The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1882-04-01
wOlGlH PRRAOHRS
Characteristics Of Notable WORKERS
Among the e2uakees.

in your churches lie assumed va.
called forth by the special conditions ex
istirg tx the COrinthian assemblages
but it was not, he believed, meant to bs
applied to every Xge and people. ant
used to quench the spirit of a woman
! who should feel moved to preach
Among the earliest of those who Joined
Fox was woman OF NOttinghampsi,ire
Elizabeth Hooten, aud when, in 1850
the London meetings were gathering
and organizing-amony the first in Eng
land-she was one vi the most active in
strunlents in the work.
1t has thus been more than two cen
turtles and quarter since the Quaker
women began to preach. They have, in
that time, never been silent. Among
the Friends there has been no question
no doubt from which aquestion might
ar!se-:'s totheir spiritual gift and quail
| iilcatiOn Tor the ministry. equal and SIM
81 religious expression which thu
Friends employ, the prayer and the scr
mon, it is the
i WOMEN WHO RISE IN MEETINGS
~ frequently rs men, and there will
hardly he doubt that-with perhaps Il
few exceptions among the latter-theil
minis.rations have always been as &C.
ceptable and as effective.
No record or tradition Of the Friends
brings down since Elizabeth Hooton's
first tinlid sermons in the days
Of Cromwell, the MANS OF any woman
| preacher amongst them superior t. Lu.
cretia Mott. In her departure from the
upper benches in their meetings, they
! lose unquestionably the most perfect rep
resentative 81 their female ministry.
With mind Of extraordinary clearness
aud logical power, she possessed beau
tiful spirituality Of character, y wonder
full charm Of person and manner. and a
gift Of speech not often bestowed upon
, man or woman.
HER EXQUISITE BE:NIGNITY
enlisted her nearer at once. and her
straight, clear argument and exhOrtatiOn
led him willingly and even enthusiast
tically forward. Her presence seemed to
he that of the ideal Quaker woman, Sc
rene, without fear, radiant with sweet
spirituality.
The women preachers among the
Friends have appeared in the ministry
at varying ages. But usually the COM
mencement Of duty has come before
middle age, for women even less than
men change their walk, after it has once
settled into the paths of habit.
Christiana, the daughter of Robert lar
clay, the author of the s. Apolgy," began
to preach at the aye Of ii, and during
the Massachusetts, prosecutions, in En-
dic0tt's times. Patience Scott, girl of
II, being sent to prison for her religion,
''sp0ke SO well to the purpose that she
COMPOUNDED her enemies" upon the
subject Of freedom of conscience hut
these were extraordinary cases. The
youngest Of the female preachers have
not often been girls, but usually
YOUNG WOVEN.
Ruth Kirk. Of Pennsylvania, began to
speak at p. In the case of Llcretia
Mott her 'call'' came At p. She had
been for seven years a wife From the
istry, she continued to speak publicly to
the end. Not neglecting her home
the life of her household was
one Of good order, sweetness
and serenity, like her own disposition!
she preached in the meetings of the |
Friends, and preached and lcctured |
elsewhere. She wa a welcome worker |
in this country in behalf of the various |
Of reform. Temperance,
abolition of slavery, the elevation Of |
the establishment Of universal |
peace-these claimed her aid and advo-
cacy ut all times. Towards the end Of |
her life, her voice, which llad heen Ne
culiarly rich. full, and sweet in its quail
ity, had given way, and when she
spoke in the business sessions of the
branch Of the yearly session at
Philadelphia. only those who sat near
est could catch all her words, though
he large assembly was silent in every
3art. She then weighed-at 8(,-less
han 50 pounds, and her slender phy-
'ique seemed but just enough to enclose
Is spiritual tenant.
She was not, though, 40 remarkable
IN Instance, as tn age. as to some Others
II the women preachers. Mary Griffin.
J famous minister among the Friends Of
New York,
RODE on HORSEBACK At 81,
q make religious visits to meeting. i'm
<ew York State and New England.
making the trips between 40 and taxj
niles in all. At 30 she still went on
horseback to meetings, and at IS made
very satisfactory religious visit in the
leighbortng quarterly meeting. She
lied in 1871, at the age Of In year. and
months, having preached more than
ighty years. In her 10th year, she
ad still been able to make family visits ;
{ religious character. Elizabeth
IW'ton, already spoken Of a. one Of
'ox's c'-workers, and among the earIi
It Of the Friends who preached in Lon
on, was ut that time middle aged. She I
ont;nued most eliligent minister for /;
lnnlst y quarter Of u century, and when
he died OH the Island Of Jamaica, in ]
~. at the tinl.. that Fox himself was /;
'boring in the West Indies, on his way {:
the american colonies, she was aS he /
cords in his journal. "a very aged !
riend.' She was doubtless quite as S
ID as I.ucrctia Mott, and she died in =
le midst Of her lat,Ors in strangcla nd. i
!. w. ./""I;n* IN .S1witi0ri's Ecric~.. {. r
Threats in virginia. n