The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-07-25

services could be dispensed with. But
nobody seemed willing to tell her, and
there was u great curiosity to hear her
preach.
There were few courageous spirits
who openly avowcL that they saw no rca
son whya woman should not preach, and
were glad TO have one for minister
Many complained Of Miss liwton's youth,
but acknowledged that they would not
have objected on that score to young
mar Of twcnty-six or twen,y-sevcn, which
VAS her age.
There were some who thought she was
too handsome for minister, ana Others
who thought that since she was going to
set herself up for everybody to look at, il
was a pity that she was not handsomor:
some WHO thought women mght not to
preach mt all, and Others who thought
some women might be allowed TO. hui
that Miss Barton was not Of the right
kind.
1t was tacitly agreed that she should
he given hearing, but woman minister
as stated supply was not what was
wanted.
But in two Sundays Miss Barton con-
qucrcd Scragg End, except a few Of :hc
most proiulccd, who would never own
themselves conquered. She was 50 sim.
pie. so earnest. 40 sympathetic. There
We're no long words, no lHr.lvlched anal
oges, such as Mr.. Ericsson used; there
NHs no rntting of the dry bones of the.
rlogy; she touched the chords that Vi
Grated in their everyday life.
"Shc comes right home to you, that's
a fact, said Joshua King. "She's Scrip.
toornl, too, and she makes as fcclin' a
prayer ns ever heard. don't like TO
see u woman III the pulpit, and amt II.
goisg to say | do, but she's ediiyin', and
nomistake.'
ri never went to meetin' before when
I didn't have terrible hard work to keep
from nOldin', hut somehow her talk Is
kind of PLAN and sensible, and keeps me
awake" said Luke Pettingill, who was
wont to disturb the congregation by audi.
bic breathing.
People locked to Scragg End from
far and near 10 hear the new minister, at
first with much the same curiosity that
they would have shown TO see white
elephant, but soon for the sake of the
preaching. Nobody could quite explain
Miss Bmton's popularity. Perhaps old
Mrs. Simmons came us near to the truth
as anybody vixen she said "shc wasn't
any smarter than anybody else, hut
somevay she seemed Just like own folks.
Aud she knew just how folks felt without
bring told,
Porkupuwkct was scaudalAcd. 1t was
"a disgrace 10 the whole town to have
woman preacher holding forth every Sun
day, and drawing such crowds-drawin(
half the congregation away IRON TIN
Ponkapawkot church, tool The deacon
requested Mr. Ericsson % preach n ser
mon from the text: 'Ict your womel
keep silence in the churches"
Mr., Ericsson was known TO hold th'
Woman 5 Rights movemcn. Ii contempt
but Ec had been twice 10 h ar Miss Bar
ton prcuch, when there were no service
in his own church, and he had also calle
upon her several times, and when III
d"acous conferred with him about prcecl
ing that sermon they found it impossibl
10 obtain any satisfaction; he wnS yer
. polite, and he did not say that he woul
, not, but che smiling put the qucstio
by
One day he surprised Mss Barton b
, inviting her TO M exchange oi pulpit
! Ior the following Sunday; but that vi
= in barvcst-limc, and she had come
, Scragg End in June. Even Ponk0pay
, kct had hCcomc accustomed 10 the idt
9 Of woman preacher, il it did not ~
prove Of it.
He had found her sitting on The piaz2
r ON II warm afternoon in late Scptcmbel
She had large baskctgul of stocking
! beside her, and wns darnlng them dill
Gently. Some wore her own, some wei
! Aduniram Hewitt nd INsandcrs, fC
/ Roxy had gone away on n visit, and Mr.
r ilewitt's hands were more than full. Sll
n looked as houscwiicly as if she had ncvC
o imcd ut any wider sphere
The shadow of a smile tlickered abol
" Mr. Ericson's mouth as he observed Ii,
d employment. Although Miss Bartc
|. cooked up only as much as politenc
required, she saw the smile, and
| brought flush to her cheek. Thong
II She looked so strong and rcsolute, it W,
3 evident that Miss Barton was kccnl
# sensitive.
4. He sat down beside her, and immcd
ately proifcrcd his request, perhaps
~ an antidote to the smile.
- "Yom people would he shocked. Th
10 lon't approve of me" said Miss Bprtp
49, And shouldn't have the courage
~ 81 never suspected you of any went
:. courage" said Mr.. Ericsson.
~ 81 am Il dreadful coward. | do
~ u .hmk fully realized it when began.
" had been sent anywhere but to Scra
. End, | don't know what / should hN
iS lone. Here they are humblc-min1
~ people, without strong preludices, an'
81 10 seem to have found the way to th
-" hearts. But | am afraid | should ne'
%, %, Iaro to enter another pulpit-certail
tn rot yours at Ponkapawket.'
NJ "You would soon conquer there as y
III have conquered here, said Mr.. Erics
NJ M 81 couldn't endure their unfricn
ii ,aze. should display all my WON
,Iy shness. should blush, | should tre
M m de, / might faint. should be stu
ok uling-block to the women who are
NO lowing in the same pathway. ] dc
ID mean to be that My work in Scii
" End sullices me, and l am 80 thank
20. Tor it,
rs. 81 am sorry you feel so about Pom
pawket, because 1 have proposition
,r, my mind much more audacious than
mi one that made" said Mr.. Ericsson.
lar Miss Barton raised her eyes inq
me ngly, and dropped them again instaI
nm under the minister's gaze.
1 orS II thought we might unite
'' churches" Mr.. Ericson's voice treml
,oo a little, as if he were afraid. =.
'Gn a;ri II don't see how it could be dol
'l'' said Miss Barton, frigidly.
av. "Of course there is but one way
prp NJ E,;,pnn n,intly HT dnre1 not