the story of a pioneer-第22节

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considered　the　interview　ended；　we　left　him　with

heavy　hearts。　　While　we　were　walking　slowly　away；

Miss　Oliver　confided　to　me　that　she　did　not　intend

to　leave　the　Church。　　Instead；　she　told　me；　she

would　stay　in　and　fight　the　matter　of　her　ordination

to　a　finish。　　I；　however；　felt　differently。　　I　had　done

considerable　fighting　during　the　past　two　years；　and

my　heart　and　soul　were　weary。　　I　said：　　‘‘I　shall　get

out；　I　am　no　better　and　no　stronger　than　a　man；

and　it　is　all　a　man　can　do　to　fight　the　world；　the

flesh；　and　the　devil；　without　fighting　his　Church　as

well。　　I　do　not　intend　to　fight　my　Church。　　But　I

am　called　to　preach　the　gospel；　and　if　I　cannot

preach　it　in　my　own　Church；　I　will　certainly　preach

it　in　some　other　Church！''



As　if　in　response　to　this　outburst；　a　young　min…

ister　named　Mark　Trafton　soon　called　to　see　me。　

He　had　been　present　at　our　Conference；　he　had　seen

my　Church　refuse　to　ordain　me；　and　he　had　come　to

suggest　that　I　apply　for　ordination　in　his　Church

the　Methodist　Protestant。　　To　leave　my　Church；

even　though　urged　to　do　so　by　its　appointed　spokes…

man；　seemed　a　radical　step。　　Before　taking　this　I

appealed　from　the　decision　of　the　Conference　to　the

General　Conference　of　the　Methodist　Episcopal

Church；　which　held　its　session　that　year　in　Cin…

cinnati；　Ohio。　　Miss　Oliver　also　appealed；　and　again

we　were　both　refused　ordination；　the　General　Con…

ference　voting　to　sustain　Bishop　Andrews　in　his

decision。　　Not　content　with　this　achievement；　the

Conference　even　took　a　backward　step。　　It　deprived

us　of　the　right　to　be　licensed　as　local　preachers。　

After　this　blow　I　recalled　with　gratitude　the　Reverend

Mark　Trafton's　excellent　advice；　and　I　immediately

applied　for　ordination　in　the　Methodist　Protestant

Church。　　My　name　was　presented　at　the　Conference

held　in　Tarrytown　in　October；　1880；　and　the　fight

was　on。



During　these　Conferences　it　is　customary　for　each

candidate　to　retire　while　the　discussion　of　his　in…

dividual　fitness　for　ordination　is　in　progress。　　When

my　name　came　up　I　was　asked；　as　my　predecessors

had　been；　to　leave　the　room　for　a　few　moments。　　I

went　into　an　anteroom　and　waiteda　half…hour；　an

hour；　all　afternoon；　all　evening；　and　still　the　battle

raged。　　I　varied　the　monotony　of　sitting　in　the　ante…

room　by　strolls　around　Tarrytown；　and　I　think　I

learned　to　know　its　every　stone　and　turn。　　The　next

day　passed　in　the　same　way。　　At　last；　late　on　Saturday

night；　it　was　suddenly　announced　by　my　opponents

that　I　was　not　even　a　member　of　the　Church　in

which　I　had　applied　for　ordination。　　The　statement

created　consternation　among　my　friends。　　None　of

us　had　thought　of　that！　　The　bomb；　timed　to　ex…

plode　at　the　very　end　of　the　session；　threatened　to

destroy　all　my　hopes。　　Of　course；　my　opponents

had　reasoned；　it　would　be　too　late　for　me　to　do

anything；　and　my　name　would　be　dropped。



But　it　was　not　too　late。　　Dr。　Lyman　Davis；　the

pastor　of　the　Methodist　Protestant　Church　in　Tarry…

town；　was　very　friendly　toward　me　and　my　ordina…

tion；　and　he　proved　his　friendship　in　a　singularly

prompt　and　efficient　fashion。　　Late　as　it　was；　he

immediately　called　together　the　trustees　of　his

church；　and　they　responded。　　To　them　I　made　my

application　for　church　membership；　which　they　ac…

cepted　within　five　minutes。　　I　was　now　a　member

of　the　Church；　but　it　was　too　late　to　obtain　any

further　action　from　the　Conference。　　The　next　day；

Sunday；　all　the　men　who　had　applied　for　ordination

were　ordained；　and　I　was　left　out。



On　Monday　morning；　however；　when　the　Con…

ference　met　in　its　final　business　session；　my　case　was

reopened；　and　I　was　eventually　called　before　the

members　to　answer　questions。　　Some　of　these　were

extremely　interesting；　and　several　of　the　episodes

that　occurred　were　very　amusing。　　One　old　gentle…

man　I　can　see　as　I　write。　　He　was　greatly　excited；

and　he　led　the　opposition　by　racing　up　and　down

the　aisles；　quoting　from　the　Scriptures　to　prove　his

case　against　women　ministers。　　As　he　ran　about　he

had　a　trick　of　putting　his　arms　under　the　back　of

his　coat；　making　his　coat…tails　stand　out　like　wings

and　incidentally　revealing　two　long　white　tape…

strings　belonging　to　a　flannel　undergarment。　　Even

in　the　painful　stress　of　those　hours　I　observed　with

interest　how　beautifully　those　tape…strings　were

ironed！



I　was　there　to　answer　any　questions　that　were

asked　of　me；　and　the　questions　came　like　hail…

stones　in　a　sudden　summer　storm。



‘‘Paul　said；　‘Wives；　obey　your　husbands；'　''　shouted

my　old　man　of　the　coat…tails。　　‘‘Suppose　your　hus…

band　should　refuse　to　allow　you　to　preach？　　What

then？''



