Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-11-13
The Rev. Ms, hapin in Chicago Church.


The Rev. Kiss .hapin in Chicago Church.
From the Chicago Journal
The religious world Of Chicago expe-
rienced something ofs novelty yesterday
The occasion was pulpit address by a
woman, but no less regularly ordained
minister-or rather ministries. The fact
that Rev. Miss Chaplin, of Mount Pleas
ant, Iowa, would preach in the Church OF
the Redeemer (Universslist), located on
the corner of West Washington and San
Canon streets, was duly announced in
the papers, which sufficed to draw to-
gether a very large and cultivated
audience. While women having faith in
the phenomena Of spiriiualsm frequently
mount the rostrum that THAR feeble voices
may be heard, no woman belonging to
the regularly constituted churches has
ever before held forth in Chicago. Miss
Chaplin preached beth morning and eve-
ming. A woman standing out thus boldly
in advance of the world would be sup
posed to belong to the much abused class
known as strong minded, but Miss Cha
pin looks like nothing oft the sort, although
it must be confessed she is endowed with
a very positive mind Of her own, though
il is quite womanly. The reverend min
istress is lady of pleasing face and
manners, medium hight, in complexion
between blonde and brunette, aud about
thirty five years of age-maybe younger,
for the writer is poor judge of q wo-
mans age. She was dressed in q plain
black dress, with tidy little white collar,
while her hair was cembed smoothly from
o remarkably straight parting line.
In every respect Miss Chaplin is per-
feet lady of excellent cultivation, as con-
Germs both person and mind. She is not
so marked an oratress as Miss Dickin-
son, Miss Anthony, or Mrs. Stanton, but
within the vocation adopted by her she
would be exceled by neither of these
excellent ladies, since her style is more
unassumingly quiet and altogether bet
ter adapted for the pulpit. She gives
evidence of q cultivated voice, and her
pronunciation is sufficiently forcibe and
clear to be heard in our largest halls.
As we have said, there is nothing assum-
ing about her style, and her gestures are
confined to slight inclination of the
body and graceful movement of the
hands. Miss Chaplin is certainly the
equal of the average male ministers,
both as regards intellectual attainments
and delivery, and yet we would have pre-
ferred-the novelty excepted-that the
sermon be read by man. In coming
10 this conclusion the writer believes he
| Judges impariially. The sermon, having
for its text the parable of the wheat
and tares," showed that the writer is
possessed of good reasoning faculties,
| fair discrimination, and endowed with
excellent language, and while it was
strong as coming from a woman, it was
vet weak in being delivered by a woman.
During the first half hour, the reader
held her audience passably well
but during the last half, marked
inattention was visible. There was
want of the rousing element about
her discourse, aud perceptible lack of
magnetic power-qualities which the
average man possesses over the superior
woman, as a public discourser. The
morning sermon was both lofty and libe-
raj. To be wholly good, she thought,
was q God-like attribute not entirely
youchsafed to man. No man was entire
Iy without some fault, while on the other
hand there were none entirely bad. The
doctrine of total depravity she looks up
on as hideous. In pursuing the road Of
life, man should have in view some noble
purpose, that would act as an inspira-
ton to do the best that could be done un-
der the circumstances, and, by never de-
WAITING from the straight line, man
would lead an exemplary life. The
trouble with great many well-meaning
men was that they frequently lost sight
of their good purposes, and BY inatten-
ton to do good, would, unawares, lend
aid and comfort to evil. While we have
criticised Miss Chaplin somewhat, we
would do everything in our power to en-
courage. her in her vocation. The pulpit
is a place that can as well be filled by
woman as a man, aud as a visitor to the
bedside of the sick aud dying she would
in many cases prove more acceptable
than the latter with bis rougher and more
uncouth manners. In our opinion, the
society of Universalists. deserve credit
for the example set in admitting women
to the privilege of the pulpit