the story of a pioneer-第21节

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ance。　　I　expected　more　trouble；　and　I　faced　it　with

difficulty；　for　I　was　very　tired。　　Just　as　I　took　my

place　in　the　pulpit；　Captain　Sears　entered　the　church

and　walked　down　the　aislethe　Captain　Sears　who

had　left　us　at　my　invitation　some　weeks　before

and　had　not　since　attended　a　church　service。　　I　was

sure　he　was　there　to　make　another　attack　on　me

while　I　was　down；　and；　expecting　the　worst；　I

wearily　gave　him　his　opportunity。　　The　big　old　fel…

low　stood　up；　braced　himself　on　legs　far　apart；　as

if　he　were　standing　on　a　slippery　deck　during　a　high

sea；　and　gave　the　congregation　its　biggest　surprise

of　the　year。



He　said　he　had　come　to　make　a　confession。　　He

had　been　angry　with　‘‘the　gal''　in　the　past；　as　they

all　knew。　　But　he　had　heard　about　the　sermon　she

had　preached　that　morning；　and　this　time　she　was

right。　　It　was　high　time　quarreling　and　backbiting

were　stopped。　　They　had　been　going　on　too　long；

and　no　good　could　come　of　them。　　Moreover；　in

all　the　years　he　had　been　a　member　of　that　congre…

gation　he　had　never　until　now　seen　the　pulpit　oc…

cupied　by　a　minister　with　enough　backbone　to　up…

hold　the　discipline　of　the　church。　　‘‘I've　come　here

to　say　I'm　with　the　gal；''　he　ended。　　‘‘Put　me　down

for　my　original　subscription　and　ten　dollars　extra！''



