¡¡had¡¡never¡¡dared¡¡to¡¡dream¡¡would¡¡speak

for¡¡me¡£¡¡¡¡Mary¡¡A¡£¡¡Livermore¡¡came¡¡to¡¡Big¡¡Rapids£»

and¡¡as¡¡she¡¡was¡¡then¡¡at¡¡the¡¡height¡¡of¡¡her¡¡career£»¡¡the

entire¡¡countryside¡¡poured¡¡in¡¡to¡¡

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