the story of a pioneer-第20节

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ard　the　support　of　the　church；　and　for　weeks　he

remained　away　from　our　services；　returning　under

conditions　I　will　mention　later。　　Even　at　the　time；

however；　his　attack　helped　rather　than　hurt　me。　

At　the　regular　meeting　the　following　Thursday

night　no　personal　criticisms　were　included　in　the

prayers；　and　eventually　we　had　peace。　　But　many

battles　were　lost　and　won　before　that　happy　day

arrived。



Captain　Sears's　vacant　place　among　us　was

promptly　taken　by　another　captain　in　East　Dennis；

whose　name　was　also　Sears。　　A　few　days　after　my

encounter　with　the　first　captain　I　met　the　second　on

the　street。　　He　had　never　come　to　church；　and　I

stopped　and　invited　him　to　do　so。　　He　replied　with

simple　candor。



‘‘I　ain't　comin'；''　he　told　me。　　‘‘There　ain't　no

gal　that　can　teach　me　nothin'。''



‘‘Perhaps　you　are　wrong；　Captain　Sears；''　I　re…

plied。　　‘‘I　might　teach　you　something。''



‘‘What？''　demanded　the　captain；　with　chilling

distrust。



‘‘Oh；''　I　said；　cheerfully；　‘‘let　us　say　tolerance；　for

one　thing。''



‘‘Humph！''　muttered　the　old　man。　　‘‘The　Lord

don't　want　none　of　your　tolerance；　and　neither

do　I。''



I　laughed。　　‘‘He　doesn't　object　to　tolerance；''　I

said。　　‘‘Come　to　church。　　You　can　talk；　too；　and

the　Lord　will　listen　to　us　both。''



To　my　surprise；　the　captain　came　the　following

Sunday；　and　during　the　seven　years　I　remained　in

the　church　he　was　one　of　my　strongest　supporters

and　friends。　　I　needed　friends；　for　my　second　battle

was　not　slow　in　following　my　first。　　There　was；　in…

deed；　barely　time　between　in　which　to　care　for　the

wounded。



We　had　in　East　Dennis　what　was　known　as　the

‘‘Free　Religious　Group；''　and　when　some　of　the

members　of　my　congregation　were　not　wrangling

among　themselves；　they　were　usually　locking　horns

with　this　group。　　For　years；　I　was　told；　one　of　the

prime　diversions　of　the　‘‘Free　Religious''　faction

was　to　have　a　dance　in　our　town　hall　on　the　night

when　we　were　using　it　for　our　annual　church　fair。　

The　rules　of　the　church　positively　prohibited　danc…

ing；　so　the　worldly　group　took　peculiar　pleasure　in

attending　the　fair；　and　during　the　evening　in　getting

up　a　dance　and　whirling　about　among　us；　to　the

horror　of　our　members。　　Then　they　spent　the　re…

mainder　of　the　year　boasting　of　the　achievement。　

It　came　to　my　ears　that　they　had　decided　to　follow

this　pleasing　programme　at　our　Christmas　church

celebration；　so　I　called　the　church　trustees　together

and　put　the　situation　to　them。



‘‘We　must　either　enforce　our　discipline；''　I　said；

‘‘or　give　it　up。　　Personally　I　do　not　object　to　danc…

ing；　but；　as　the　church　has　ruled　against　it；　I　intend

to　uphold　the　church。　　To　allow　these　people　to

make　us　ridiculous　year　after　year　is　impossible。　

Let　us　either　tell　them　that　they　may　dance　or　that

they　may　not　dance；　but　whatever　we　tell　them；

let　us　make　them　obey　our　ruling。''



The　trustees　were　shocked　at　the　mere　suggestion

of　letting　them　dance。



‘‘Very　well；''　I　ended。　　‘‘Then　they　shall　not

dance。　　That　is　understood。''



Captain　Crowell；　the　father　of　my　dead　friend

Mrs。　Addy；　and　himself　my　best　man　friend；　was　a

strong　supporter　of　the　Free　Religious　Group。　

When　its　members　raced　to　him　with　the　news　that

I　had　said　they　could　not　dance　at　the　church's

Christmas　party；　Captain　Crowell　laughed　good…

humoredly　and　told　them　to　dance　as　much　as　they

pleased；　cheerfully　adding　that　he　would　get　them

out　of　any　trouble　they　got　into。　　Knowing　my

friendship　for　him；　and　that　I　even　owed　my　church

appointment　to　him；　the　Free　Religious　people

were　certain　that　I　would　never　take　issue　with　him

on　dancing　or　on　any　other　point。　　They　made　all

their　preparations　for　the　dance；　therefore；　with

entire　confidence；　and　boasted　that　the　affair　would

be　the　gayest　they　had　ever　arranged。　　My　people

began　to　look　at　me　with　sympathy；　and　for　a　time

I　felt　very　sorry　for　myself。　　It　seemed　sufficiently

clear　that　‘‘the　gal''　was　to　have　more　trouble。



On　the　night　of　the　party　things　went　badly　from

the　first。　　There　was　an　evident　intention　among

the　worst　of　the　Free　Religious　Group　to　embarrass

us　at　every　turn。　　We　opened　the　exercises　with　the

Lord's　Prayer；　which　this　element　loudly　applauded。　

A　live　kitten　was　hung　high　on　the　Christmas　tree；

where　it　squalled　mournfully　beyond　reach　of

rescue；　and　the　young　men　of　the　outside　group

threw　cake　at　one　another　across　the　hall。　　Finally

tiring　of　these　innocent　diversions；　they　began　to

prepare　for　their　dance；　and　I　protested。　　The

spokesman　of　the　group　waved　me　to　one　side。



‘‘Captain　Crowell　said　we　could；''　he　remarked；

airily。



‘‘Captain　Crowell；''　I　replied；　‘‘has　no　authority

whatever　in　this　matter。　　The　church　trustees　have

decided　that　you　cannot　dance　here；　and　I　intend

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

p