Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1894-09-01
MRS. CELIA PARKER wooLLeY.
4 " oman Who Is Making Brilliant aud
 Successful Preacher.

Successful Preacher.
 Celia Parker Woolley published her first novel, Hove and Theology" /" in 1887 It was clever, resolutely rad ical little story, and the critics at once classed it with the African Farm, :" John Ward and the renowned Rob erf It's author, however, has since then gone far ahead of Mrs Deland, Mrs.~Ward and even Olive Schreiner i'll the demonstration of her religious convictions. With Hove" she had been tolerably eonyersant since her marriage in 1868, and by way of proving her fa- miliarity with theology" she accepted the pastorate of church ill Geneva, Ills Up to that time Mrs. Woolley had had Ho intention of entering the minis try although always attracted to the pulpit and its opportunities. Her career as a minister has been, however, eIni- neGtly successful She has aroused a fresh and widespread religious interest throughout not only her immediate com munity, but ill Chicago itself, an hours railway ride distant, many persons go- ing out from that city every Sunday to attend service i'll Geneva. Mrs Wool leyas sermons during this as yet brief pastorate have had wide range, deal ing with the most vital and pressing problems of our day, as may be judged by the following topics taken at random from her past years calendar: Indus trial Armies Versus Industrial Citizen ship, p,'' Compensation, Loved of Country, '' A Story of Isben s Brand, ," and Pilates Question, What Is Truth?' :" It is interesting to also note that of the three trustees of her church two, Mrs. Julia Plato Harvey and Mrs. Julia c. Blackman, are women. Mrs. Harvey is also well known to the world dent of the General Federation of Wom- en Clubs
 Mrs Woolley is by birth an Ohioan, although removing to Coldwater, Mich, at an early age. With the exception of q few years spent at the Lake Erie sem inary-one of the Mary Lyons schools at Gainesville O., she was edu cated entirely in the town of her adoption. She was graduated from the Coldwater seminary ill 1866 and two years later was married to Dr. J H. Woolley. In 1876 they removed to Chicago, where she busted herself with contributions in prose and verse to journals both east and west. She was the Chicago core spoHdent of The Christian Register of Boston for eight years, and in 1890 became assistant editor of the Chicago Unity, holding the latter position for nearly three years. Her first essay in fiction was @ short story published in Lippincott, which periodical has p1b- lished much other of her work. The title of "Love and Theology" has, in later editions, been changed to Rachel Armstrong, " while two other novels from her pen have also appeared, "A Girl Graduate" and Roger Hunt. :"
 Mrs XVoolley has been and is con spicGous member of that conspicuous organization, the Chicago Woman s club. For two years she was its presi- dent, and she is the present leader of it's Browning classes, her long expe- rience as thinker and lecturer amply qualifying her for such responsibility. Within the past few weeks the club has appointed a committee of 25 to organize q political equality league, Mrs. Woolley serving as chairman. As lec- turer and parlor reader she is perhaps better known i'll the west than i'll the east, although she is always sure to win appreciation, whatever the locality. During Q recent visit to Boston she was the honored guest of those two formi- dable societies, the Browning club and the New England Woman's club. Like 1 her books, her talks" are mixture i of literary interests with social prob lens, VoItaire, Ibsen, Margaret Fuller l George Eliot, Shakespeare and Tenny- son each finding place in her pro | gramme. Mrs. Woolley was deeply in- i terasted ill the worlds parliament of I religions, which distinguished body she 1 had the honor to address upon 'sThe 1 Worlds Religious Debt to America. " i Altogether it is not as the brilliant nov 1 eIist that she is to be regarded, but as i the earnest and sincere thinker, eager 1 to receive the truth, strong in the cour- age of her convictions and successful in a field where but few women have earn ed distinction. New York Times.
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