The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1883-04-28
constituent was so plainly shown that
the new minister became very much EN-


barrassed.
"Of course you knew-certainly you
ought to have been told that-that was
a woman" she said.
eve didn't know. Why, we never
thought of such thing. They didn't
say word about it," exclaimed Mrs.
Hewitt, and in her establishment and dis
may she utterly ignored the oustretched
hand.
The young lady had a strong and res
olute face, but Mrs. Hewitt suddenly be-
came aware that the corners of her
mouth were dropping, and there was a
hurt as we'll as weary look in her eyes,
and all her motherly compassion was
aroused.
but it don't make any difference,
child mean ma am. I've no doubt you
can preach as we'll as half the men. We
know what is going on in the world
if we do live a good ways out of it; only
there never did happen to be a woman
preacher anywhere about here, SO it took
me by surprise. We believe in giving
woman a fair chance, here in Scragg End
can tell you
81 was afraid you might have objec-
tions," said the young lady, smile chas-
ing the WEAKNESS out of her face.
"Oh, we shall think everything of you,
I've no doubt-after a while. You don't
know what it is to be without regular
preaching as long as we have. Come
right in and get rested, and have cup
of tea, for | expect you've had hard
journey"
Before escorting her guest to her room
Mrs. Hewitt managed to slip up stairs
and slyly abstract Lysander's new shaw
ing set from the toilette table, where she
had placed it for the convenience of the
new minister.
1t is undeniable that at the first receipt
of the news a general dismay overspread
Scragg End. The older people were dis
posed to consider that a trick had been
played upon them, and were angry &C
cordingly, some even going SO far as
to wish to have Miss Barton told that her
services could be dispensed with. But
nobody seemed willing to tell her, and
there was great curiosity to hear her
preach. There were a few courageous
spirits who openly avowed that they saw
10 reason why a woman should not
preach, and were glad to have one for a
minister. Many complained of Miss
Bartons youth, but acknowledged that
they would not have objected on that
score to a young man of twenty-sl1 or
twenty-seven, which was her age.
There were some who thought she was
too handsome for minister, and others
who thought that since she was going to
set herself up for everybody to look At
it was pity that she was not handsomer;
some who thought women ought not to
preach at all, and others who thought
some women might be allowed to, but
that Miss Barton was not of the right
kind. 1t was tac;tly agreed that she
should be given hearing, but a woman
minister as stated supply was not what
was wanted.
But in two Sundays Miss Barton con-
quered Scragg End, except few of the
most prejudiced, who would never own
themselves conquered. She was SO SIM
Pile, so earnest, SO sympathetic. There
were no long words, no far fetched anal.
oges, such as Mr.. Ericsson used; there
was no rafting of the dry bones of theel-
ogy: she touched the chords that vibrated
in their everyday life.
She comes right home to you, that's
fact said Joshua Ring. "She's
Scriptooral, too, and she makes as feelin'
a prayer as ever heard. l don't like to
see a woman in the pulpit, and | amt
agoin' to say do, but she's edifyin', and
no mistake"
- never went to meetin' before when
| didn't have terrible hard work to keep
from noddin', but somehow her talk is
kind of plain and sensible, and keeps me
awake" said Luke Pcttingill, who was
wont to disturb the congregation by aud
ible breathing.
and near to 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 Balton's popularity. Perhaps old
Mrs. Simmons came as near to the truth
as anybody when she said "she wasn't
any smarter than anybody else, but some
way she seemed just oun folks. And she
knew just how folks felt without being
told"
Ponkapawket was scandalized. 1t was
disgrace to the whole town to have a
woman preacher holding forth every Sun.
day and drawing such crowds-drawing
halt the congregation away from the
Ponkapawket church too. The deacons
requested Mr.. Ericsson to preach a SER
mon from the text, g Let your women
keep silence in the churches" Mr.. Eric
son was known to hold the Woman's
Rights movement in contempt; but he
had been twice to 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
deacons conferred with him about preach
ing that sermon they found it impossible
to obtain any satisfaction; he was very po-
lite, and he did not say that he would not
but 'he smiling put the question by"
One day he surprised Miss Barton by
inviting her to an exchange of pulpits
for the following Sunday; but that was
in harvest time, and she had come to
Scragg End in June. Even Ponkapaw-
ket had become accustomed to the idea
of woman preacher, if it did not ap-
prove of it.
He had found her sitting on the piazza
on warm afternoon in late September.
She had Il large basket of stockings be-
side her, and was darning them diligently
Some were her own, some were Adoni-
ram Hewitt's and Lysander's, for Roxy
had gone away on visit, and Mrs. Hew-
tits hands were more than full. She
looked as housewifely as if she had never
aimed at any wider sphere. The shadow
of smile fickered about Mr.. Ericson's
mouth, as he observed her employment.