The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-06-03
Rev. Mary Stafford, the Unitarian Min
lister breaches in English
Church and Creates
Sensation.
-
COMPARED TO MRS. WIGGs
London Newspaper Declare That She
Reminded One Of the Famous
Woman Of the Cabbage
Patch.

Rev. Mary Stafford. the Unitarian
minister Of Des Moines, who is Ham
ilton girl and who has hundreds of &C
quaintances in this vicinity, Is in
Europe and recently preached in a
| London church and the following arti.
Gle from the London Chronicle about
her presence there, will be- OF much In
terest to her friends here:
A big poster was to be seen yester-
! day outside a handsome church in
Kentish town, and some OF the passers
by stopped before it and stared with
| sudden surprise, and then smiled, with
/ raised eyebrows.
| On the poster, In bold letters, was
I the name. the Rev. Mary Sanford. and
the announcement that this lady
would preach on this Sunday morning
at II o'clock.
Here was new experience in relig.
ious emotion. and new barrier brok-
en- down by women, who during recent
years have made their way into so
many places formerly held by men
alone. A woman in the pulpit has not
been seen or heard by many people In
London, and for that reason the ser
mon yesterday by the Rev. Mary SAT.
ford was curious and interesting.
The congregation at this Unitarian
church did not seem to have been IN.
creased by many newcomers, in spite
Of the novelty Those obviously mid.
die class, well dressed, we'll to do PEG
! pie, among whom were many charming
women Of that most charming age--30
to 45-took their usual seats without
any sign of unusual interest or excite
ment.
Yet there were few strangers in the
church who seemed to be waiting with
some eagerness for the appearance o.
the "clergywoman" (if one can coin a
: world. and who sat restlessiy in their
seats, whispering now and then to one
another There were a group of young
Indian gentlemen-men of that east
: ern world where women are still hidden
. in the harems and have no place in
public life. No doubt to these young
men it was an astonishing thing that a
: woman should ascend the pulpit and
should claim, and be allowed the right
: to interpret the law OF God tc, men az
q we'll as to women
t Some lessons were read and hymns
snng-hymns by Longfellow and Oil.
( yer Wendell Holmes expressing spirit.
ual ideas without dogmatic definition
L and the service in this we'll built
s church. with the singing by we'll bred
n voices. produced that effect of vague
$ and not too exciting spiritually which
seemed to suit the temperament OF
d people who did not care for the strong
!. er thrills or the more exacting de
Y, mands of religious emotion and faith
Y. Then there was a slight rustling o.
S, women's dresses, slight movement O.
% people leaning forward in their seats
" The young pharasees sat up straighter
It. and one saw the whites of their eve,
IS CLEAN with new vivacity of vision
,e There was a silence in the church as
Y. very quietly without any sign of sci
consciousness. figure came into tn,
oil pulpit
so 1t was the Rev. Mary Stafford, o
is Des Moines, Iowa, U. S. A.
lg A sounding board was above tn
III sculpured pulpit, and on each side tn
I'd springing arches of the church wit
I'd their foriated pediments. 1t Nigh
&C. have been the corner of an Englisj
to cathedral, and here was figure no
er familiar in framework of Goth
I'D architecture-the figure of a woma
n who raised her hand for silence an
rk prayer.
Yet there was nothing disconcertins
lie ~ feminine in the appearance of tn
m Rev. Mary Stafford She wore blac
IT. stuff gown. with black sleeves, ope
So at the neck and revealing high cola
If. and shirt front of soft white clotl
sa She had pleasant, serious fac
ms square in the lines of cheek and CHI
he with well marked eyebrows, we
en- modelled nose and firm mouth. 1t wa
4e a strong, thoughtful face, yet withol
or hardness, and with an expression
.st sweetness when the lips smiled II
ng tie, and the grey eyes looked down u
Ter on the people through gold-rimme
glasses. Her hair. smoothly draw
nj back from broad forehead, was gre