young　men　to　decide　upon　the　speaker　and　then　an…
  nounce　his　name　to　the　women；　who　humbly　con…
  firmed　it。　　On　this　occasion；　however；　when　the
  name　came　in　to　us；　I　sent　a　message　to　our　brother
  society　to　the　effect　that　we；　too；　intended　to　make
  a　nomination　and　to　send　in　a　name。
  At　such　unprecedented　behavior　the　entire　stu…
  dent　body　arose　in　excitement；　which；　among　the
  girls；　was　combined　with　equal　parts　of　exhilaration
  and　awe。　　The　men　refused　to　consider　our　nominee；
  and　as　a　friendly　compromise　we　suggested　that　we
  have　a　joint　meeting　of　all　the　societies　and　elect
  the　speaker　at　this　gathering；　but　this　plan　also
  the　men　at　first　refused；　giving　in　only　after　weeks
  of　argument；　during　which　no　one　had　time　for
  the　calmer　pleasures　of　study。　　When　the　joint
  meeting　was　finally　held；　nothing　was　accomplished；
  we　girls　had　one　more　member　than　the　boys　had；
  and　we　promptly　re…elected　our　candidate；　who　was
  as　promptly　declined　by　the　boys。　　Two　of　our　girls
  were　engaged　to　two　of　the　boys；　and　it　was　secretly
  planned　by　our　brother　society　that　during　a　second
  joint　meeting　these　two　men　should　take　the　girls
  out　for　a　drive　and　then　slip　back　to　vote；　leaving
  the　girls　at　some　point　sufficiently　remote　from　col…
  lege。　　We　discovered　the　plot；　however；　in　time　to
  thwart　it；　and　at　last；　when　nothing　but　the　un…
  precedented　tie…up　had　been　discussed　for　months；
  the　boys　suddenly　gave　up　their　candidate　and
  nominated　me　for　orator。
  This　was　not　at　all　what　I　wanted；　and　I　immedi…
  ately　declined　to　serve。　　We　girls　then　nominated
  the　young　man　who　had　been　first　choice　of　our
  brother　society；　but　he　haughtily　refused　to　accept
  the　compliment。　　The　reunion　was　only　a　fortnight
  away；　and　the　programme　had　not　been　printed；　so
  now　the　president　took　the　situation　in　hand　and
  peremptorily　ordered　me　to　accept　the　nomination
  or　be　suspended。　　This　was　a　wholly　unexpected
  boomerang。　　I　had　wished　to　make　a　good　fight　for
  equal　rights　for　the　girls；　and　to　impress　the　boys
  with　the　fact　of　our　existence　as　a　society；　but　I
  had　not　desired　to　set　the　entire　student　body　by
  the　ears　nor　to　be　forced　to　prepare　and　deliver　an
  oration　at　the　eleventh　hour。　　Moreover；　I　had　no
  suitable　gown　to　wear　on　so　important　an　occasion。
  One　of　my　classmates；　however；　secretly　wrote　to
  my　sister；　describing　my　blushing　honors　and　ex…
  plaining　my　need；　and　my　family　rallied　to　the　call。
  My　father　bought　the　material；　and　my　mother　and
  Mary　paid　for　the　making　of　the　gown。　　It　was　a
  white　alpaca　creation；　trimmed　with　satin；　and　the
  consciousness　that　it　was　extremely　becoming　sus…
  tained　me　greatly　during　the　mental　agony　of　pre…
  paring　and　delivering　my　oration。　　To　my　family
  that　oration　was　the　redeeming　episode　of　my　early
  career。　　For　the　moment　it　almost　made　them　for…
  get　my　crime　of　preaching。
  My　original　fund　of　eighteen　dollars　was　now
  supplemented　by　the　proceeds　of　a　series　of　lectures
  I　gave　on　temperance。　　The　temperance　women　were
  not　yet　organized；　but　they　had　their　speakers；　and
  I　was　occasionally　paid　five　dollars　to　hold　forth
  for　an　hour　or　two　in　the　little　country　school…houses
  of　our　region。　　As　a　licensed　preacher　I　had　no
  tuition　fees　to　pay　at　college；　but　my　board；　in　the
  home　of　the　president　and　his　wife；　was　costing　me
  four　dollars　a　week；　and　this　was　the　limit　of　my
  expenses；　as　I　did　my　own　laundry…work。　　During
  my　first　college　year　the　amount　I　paid　for　amuse…
  ment　was　exactly　fifty　cents；　that　went　for　a　lec…
  ture。　　The　mental　strain　of　the　whole　experience
  was　rather　severe；　for　I　never　knew　how　much　I
  would　be　able　to　earn；　and　I　was　beginning　to　feel
  the　effects　of　this　when　Christmas　came　and　brought
  with　it　a　gift　of　ninety…two　dollars；　which　Miss　Foot
  had　collected　among　my　Big　Rapids　friends。　　That；
  with　what　I　could　earn；　carried　me　through　the
  year。
  The　following　spring　our　brother　James；　who
  was　now　living　in　St。　Johnsbury；　Vermont；　invited
  my　sister　Mary　and　me　to　spend　the　summer
  with　him；　and　Mary　and　I　finally　dug　a　grave　for
  our　little　hatchet　and　went　East　together　with
  something　of　our　old…time　joy　in　each　other's　so…
  ciety。　　We　reached　St。　Johnsbury　one　Saturday；
  and　within　an　hour　of　our　arrival　learned　that　my
  brother　had　arranged　for　me　to　preach　in　a　local
  church　the　following　day。　　That　threatened　to　spoil
  the　visit　for　Mary　and　even　to　disinter　the　hatchet！
