the story of a pioneer-第13节

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young　men　to　decide　upon　the　speaker　and　then　an…

nounce　his　name　to　the　women；　who　humbly　con…

firmed　it。　　On　this　occasion；　however；　when　the

name　came　in　to　us；　I　sent　a　message　to　our　brother

society　to　the　effect　that　we；　too；　intended　to　make

a　nomination　and　to　send　in　a　name。



At　such　unprecedented　behavior　the　entire　stu…

dent　body　arose　in　excitement；　which；　among　the

girls；　was　combined　with　equal　parts　of　exhilaration

and　awe。　　The　men　refused　to　consider　our　nominee；

and　as　a　friendly　compromise　we　suggested　that　we

have　a　joint　meeting　of　all　the　societies　and　elect

the　speaker　at　this　gathering；　but　this　plan　also

the　men　at　first　refused；　giving　in　only　after　weeks

of　argument；　during　which　no　one　had　time　for

the　calmer　pleasures　of　study。　　When　the　joint

meeting　was　finally　held；　nothing　was　accomplished；

we　girls　had　one　more　member　than　the　boys　had；

and　we　promptly　re…elected　our　candidate；　who　was

as　promptly　declined　by　the　boys。　　Two　of　our　girls

were　engaged　to　two　of　the　boys；　and　it　was　secretly

planned　by　our　brother　society　that　during　a　second

joint　meeting　these　two　men　should　take　the　girls

out　for　a　drive　and　then　slip　back　to　vote；　leaving

the　girls　at　some　point　sufficiently　remote　from　col…

lege。　　We　discovered　the　plot；　however；　in　time　to

thwart　it；　and　at　last；　when　nothing　but　the　un…

precedented　tie…up　had　been　discussed　for　months；

the　boys　suddenly　gave　up　their　candidate　and

nominated　me　for　orator。



This　was　not　at　all　what　I　wanted；　and　I　immedi…

ately　declined　to　serve。　　We　girls　then　nominated

the　young　man　who　had　been　first　choice　of　our

brother　society；　but　he　haughtily　refused　to　accept

the　compliment。　　The　reunion　was　only　a　fortnight

away；　and　the　programme　had　not　been　printed；　so

now　the　president　took　the　situation　in　hand　and

peremptorily　ordered　me　to　accept　the　nomination

or　be　suspended。　　This　was　a　wholly　unexpected

boomerang。　　I　had　wished　to　make　a　good　fight　for

equal　rights　for　the　girls；　and　to　impress　the　boys

with　the　fact　of　our　existence　as　a　society；　but　I

had　not　desired　to　set　the　entire　student　body　by

the　ears　nor　to　be　forced　to　prepare　and　deliver　an

oration　at　the　eleventh　hour。　　Moreover；　I　had　no

suitable　gown　to　wear　on　so　important　an　occasion。　

One　of　my　classmates；　however；　secretly　wrote　to

my　sister；　describing　my　blushing　honors　and　ex…

plaining　my　need；　and　my　family　rallied　to　the　call。　

My　father　bought　the　material；　and　my　mother　and

Mary　paid　for　the　making　of　the　gown。　　It　was　a

white　alpaca　creation；　trimmed　with　satin；　and　the

consciousness　that　it　was　extremely　becoming　sus…

tained　me　greatly　during　the　mental　agony　of　pre…

paring　and　delivering　my　oration。　　To　my　family

that　oration　was　the　redeeming　episode　of　my　early

career。　　For　the　moment　it　almost　made　them　for…

get　my　crime　of　preaching。



My　original　fund　of　eighteen　dollars　was　now

supplemented　by　the　proceeds　of　a　series　of　lectures

I　gave　on　temperance。　　The　temperance　women　were

not　yet　organized；　but　they　had　their　speakers；　and

I　was　occasionally　paid　five　dollars　to　hold　forth

for　an　hour　or　two　in　the　little　country　school…houses

of　our　region。　　As　a　licensed　preacher　I　had　no

tuition　fees　to　pay　at　college；　but　my　board；　in　the

home　of　the　president　and　his　wife；　was　costing　me

four　dollars　a　week；　and　this　was　the　limit　of　my

expenses；　as　I　did　my　own　laundry…work。　　During

my　first　college　year　the　amount　I　paid　for　amuse…

ment　was　exactly　fifty　cents；　that　went　for　a　lec…

ture。　　The　mental　strain　of　the　whole　experience

was　rather　severe；　for　I　never　knew　how　much　I

would　be　able　to　earn；　and　I　was　beginning　to　feel

the　effects　of　this　when　Christmas　came　and　brought

with　it　a　gift　of　ninety…two　dollars；　which　Miss　Foot

had　collected　among　my　Big　Rapids　friends。　　That；

with　what　I　could　earn；　carried　me　through　the

year。



The　following　spring　our　brother　James；　who

was　now　living　in　St。　Johnsbury；　Vermont；　invited

my　sister　Mary　and　me　to　spend　the　summer

with　him；　and　Mary　and　I　finally　dug　a　grave　for

our　little　hatchet　and　went　East　together　with

something　of　our　old…time　joy　in　each　other's　so…

ciety。　　We　reached　St。　Johnsbury　one　Saturday；

and　within　an　hour　of　our　arrival　learned　that　my

brother　had　arranged　for　me　to　preach　in　a　local

church　the　following　day。　　That　threatened　to　spoil

