The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-11-15
MRS. CELIA PARKER wooLLEY.
A Woman Who Is Making Brilliant and
Successful Preacher.

A Woman Who Is Making Brilliant and
Successful Preacher.
Celia Parker Woolley published her
first novel, Love and Theology" in
1887. 1t was a clever, resolutely rad
icel little story, and the critics at once
classed it with the African Farm,
"John Ward" and the renowned Rob
ert." It's author, however, has since
then gone far ahead of Mrs. Deland,
Mrs. Ward and even Olive Schreiper
I'm the demonstration of her religious
convictions. With love" she had been
tolerably conversant since her marriage
i'll 1868, and by way of proving her ia
miiiarity with theology" she accepted
the pastorate of a church in Geneva
Ills Up to that time Mrs. Woolley had
had no intention of entering the minis
try, although always attracted to the
pulpit and its opportunities. Her career
as q minister has been, however, emil
nently successful She has aroused a
fresh and widespread religious interest
throughout not only her immediate COM
munity, but i'm Chicago itself, an hours
railway ride distant, many persons 60
ing out from that city every Sunday to
attend service in Geneva. Mrs. Wool
ley's 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" Compensation, Loved of
Country. IA Story of Isben S Brand, ,"
and "Pilates Question, What Is
TRUTH 1t is interesting to also note
that of the three trustees of her church
two, Mrs. Julia Plato Harvey and Mrs,
Julia G. Blackman, are women. Mrs.
Harvey is also well known to the world
at large as the former first vice presi-
dent of the General Federation of Wom-
EMS Clubs.
Mrs. Woolley is by birth an Ohioan,
although removing to Coldwater, Mich,
at an early age. With the exception Of
few years spent at the Lake Erie sem
inary-one of the Mary Lyons schools
at Painesville O., she was educated
erfti1ely in the town of her adoption.
She was graduated from the Coldwater
seminary in 1865 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 vest. She was the Chicago CORE
spondent 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 a short story published in
Lippincott, which periodical has p1b-
lished much other of her work. Tho
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. Woolley has been and is a con-
spicuous member Of that conspicuous
organization, the Chicago Woman's
club. For two years she was it's presi-
dent, and she is the present leader of
its Browning classes, her long expe-
rienoe as thinker and lecturer amply
qualifying her for such responsibility,
Within the past few weeks the club has
appointed a committee of 20 to organize
political equality league" Mrs.
Woolley serving as chairman. AS lee
turer and parlor reader she is perhaps
better known in the west than in the
east, although she is always sure to win
appreciation, whatever the locality.
During 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
her books, her talks" are a mixture
of literary interests with social prob
lens, Voltaire, Ihsen, Margaret Fuller,
George Eliot, Shakespeare and Tenny-
son each finding place in her pro-
gramme. Mrs. Woolley was deeply in
terested in the worlds parliament of
religions, which distinguished body she
had the honor to address upon "The
Worlds Religious Debt to America.
Altogether it is hot as the brilliant nov
elist that she is to be regarded, but as
the earnest and sincere thinker, eager
to receive the truth, strong in the cour-
age Of her convictions and successful in
field where but few women have earn
ed distinction. New York Times.
The Bible contains 8, 586, 4S9 letters,
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