  At　first　she　positively　refused　to　go　to　hear　me；　but
  after　a　few　hours　of　reflection　she　announced　gloom…
  ily　that　if　she　did　not　go　I　would　not　have　my　hair
  arranged　properly　or　get　my　hat　on　straight。　　Moved
  by　this　conviction；　she　joined　the　family　parade　to
  the　church；　and　later；　in　the　sacristy；　she　pulled　me
  about　and　pinned　me　up　to　her　heart's　content。
  Then；　reluctantly；　she　went　into　the　church　and
  heard　me　preach。　　She　offered　no　tributes　after　our
  return　to　the　house；　but　her　protests　ceased　from
  that　time；　and　we　gave　each　other　the　love　and
  understanding　which　had　marked　our　girlhood　days。
  The　change　made　me　very　happy；　for　Mary　was　the
  salt　of　the　earth；　and　next　only　to　my　longing　for
  my　mother；　I　had　longed　for　her　in　the　years　of　our
  estrangement。
  Every　Sunday　that　summer　I　preached　in　or　near
  St。　Johnsbury；　and　toward　autumn　we　had　a　big
  meeting　which　the　ministers　of　all　the　surrounding
  churches　attended。　　I　was　asked　to　preach　the　ser…
  mona　high　complimentand　I　chose　that　impor…
  tant　day　to　make　a　mistake　in　quoting　a　passage
  from　Scripture。　　I　asked；　‘‘Can　the　Ethiopian　change
  his　spots　or　the　leopard　his　skin？''　　I　realized　at
  once　that　I　had　transposed　the　words；　and　no　doubt
  a　look　of　horror　dawned　in　my　eyes；　but　I　went　on
  without　correcting　myself　and　without　the　slightest
  pause。　　Later；　one　of　the　ministers　congratulated
  me　on　this　presence　of　mind。
  ‘‘If　you　had　corrected　yourself；''　he　said；　‘‘all　the
  young　people　would　have　been　giggling　yet　over
  the　spotted　nigger。　　Keep　to　your　rule　of　going
  right　ahead！''
  At　the　end　of　the　summer　the　various　churches
  in　which　I　had　preached　gave　me　a　beautiful　gold
  watch　and　one　hundred　dollars　in　money；　and　with
  an　exceedingly　light　heart　I　went　back　to　college
  to　begin　my　second　year　of　work。
  From　that　time　life　was　less　complex。　　I　had
  enough　temperance…work　and　preaching　in　the
  country　school…houses　and　churches　to　pay　my　col…
  lege　expenses；　and；　now　that　my　financial　anxieties
  were　relieved；　my　health　steadily　improved。　　Sev…
  eral　times　I　preached　to　the　Indians；　and　these
  occasions　were　among　the　most　interesting　of　my
  experiences。　　The　squaws　invariably　brought　their
  babies　with　them；　but　they　had　a　simple　and　effective
  method　of　relieving　themselves　of　the　care　of　the
  infants　as　soon　as　they　reached　the　church。　　The
  papooses；　who　were　strapped　to　their　boards；　were
  hung　like　a　garment　on　the　back　wall　of　the　building
  by　a　hole　in　the　top　of　the　board；　which　projected
  above　their　heads。　　Each　papoose　usually　had　a
  bit　of　fat　pork　tied　to　the　end　of　a　string　fastened
  to　its　wrist；　and　with　these　sources　of　nourishment
  the　infants　occupied　themselves　pleasantly　while
  the　sermon　was　in　progress。　　Frequently　the　pork
  slipped　down　the　throat　of　the　papoose；　but　the
  struggle　of　the　child　and　the　jerking　of　its　hands
  in　the　strangulation　that　followed　pulled　the　piece
  safely　out　again。　　As　I　faced　the　congregation　I　also
  faced　the　papooses；　to　whom　the　indifferent　backs
  of　their　mothers　were　presented；　it　seemed　to　me
  there　was　never　a　time　when　some　papoose　was　not
  choking；　but　no　matter　how　much　excitement　or
  discomfort　was　going　on　among　the　babies；　not　one
  squaw　turned　her　head　to　look　back　at　them。　　In
  that　assemblage　the　emotions　were　not　allowed　to
  interrupt　the　calm　intellectual　enjoyment　of　the
  sermon。
  My　most　dramatic　experience　during　this　period
  occurred　in　the　summer　of　1874；　when　I　went　to　a
  Northern　lumber…camp　to　preach　in　the　pulpit　of　a
  minister　who　was　away　on　his　honeymoon。　　The
  stage　took　me　within　twenty…two　miles　of　my　desti…
  nation；　to　a　place　called　Seberwing。　　To　my　dismay；
  however；　when　I　arrived　at　Seberwing；　Saturday
  evening；　I　found　that　the　rest　of　the　journey　lay
  through　a　dense　woods；　and　that　I　could　reach　my
  pulpit　in　time　the　next　morning　only　by　having　some
  one　drive　me　through　the　woods　that　night。　　It　was
  not　a　pleasant　prospect；　for　I　had　heard　appalling
  tales　of　the　stockades　in　this　region　and　of　the
  women　who　were　kept　prisoners　there。　　But　to　miss
  the　engagement　was　not　to　be　thought　of；　and　when；
  after　I　had　made　several　vain　efforts　to　find　a　driver；
  a　man　appeared　in　a　two…seated　wagon　and　offered
  to　take　me　to　my　destination；　I　felt　that　I　had　to　go
  with　him；　though　I　did　not　like　his　appearance。
  He　was　a　huge；　muscular　person；　with　a　protruding
  jaw　and　a