Year: 1877

Resigncd Her charge.


New York Times.


The history of the late difficulty
in the Edgarton (Wis.) Univcrsalist
Society will show more plainly than
the most careful and elaborate ar
gument the unftness of women for
the pulpit. The congregation in
question was presided over by a
female pastor, who was young, and
not altogether ugly. In fact, a
number Of near-sighted and weak
eyed young men were of the opinion
that her extreme beauty of charac-
ter made her seem really beautiful,
provided one did not examine her
in q strong light. Miss Smith
for it would hardly be delicate to
point her out by any distinctive
name-was learned and eloquent,
at least in the estimation of her
hearers. Her sermon, entitled
+" Will There be Daisies in the Flu
ture World" was published last
winter in pamphlet form, and was
called by the local paper "a mastery
discussion of a theme of transcend
ent Importance to the inquiring
soul" After preaching for nearly
"a year, her popularity remained
unabated, and up to the first Sun
day Of last month no one had
found any fault either with her
private or her ministerial conduct.


1t was on the morning of the
day just mentioned that Miss
Smith entered the Westinghouse
while the choir was executing a
most complicated request, in four
parts and a chorus, for the diScon.
solate to come and be cheered up.
She walked gracefully up the aisle,
and tripped lightly up the pulpit
stairs. She was about half way up
the stairs when the accident hap
pened. Whether it had been fasten-
ed insecurely or whether the clasp
was defective the world will never
know. The only thing of which
we can be sure is that it dropped
on precisely the most conspicuous
stair of the whole flight.


1t so happened that the pulpit
stairs were carpeted with costly
Brussels, and that the deacons, be-
ing of an economical turn of mind,
had covered the carpet with a light
brown floor cloth which, through
repeated washings, had faded until
it was nearly white. On this light
back ground the circlet of scarlet
glowed as if it were a band of red
hot iron, while the nickle-plated
clasp shone and flashed in the sun
beams. There was not an eye in
the audience that was not riveted
on the pulpit stairs, and a thrill Of
admiration mingled with horror
simultaneously passed through
nearly all except the very Oldest OF
the worShipers.


OF course, in itself considered, a
bit of scarlet cloth, whether elastic
or non-elastic, is not necessarily a
dangerous thing; but when we
consider all the circumstances Of
the affair, it must be admitted that
the attention of Miss Smiths audi
ence was in a fair way to be distract
ed from the sermon. Two men
were found who were bold enough
to attempt to face the situation
The superintendent of the Sunday
school, a young man who admired
Miss Smith, and regarded Pollock'S
q" Course of Time" as superior to
Paradise Lost" and was exces-
siyely near sighted, noticed that his
revered pastor had dropped what hi
imagined to be a Russian leather
purse. He at once rose from his
seat with the intention of picking
up the article, but as he bent down
for the purpose q perceptible shud-
der passed through his slight frame,
lie turned deadly pale, leaned for
moment against the railing Of the
stairs, then pensiyely went back to
his seat and buried his face in his
hands. The senior-deacon, fancying
that the young man had suddenly
! hoon toiro, III rosa ~, ord IA, his turn