So　we　had　the　old　man　back　again。　　He　was　a

tower　of　strength；　and　he　stood　by　me　faithfully

until　he　died。　　The　trustees　would　not　accept　my

resignation　（indeed；　they　refused　to　consider　it　at　all）；

and　the　congregation；　when　it　had　thought　things

over；　apparently　decided　that　there　might　be　worse

things　in　the　pulpit　than　‘‘the　gal。''　　It　was　even

known　to　brag　of　what　it　called　my　‘‘spunk；''　and

perhaps　it　was　this　quality；　rather　than　any　other；

which　I　most　needed　in　that　particular　parish　at

that　time。　　As　for　me；　when　the　fight　was　over　I

dropped　it　from　my　mind；　and　it　had　not　entered

my　thoughts　for　years；　until　I　began　to　summon

these　memories。



At　the　end　of　my　first　six　months　in　East　Dennis

I　was　asked　to　take　on；　also；　the　temporary　charge

of　the　Congregational　Church　at　Dennis；　two　miles

and　a　half　away。　　I　agreed　to　do　this　until　a　per…

manent　pastor　could　be　found；　on　condition　that　I

should　preach　at　Dennis　on　Sunday　afternoons；　using

the　same　sermon　I　preached　in　my　own　pulpit　in　the

morning。　　The　arrangement　worked　so　well　that　it

lasted　for　six　and　a　half　yearsuntil　I　resigned　from

my　East　Dennis　church。　　During　that　period；　more…

over；　I　not　only　carried　the　two　churches　on　my

shoulders；　holding　three　meetings　each　Sunday；　but

I　entered　upon　and　completed　a　course　in　the

Boston　Medical　School；　winning　my　M。D。　in　1885；

and　I　also　lectured　several　times　a　month　during

the　winter　seasons。　　These　were；　therefore；　among

the　most　strenuous　as　well　as　the　most　interesting

years　of　my　existence；　and　I　mention　the　strain　of

them　only　to　prove　my　life…long　contention；　that

congenial　work；　no　matter　how　much　there　is　of

it；　has　never　yet　killed　any　one！



After　my　battle　with　the　Free　Religious　Group

things　moved　much　more　smoothly　in　the　parish。　

Captain　Crowell；　instead　of　resenting　my　defiance

of　his　ruling；　helped　to　reconcile　the　divided　factions

in　the　church；　and　though；　as　I　have　said；　twice

afterward　I　submitted　my　resignation；　in　each　case

the　fight　I　was　making　was　for　a　cause　which　I

firmly　believed　in　and　eventually　won。　　My　second

resignation　was　brought　about　by　the　unwillingness

of　the　church　to　have　me　exchange　pulpits　with　the

one　minister　on　Cape　Cod　broad…minded　enough　to

invite　me　to　preach　in　his　pulpit。　　I　had　done　so；

and　had　then　sent　him　a　return　invitation。　　He　was

a　gentleman　and　a　scholar；　but　he　was　also　a　Uni…

tarian；　and　though　my　people　were　willing　to　let

me　preach　in　his　church；　they　were　loath　to　let　him

preach　in　mine。　　After　a　surprising　amount　of　dis…

cussion　my　resignation　put　a　different　aspect　on　the

matter；　it　also　led　to　the　satisfactory　ruling　that

I　could　exchange　pulpits　not　only　with　this　minister；

but　with　any　other　in　good　standing　in　his　own

church。



My　third　resignation　went　before　the　trustees　in

consequence　of　my　protest　from　the　pulpit　against

a　small　drinking　and　gambling　saloon　in　East　Dennis；

which　was　rapidly　demoralizing　our　boys。　　Theo…

retically；　only　‘‘soft　drinks''　were　sold；　but　the

gambling　was　open；　and　the　resort　was　constantly

filled　with　boys　of　all　ages。　　There　were　influences

back　of　this　place　which　tried　to　protect　it；　and　its

owner　was　very　popular　in　the　town。　　After　my　first

sermon　I　was　waited　upon　by　a　committee；　that

warmly　advised　me　to　‘‘let　East　Dennis　alone''　and

confine　my　criticisms　‘‘to　saloons　in　Boston　and

other　big　towns。''　　As　I　had　nothing　to　do　with

Boston；　and　much　to　do　with　East　Dennis；　I　preached

on　that　place　three　Sundays　in　succession；　and

feeling　became　so　intense　that　I　handed　in　my　resig…

nation　and　prepared　to　depart。　　Then　my　friends

rallied　and　the　resort　was　suppressed。



That　was　my　last　big　struggle。　　During　the　re…

maining　five　years　of　my　pastorate　on　Cape　Cod

the　relations　between　my　people　and　myself　were

wholly　harmonious　and　beautiful。　　If　I　have　seemed

to　dwell　too　much　on　these　small　victories；　it　must

be　remembered　that　I　find　in　them　such　comfort　as

I　can。　　I　have　not　yet　won　the　great　and　vital　fight

of　my　life；　to　which　I　have　given　myself；　heart　and

soul；　for　the　past　thirty　yearsthe　campaign　for

woman　suffrage。　　I　have　seen　victories　here　and

there；　and　shall　see　more。　　But　when　the　ultimate

triumph　comeswhen　American　women　in　every

state　cast　their　ballots　as　naturally　as　their　husbands

doI　may　not　be　in　this　world　to　rejoice　over　it。



It　is　interesting　to　remember　that　during　the

strenuous　period　of　the　first　few　months　in　East

Dennis；　and　notwithstanding　the　division　in　the

congregation；　we　women　of　the　church　got　together

and　repainted　and　refurnished　the　building；　raising

all　the　money　and　doing　much　of　the　work　ourselves；

as　the　expense　of　having　it　done　was　prohibitive。　　We

painted　the　church；　and　even　cut　down　and　mod…

ernized　the　pulpit。　　The　total　cost　of　material　and

furniture　was　not　half　so　great　as　the　original　esti…

mate　had　indicated；　and　we　had　learned　a　valuable

lesson。　　After　this　we　spent　very　little　money　for

labor；　but　did　our　own　cleaning；　carpet…laying；　and

the　like；　and　our　little　church；　if　I　may　be　allowed

to　say　so；　was　a　model　of　neatness　and　good　taste。



I　have　said　that　at　the　end　of　two　years　from　the

time　of　my　appointment　the　long…continued　war…

fare　in　the　church　was　ended。　　I　was　not　immediate…

ly　allowed；　however；　to　bask　in　an　atmosphere　of

harmony；　for　in　October；　1880；　the　celebrated　con…

test　over　my　ordination　took　place　at　the　Methodist

Protestant　Conference　in　Tarrytown；　New　York；

and　for　three　days　I　was　a　storm…center　around　which

a　large　number　of　truly　good　and　wholly　sincere

men　fought　the　fight　of　their　religious　lives。　　Many

of　them　strongly　believed　that　women　were　out　of

place　in　the　ministry。　　I　did　not　blame　them　for

this　conviction。　　But　I　was　in　the　ministry；　and　I

was　greatly　handicapped　by　the　fact　that；　although

I　was　a　licensed　preacher　and　a　graduate　of　the

Boston　Theological　School；　I　could　not；　until　I　had

been　regularly　ordained；　meet　all　the　functions　of

my　office。　　I　could　perform　the　marriage　service；

but　I　could　not　baptize。　　I　could　bury　the　dead；　but

I　could　not　take　members　into　my　church。　　That　had

to　be　done　by　the　presiding　elder　or　by　some　other

minister。　　I　could　not　administer　the　sacraments。　

So　at　the　New　England　Spring　Conference　of　the

Methodist　Episcopal　Church；　held　in　Boston　in

1880；　I　formally　applied　for　ordination。　　At　the　same

time　application　was　made　by　another　woman

Miss　Anna　Oliverand　as　a　preliminary　step　we

were　both　examined　by　the　Conference　board；　and

were　formally　reported　by　that　board　as　fitted　for

ordination。　　Our　names　were　therefore　presented　at

the　Conference；　over　which　Bishop　Andrews　pre…

sided；　and　he　immediately　refused　to　accept　them。　

Miss　Oliver　and　I　were　sitting　together　in　the　gal…

lery　of　the　church　when　the　bishop　announced　his

decision；　and；　while　it　staggered　us；　it　did　not　really

surprise　us。　　We　had　been　warned　of　this　gentle…

man's　deep…seated　prejudice　against　women　in　the

ministry。



After　the　services　were　over　Miss　Oliver　and　I

called　on　him　and　asked　him　what　we　should　do。　

He　told　us　calmly　that　there　was　nothing　for　us　to

do　but　to　get　out　of　the　Church。　　We　reminded　him

of　our　years　of　study　and　probation；　and　that　I　had

been　for　two　years　in　charge　of　two　churches。　　He

set　his　thin　lips　and　replied　that　there　was　no　place

for　women　in　the　ministry；　and；　as　he　then　evidently

considered　the　interview　ended；　we　left　him　with

heavy　hearts。　　While　we　were　walking　slowly　away；

Miss　Oliver