New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-22

Speaking the other day Of how she came 10
sdopt this profession, at this time, so unusual
for her sex Mrs Baliou said that she didn't
sdopt It at all It adopted her. Coming from
a family nearly all Of whom have become
preachers, the thing seems to have been IN neF
blood and she carried along by the IoTce
or circumstances over which she had no control.
OF, as she prefers to put it, she was ordained
by Cod
I'm fact" she says with an amused snlle' l
used to have strong prejudice against the ap-
pearance OF a woman in the pulpit. Inc Woro
preach frightened me, and for long time
wouldn't allow anything said to be called
sermon"
Mrs RalIou began her career as an evangelist
among the sailors of New-York. Coming from
her Adirondack home with strong DESIRE
which she had never mentioned to any one, TO
DO something for those who go down to the sea
In ships, she entered the Bethany Institute TO
prepare for the work. At the Same time it hap
pened, though Mrs Ballou doesn't think the
thing was mere coincidence that the managers
Of the Mariners Church. Catherine and Madi-
son sts were looking for a woman to work
among the sailors. The work Of the church was
not prospecting. and ii occurred to some one
that a woman might be what was needed SO
they asked Mrs Hammond, who had then been
only two weeks in the city, to be the woman
They didn't know what they wanted me to
do said Mrs. Ballou. land they had a great
many Presbyterian prejudices about what it
was proper for a woman tc DO. I. on the other
hand was fresh from the backwoods young and
utterly inexperienced But they that know moth
ing fear nothing, and this was the desire of my
heart, so I said would do it.
AT the first meeting I attended in the church
there were no sailors present I concluded that
IL the mountain wouldn't come to Mahomet
BIahomet must go to the mountain. I accord
ingly went TO the boarding houses, against the
warnings of every who knew anything
about those places. At my first visit I was
greeted by shower Of tracts flung out after a
retreating missionary. but never hesitated. I
went in, told the men was astonished at their
behavior and said they could only redeem them
selves In my estimation by coming to the church
that night, and they all came TO a From
that day I found everything plain sailing. I
became known at once as the Mother Of the
Sailors
Some OF the boarding house keepers wouldn't
admit me at first, but when they found that the
sailors wouldn't live in the house wasn't al
lowed to visit they became suddenly very pious
and begged me 10 come. This part Of the city
was considered very dangerous at that time, and
I frequently warned against even going
through the streets alone, but never paid any
attention to the warnings. and 1 never was
A afraid and never met with even the slightest
> discourtesy. And when had followed a sailor
into dive to prevent his spending his whole
seasons wages there a detective happened to
be in il. He followed me to the mission and
~
said it was as much my life was worth"
After three years in the Mariners Church
Mrs. Hammond resigned. and her great success
IN conducting some meetings her old Adj
roadack home led to her becoming itinerant
evangelist Invitations from other churches
poured in and during the whole time she was
engaged In this work she never was able To ac-
cept more than one out Of fifty. Here began a
new line Of experiences. The newspapers made
all sorts of fun OF her, and it was one OF these
articles that LED to her meeting with her hus~
band Il was entitled Mrs. Hammond on He'll I"
and contained, she says almost nothing that she
ever said. Mr.. Ballou, then the leader Of the
fastest set of young men in Middlebury, VT.
made up his mind that If that ever came
20 Middlebury he would go TO hear her. He
thought 1t would be good as a circus. She did
come to Niddlebury, and he went TO hear her,
with the result that two years later they were
married.
In Burlington. VT. Mrs. Hammond had one Of
her most interesting experiences.
II always the simplest language possible
IN preaching she said. in telling the story.
and the University students in Burlington. who
all came to hear me. decided that must be an
entirely illiterate person SO they laid a trap for
me. One Of their number asked for inter
view, and when l granted 1t he began to criti-
else something ! had said, saying that the
Greek didn't bear the Interpretation / had put
upon the passage in question told him was
delighted to have an opportunity Of talking to
q Greek scholar about II. and asked him what
the Greek He said he couldn't give it from
memory and regretted that he hadn't brought
his Greek Testament. I said II he would permit
me / would bring him my Greek Testament,
which did, together with some other learned
L n.
and then sat at his feet, metaphoTicaIIy waiting
for him TO teach me- He became nervous
that he couldn't find anything he wanted and
nispronounced the Greek words while calmly
repeated them after him, giving the correct pro-
nunciation. Then he took out his watch and
said lie must go. but wouldn't let him until he
promised come the next day and bring his
Greek Testament. He did come. but II was TO
MESS the plot and apologize for his share in It.
He afterward became convert. and is now a
missionary of the gospel
Shortly after her second marriage Mrs. Ballou
came TO New-York again with her husband, and
after working for six years with DR.. Parkhurst
IN his mission on the East Side they became
joint superintendent of the CrenoTne mission.
But for four years. during the illness OF her