Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-05-25

All Scragg End was at It's windows and
doors. Mrs. Hewitt stood on her door
steps her cap strings fCttering ia the
breeze. ~ y
| do hope Lysander hasn't forgot
ten TO get n new box of blacking. Oh
course the minister will want ihs boots
very shiny, y she said to herself
/ just at that moment Lysander drove
uP--wlth only girl beside. him. What
could bethereason that thenifnister had
not Gomez The young lady was a
stranger. She had probably come 10
| VISIT somebody at Scr1gg End, and as
there was nobodytO meet ifer at the
station, Lysander had brought her over.
but he was helping her 10 alight at their
own gate. She was walking up the
path. Mrs. Hewitt adjusted her glass
es, and satisfied herself that the face
was unfamiliar. She was grave and
dignified young woman, with self
possessed manner, but with a bright
iiush on her face. Why didn't Lysan-
uer come up and introduce her, instead
Oh attending 10 the horse?
suppose you were expecting me"
saio me young ls,ly, extending her hand
IN friendly way. II am the new min
'''A--NllsS barton.
I -IAs Me. Hewitt afterward declared,
You could have Knocked her down with
feather. And her overwhelming as
.1hlshment was so plainly shown that
'ne new minister became very much
embarrassed. - IT..
N"Of ODurse< YOU knew-certainly
Npu'oqght 20 have been todd that that /
was a woman," she said.
We didn't know. WHY. we never
Thought of such thing. They didn't
say - word about = exclaimed Mrs.
Hewitt, and in her astonishment and
dl'may she utterly ignored the out
stretched hand.
The young lady had n strong and
resOlute face, but Mrs. Hewitt sudden
~ became Syarc that the corners of
her mouth were dropping, and there
was n hurt a. well rs weary look in
her eyes. and all her mothcrlv com
passion was aroused. ~
But il don't make any difference,
child mean ma'am. I've no doubt
YOU can preach a well rs half the
men. We know what is going on in
the world. if we do live good ways
ont OF II; only there never did happen
To be woman preacher anywhere
about here, 30 il took me NV surprise.
We believe in giviIS vorhdnJ a fair
chance, here in Scragg End. can tell
you
e was afraid ysfi might have oh
jcctiOns,n said the young lady, smile
chasing the WEAKNESS out of her face.
"Oh. we shah, think everything of
you. I've no doubtA-after while. You
IL. L "a
regular preachingas long Das we have.
Come right in and get rested. and have
a cup of tea, for expect you've had a
hard Journey"
Before escorting Ger guest TO her
room Mrs. Hewitt managed To slip up
Stairs and slyly abstract Lysander's new
shaving set from. the toilette table.
where She had placed 10 for the con-
venicnce of the new minister.
10 IS undeniable thatat the first re-
ceipt of the news n general dismay over
spread Scragg End. The older people
were disposed To consider that trick
had been played upor-them. and were
angry accordingly. some even going so
far as To wish To havefMiss 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 n few
courageous spirits who Openly avowed
that they saw no reason why woman
should not preach, aRd.-wcre clad To
have one for minister. Many COM
planned Of Miss Bartun's youth, but ac-
knowledgcd that they would not have
objected on that score to Il young man
OF twenty-siX or twenty-seven, which
was her age. 80 -
There were some who thought she
was too handsome for n minister, and
Others who thought that since she. was
going TO set herself up for everybody to
look ut. IT was a pity that she was not
handsomer; some who Thought women
ought NOT TO preach at all. and others
who thought some women might be al
lowed TO, buthat Miss Barton was not
of the right kiRd. It,wastacitlv agreed
that she should Dc tgivqnia hearing. but
woman minister ~ u 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
There were no long words. no far
fetched analogies, such as Mr.. Ericsson
used; there was no rattling of the dry
bones Of theology; she touched the
chords that vibrated i'm their everyday
life. ... =
She comes right home to YOU, that's
fact said Joshua Ring. "She's
Scriptooral, too, and she makes as feel
in prayer rs ever I heard. / don't
like tosee woman in the pulpit, and /
AIM a-goin' TO SayI do, but She edi-
YIN, and no mistakc.n III IT
II never went To- meetin' before when
didn't have terrible hard work TO keen
from nOddin', but somehow her talk Is
kind of plain and sensible, and keeps
me awake said Luke Pcttingill. who
was wost 30 disturb the congregation
by audible breathing. .I0
People ilockcd to Scragg End from far
and near to hear the new minister. nj
first with much the same curiosity that
they would have shown to see a white
elephant, but soon for the sake of the
preaching. Nobody could quite explain
Miss Barton's popularity. Perhaps old
Mrs. Simmons came rs near to the truth
rs anybody when she said ''she wasn't
any smarter than anybody else, but
somcway she seemed just like o,cn folks.
And She Knew just how folks felt with
out being told"
Ponkapawket was scandalized. 1t
was disgrace to the whole town TO
have woman preacher holding forth
every Sunday, and drawing such crowds
drawing half the congregation away
from the Ponkapawkct 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 10
hold the Woman's Rights movement in
contempt; but Ne h:fd 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 whenthe deacons conferred
with him about preaching that sermon
they found IL impossible to obtain any
satisfaction; he was very polite, and he