the　visit　for　Mary　and　even　to　disinter　the　hatchet！　

At　first　she　positively　refused　to　go　to　hear　me；　but

after　a　few　hours　of　reflection　she　announced　gloom…

ily　that　if　she　did　not　go　I　would　not　have　my　hair

arranged　properly　or　get　my　hat　on　straight。　　Moved

by　this　conviction；　she　joined　the　family　parade　to

the　church；　and　later；　in　the　sacristy；　she　pulled　me

about　and　pinned　me　up　to　her　heart's　content。　

Then；　reluctantly；　she　went　into　the　church　and

heard　me　preach。　　She　offered　no　tributes　after　our

return　to　the　house；　but　her　protests　ceased　from

that　time；　and　we　gave　each　other　the　love　and

understanding　which　had　marked　our　girlhood　days。　

The　change　made　me　very　happy；　for　Mary　was　the

salt　of　the　earth；　and　next　only　to　my　longing　for

my　mother；　I　had　longed　for　her　in　the　years　of　our

estrangement。



Every　Sunday　that　summer　I　preached　in　or　near

St。　Johnsbury；　and　toward　autumn　we　had　a　big

meeting　which　the　ministers　of　all　the　surrounding

churches　attended。　　I　was　asked　to　preach　the　ser…

mona　high　complimentand　I　chose　that　impor…

tant　day　to　make　a　mistake　in　quoting　a　passage

from　Scripture。　　I　asked；　‘‘Can　the　Ethiopian　change

his　spots　or　the　leopard　his　skin？''　　I　realized　at

once　that　I　had　transposed　the　words；　and　no　doubt

a　look　of　horror　dawned　in　my　eyes；　but　I　went　on

without　correcting　myself　and　without　the　slightest

pause。　　Later；　one　of　the　ministers　congratulated

me　on　this　presence　of　mind。



‘‘If　you　had　corrected　yourself；''　he　said；　‘‘all　the

young　people　would　have　been　giggling　yet　over

the　spotted　nigger。　　Keep　to　your　rule　of　going

right　ahead！''



At　the　end　of　the　summer　the　various　churches

in　which　I　had　preached　gave　me　a　beautiful　gold

watch　and　one　hundred　dollars　in　money；　and　with

an　exceedingly　light　heart　I　went　back　to　college

to　begin　my　second　year　of　work。



From　that　time　life　was　less　complex。　　I　had

enough　temperance…work　and　preaching　in　the

country　school…houses　and　churches　to　pay　my　col…

lege　expenses；　and；　now　that　my　financial　anxieties

were　relieved；　my　health　steadily　improved。　　Sev…

eral　times　I　preached　to　the　Indians；　and　these

occasions　were　among　the　most　interesting　of　my

experiences。　　The　squaws　invariably　brought　their

babies　with　them；　but　they　had　a　simple　and　effective

method　of　relieving　themselves　of　the　care　of　the

infants　as　soon　as　they　reached　the　church。　　The

papooses；　who　were　strapped　to　their　boards；　were

hung　like　a　garment　on　the　back　wall　of　the　building

by　a　hole　in　the　top　of　the　board；　which　projected

above　their　heads。　　Each　papoose　usually　had　a

bit　of　fat　pork　tied　to　the　end　of　a　string　fastened

to　its　wrist；　and　with　these　sources　of　nourishment

the　infants　occupied　themselves　pleasantly　while

the　sermon　was　in　progress。　　Frequently　the　pork

slipped　down　the　throat　of　the　papoose；　but　the

struggle　of　the　child　and　the　jerking　of　its　hands

in　the　strangulation　that　followed　pulled　the　piece

safely　out　again。　　As　I　faced　the　congregation　I　also

faced　the　papooses；　to　whom　the　indifferent　backs

of　their　mothers　were　presented；　it　seemed　to　me

there　was　never　a　time　when　some　papoose　was　not

choking；　but　no　matter　how　much　excitement　or

discomfort　was　going　on　among　the　babies；　not　one

squaw　turned　her　head　to　look　back　at　them。　　In

that　assemblage　the　emotions　were　not　allowed　to

interrupt　the　calm　intellectual　enjoyment　of　the

sermon。



My　most　dramatic　experience　during　this　period

occurred　in　the　summer　of　1874；　when　I　went　to　a

Northern　lumber…camp　to　preach　in　the　pulpit　of　a

minister　who　was　away　on　his　honeymoon。　　The

stage　took　me　within　twenty…two　miles　of　my　desti…

nation；　to　a　place　called　Seberwing。　　To　my　dismay；

however；　when　I　arrived　at　Seberwing；　Saturday

evening；　I　found　that　the　rest　of　the　journey　lay

through　a　dense　woods；　and　that　I　could　reach　my

pulpit　in　time　the　next　morning　only　by　having　some

one　drive　me　through　the　woods　that　night。　　It　was

not　a　pleasant　prospect；　for　I　had　heard　appalling

tales　of　the　stockades　in　this　region　and　of　the

women　who　were　kept　prisoners　there。　　But　to　miss

the　engagement　was　not　to　be　thought　of；　and　when；

after　I　had　made　several　vain　efforts　to　find　a　driver；

a　man　appeared　in　a　two…seated　wagon　and　offered

to　take　me　to　my　destination；　I　felt　that　I　had　to　go

with　him；　though　I　did　not　like　his　appearance。　

He　was　a　huge；　muscular　person；　with　a　protruding

jaw　and　a