The Red Cloud chief., 1883-06-22

doors. Mrs. Hewitt; s.ood ON her door.
steps, her cap strings Tutoring in the
breeze.
Il do hope Lysander hasn'i forgot
ten 10 get . new box II backing. q.
course the minister win want his boot-
very shiny she said TO ber~eh
just At that moment Lysander drove
up-with only q girl beside him. Wat
could befhe reason that the minister h.d
o come, The young lady VA q
stranger. She had probably come 70
visit somebody at scrsgg End. and a.
there Wa nobody Ia meet her ut the
station. Lysander had brought her over.
But he was helping her to alich; nj their
own gate. She VA walking up the
path Mns. Hewitt adjusted her glass
es. and satisfied herself that the face
was unfamiliar. She wasa grave aud
dignified young with q self
possessed manner, but with n brigh;
Hush a her face. Why didn't Lysan-
der ON up and introduc. her. instead
of attending to the horse9
II suppose you were expecting me-"
said the young lady. extending her hand
IN \ friendly way. Il am the new min
ister-Miss Barton"
As Mrs. Hewitt ~afterward declared.
you could nave knocked her down with
n feather And her overwhelming as
Punishment was 30 plainly shown that
the new minister became very much
embarrassed.
"O course. you knew-ccrtainly
you ought ~ have been told thai-that |
was a womAn.' she said.
We didn't know. Why. we never
thought Of such a thing. They didn't
say a word about H." exclaimed Mrs.
Hewitt, and IN her astonishment aud
dismay she utterly ignored the out
stretched hand.
The Young lady had n strong and
resolute face. but Mr.. Hewitt sudden
~ became aware that the corners Of
her mouth were dropping. and there
WAS a hurt a. well as a weary look in
her eyes. and all her motheriy com
passion was aroused.
But IL don't make any difference.
child mean ma avn. I've no doubt
YOU a preach H. well n half the
men. We know what j, going on in
the world. If we do live n good ways
out OF il; only there never did happen
To be n woman preacher anywhere
about here. so it took IN. by surprise.
We believe in giving women = fair
chance. here in Scragg End, | can tell
you"
Il was afraid YOU might have OBJ
Jections. said the young lady. n smile
chasing the WEAKNESS out of her face.
"Oh. We shall think everything Of
YOU. I've no doubt-after n while. You
don't know what il i 90 be without
regular preaching rs long A. We have.
Come right in and get rested. and have
a cup Of tea. for ] expect you'v had n
hard Journey"
Before e-corting her guest To her
room Mrs. Hewitt managed 10 slip up
stairs and slyly abstract Lysander : new
shaving set from the toilette table.
where she had placed il for the oh
venience of the new minister.
IL is undeniable that ut the first re-
ceip; If the news n general dismay over
spread Scragg End. The older people
were disposed 10 consider that = trek
had been played upon them, and We're
angry accordingly. some even going 81
far - To wish Il have Mss Barton told
that her services could lie dispensed
with. But nobody seemed will NJ {
tell her. and there was n great curiosity
10 tear her preach. There were a few
courageous spirits who openly avowed
that they saw no reason why a oms
should not preach. and were glad To
have for a m mister. MANY com
planned of Mis- Barton youth. but ac-
k~nowlclsed that they would not have
objected on that score 10 a Young man
of twcnty-s:N or twenty-seyen, which
was her age.
There were some who thought she
wa, too handsome for = minister. AMI
Others who thought that since she VA
going To ST herself up for everybody to
look at, il was q pity that she "a not
hsDd-omeT. some wEo thought
ought not To preach at all. and Others
who thought some women might be a.
lowed Ia. but that Mis-, Barton was mol
If the right kind. II Was taci,ly agreed
that she should be- given a hearing. but
a Woman minister n Il stated supply
was not hat was wanted.
But in two SUNDAYS Miss Barton con
quercd Scragg End. eNcep; n few Of the
most prejudiced. who would never own
themselves conquered. She Was SO
simple. 50 earnest. so sympathetic.
There were no long words. no far
fetched a~nslogies, such a. Mr.. Ericsson
used: there was no rafting Of the dry
bones of theology; she touched the
chords that vibra;ed in their everyday
life.
..She comes right home To YOU. that's
n fact ssid Joshua Ring. shes
Scriptooral. too. and she makes ss feel
in n PRAYER a ever l heard. l don't
like Ia see q woman in the pulpit, and |
amt a-goin to say l do, but she's edi-
fyin'. and no mistake"
Il never went 10 meetin' before when
I didn't have terrible hard work 10 keep
from noddin', but somehow her talk is
kind of plain and sensible. and keep,
me awake said Luxe Pettingill, who
was wont 10 disturb the congregation
BY audible breathing.
People fiockcd { Scrsgg End from far
and near TO hear the new minister. a;
first with much the same curiosity that
they would have shown 10 see a white
elephant. but soon for the sake of the
preaching. Nobody could quite explain
Miss Barton's popularity. Perhaps old
Mr.. Simmons anne rs near to the truth
rs ANYBODY when she said '-she wasn't
any smarter than anybody else, but
someway she seemed just like n fotks.
And she knew just how folks fel, with
out being told"
Ponkapawket was scandalized- 1t
was disgrace TO the whole town 10
have = woman preacher holding forth
every Sunday. and drawing such crowds
drawing half the congregation away
from the Ponkapawket church, too,
The deacons requested Mr.. Ericsson TO
preach . sermon from the text. LET
your women. keep silence in the
churches Mr.. Ericsson WAS known to
hold the Woman's Rights movement in
contempt; bat be had been twice 10
hear Miss Barton preach. when there
were no services in his own church. and
he had also called upon her several
times. and when the descons conferred
with him about preaching that sermon
they found it impossible to obtain any
satisfaction; he was very polite. and he
d