The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1883-05-25

&4[< WIN H41E VINO 1I0IkUI IU<
was TOO handsome for . minister. and
Others Who Thought that since she was
going % - herself up for everybody 20
look =. 4 va : pity that she wns not
handsomcr, some who thought women
ought not % preach q al. and Others
who thought some women might BE- ~
lowed %, but that Miss Barton wa< not
a The right kind Il was tacifly agreed
that she shouL b given hearing. but
> woman minister - ! stated supply
was not what WAS wanted
But In tW0 Sundays Miss Barton con-
| quercd Scragg End. except few u the
most prejudiced. who would never own
| themselves conquered. She WAS 20
1 simple. % earnest. % sympathetic.
| There were no long words. no far
| fetched analogies, such a. Mr.. Ericsson
used; there was no rafting Of the dry
bones Of theology; she touched the
chords that vibrated IN their everyday
| life.
She comes night home % You. that's
: fact" said Joshua Ring. ..She's
Scriptooral. TOO. and she makes a feel
in : prayer g ever I heard. don't
| like % see : woman il the pulpit, and /
amt a-goin' 70 say do, but shes cdr
| fyin'. and no mistake
II never went 70 meetin' before when
i Ididn't have terrible hard work 20 keep
| from n0ddin'. but somehow her talk .
l kind Of plain and sensible. and keeps
me awake" said Luke PettingiIl. who
was wont % disturb the congregation
By audible breathing.
People nOcked % Scragg End from far
| and near 70 hear the new minister, at
1 first with much the same curiosity that
they would have shown 70 see = white
elephant. but soon for the sake Or the
preaching Nobody could quite explain
Mis- Barton's popularity. Perhaps old
Mrs Simmons came rs near 70 the truth
- anybody when she said .-shc wasn't
any smarter than anybody else. but
someway she seemed just like osrn folks.
And she knew just how folks felt with
| on: being told"
Ponkspawket was scandalized. II
was disgrace % the whole town to
have = woman preacher holding forth
every Sunday. and drawing such crowds
drawing half the congregation away
l from the Ponkapawket church. too.
/ The deacons requested Mr.. Ericsson %
I preach . sermon from the text: '.Let
I your women keep silence IN the
/. churches" Mr.. Ericsson was known 70
hold the Woman-s Rights movement in
contempt; but he had been twice to
hear Miss Barton preach. when there
I were no services IN his own church, and
he had also called upon her several
times. and when the deacons conferred
with him about preaching that sermon
they found il impossible 20 obtain any
satisfaction: he was very polite. and he
did not ssy that he would not. but The
\ smilingly put the question by
One day he SURPRISED Miss Barton BY
\ inviting her 10 an exchange Of pulpifs for
I the following Sunday; but that was in
harvcst-time. and she had come %
SNagg End in june. Even Ponkapaw-
\ ket had hecome accustomed 20 the idea
Of : woman preacher. i il did not ap-
prove u IT,
He had found her sitting on the piaz-
~ on = warm afternoon IN late Septem-
Der. She had . large basketfnl 81
stockings beside her, and she was darn
ing them diligently. Some were her
own. some. were Adoniram Hewitt's
and Lysander's, for Roxy had gone on :
visit. and Mrs Hewitt's hands were
more than full. She looked aS house
wifely - II she had never aimed - any
wider sphere. The shadow Of smile
flickered about Mr.. Ericson's mouth -
he observed her employment Although
Miss Barton looked up only n polite
I mess required. she saw the smile. and il
brought flush ~ her check Though
4 she locked % strong and rcsolnte. II
| was evident that Miss Barton was keen
" sensitive. He saf down beside her,
and Immediately proiIcred his request,
perhaps g A anfidote 10 the smile.
Your people will be shocked. They
don't approve Of me- said Miss Bar
ton. .'And 1 shouldn't have the cour-
age
II never suspected you ~ any want
Of courage said Mr. Eric< ~.
II am . dreadful cowarl- ! don't
think fully realized il when 4 began.
II / had been sent anywhere bur 70
Scragr End. I don't know what should
have done. Here they are humble
minded people. without strong preiu-
dicc~. and do seem % have found the
way 10 their hearts But / am afraid
should never dare % enter another pull
pit certainly not yours AZ Pcnkapaw-
kct-
You would soon conquer there as
YOU have conquered here" said Mr..
Ericsson.
II couldn't endure their unfricndiy
gaze. | should display All nv woman
Shines. I should blush. / should
fremhle. might faint. I should be \
stumhling-block % the women who are
following in the same pathway. I
don't mean 10 hc that NV work In
Scrarr End snS,iccS me. and am %
thankful for if.'
lam sorry Won feel 50 about Pcnk-
\ anasrt.af l....nl1-.. / have 4 nrnnnsi-