‘‘In　the　first　place；''　I　answered；　‘‘Paul　did　not

say　so；　according　to　the　Scriptures。　　But　even　if　he

did；　it　would　not　concern　me；　for　I　am　a　spinster。''



The　old　man　looked　me　over。　　‘‘You　might　marry

some　day；''　he　predicted；　cautiously。



‘‘Possibly；''　I　admitted。　　‘‘Wiser　women　than　I

am　have　married。　　But　it　is　equally　possible　that　I

might　marry　a　man　who　would　command　me　to

preach；　and　in　that　case　I　want　to　be　all　ready　to

obey　him。''



At　this　another　man；　a　bachelor；　also　began　to

draw　from　the　Scriptures。　　‘‘An　elder；''　he　quoted；

‘‘shall　be　the　husband　of　one　wife。''　　And　he　de…

manded；　triumphantly；　‘‘How　is　it　possible　for　you

to　be　the　husband　of　a　wife？''



In　response　to　that　I　quoted　a　bit　myself。　　‘‘Paul

said；　‘Anathema　unto　him　who　addeth　to　or　taketh

from　the　Scriptures；'　''　I　reminded　this　gentleman；

and　added　that　a　twisted　interpretation　of　the

Scriptures　was　as　bad　as　adding　to　or　taking　from

them；　and　that　no　one　doubted　that　Paul　was

warning　the　elders　against　polygamy。　　Then　I　went

a　bit　further；　for　by　this　time　the　absurd　character

of　the　questions　was　getting　on　my　nerves。



‘‘Even　if　my　good　brother's　interpretation　is　cor…

rect；''　I　said；　‘‘he　has　overlooked　two　important

points。　　Though　he　is　an　elder；　he　is　also　a　bachelor；

so　I　am　as　much　of　a　husband　as　he　is！''



A　good　deal　of　that　sort　of　thing　went　on。　　The

most　satisfactory　episode　of　the　session；　to　me；　was

the　downfall　of　three　pert　young　men　who　in　turn

tried　to　make　it　appear　that　as　the　duty　of　the　Con…

ference　was　to　provide　churches　for　all　its　pastors；

I　might　become　a　burden　to　the　Church　if　it　proved

impossible　to　provide　a　pastorate　for　me。　　At　that；

one　of　my　friends　in　the　council　rose　to　his　feet。



‘‘I　have　had　official　occasion　to　examine　into　the

matter　of　Miss　Shaw's　parish　and　salary；''　he　said；

‘‘and　I　know　what　salaries　the　last　three　speakers

are　drawing。　　It　may　interest　the　Conference　to

know　that　Miss　Shaw's　present　salary　equals　the

combined　salaries　of　the　three　young　men　who　are

so　afraid　she　will　be　a　burden　to　the　Church。　　If；

before　being　ordained；　she　can　earn　three　times　as

much　as　they　now　earn　after　being　ordained；　it　seems

fairly　clear　that　they　will　never　have　to　support　her。　

We　can　only　hope　that　she　will　never　have　to　sup…

port　them。''



The　three　young　ministers　subsided　into　their

seats　with　painful　abruptness；　and　from　that　time

my　opponents　were　more　careful　in　their　remarks。　

Still；　many　unpleasant　things　were　said；　and　too

much　warmth　was　shown　by　both　sides。　　We

gained　ground　through　the　day；　however；　and　at

the　end　of　the　session　the　Conference；　by　a　large

majority；　voted　to　ordain　me。



The　ordination　service　was　fixed　for　the　following

evening；　and　even　the　gentlemen　who　had　most

vigorously　opposed　me　were　not　averse　to　making

the　occasion　a　profitable　one。　　The　contention　had

already　enormously　advertised　the　Conference；　and

the　members　now　helped　the　good　work　along　by

sending　forth　widespread　announcements　of　the

result。　　They　also　decided　that；　as　the　attendance

at　the　service　would　be　very　large；　they　would　take

up　a　collection　for　the　support　of　superannuated

ministers。　　The　three　young　men　who　had　feared　I

would　become　a　burden　were　especially　active　in

the　matter　of　this　collection；　and；　as　they　had　no

sense　of　humor；　it　did　not　seem　incongruous　to　them

to　use　my　ordination　as　a　means　of　raising　money

for　men　who　had　already　become　burdens　to　the

Church。



When　the　great　night　came　（on　October　12；　1880）；

the　expected　crowd　came　also。　　And　to　the　credit

of　my　opponents　I　must　add　that；　having　lost　their

fight；　they　took　their　defeat　in　good　part　and　grace…

fully　assisted　in　the　services。　　Sitting　in　one　of　the

front　pews　was　Mrs。　Stiles；　the　wife　of　Dr。　Stiles；

who　was　superintendent　of　the　Conference。　　She

was　a　dear　little　old　lady　of　seventy；　with　a　big；

maternal　heart；　and　when　she　saw　me　rise　to　walk

up　the　aisle　alone；　she　immediately　rose；　too；　came

to　my　side；　offered　me　her　arm；　and　led　me　to　the

altar。



The　ordination　service　was　very　impressive　and

beautiful。　　Its　peace　and　dignity；　following　the

battl