PENLOE'S SERMON.
The Rev. B.F. Holingsworth was the Congregational minister in Roseland,
but he used to come out every Sunday afternoon to Orangeville and hold
preaching service in the only church there. One Thursday he received
word that his sister, in Oakland, was very sick, and wanted him to come
and see her, and he would have to be away over the Sabbath; so he wished
to get a supply for the two churches, but could not find any one to fill
his place. In talking to the deacons of his Roseland church about the
matter, they told him they would conduct the services at their church if
he could find some one to fill his place at Orangeville.
It was customary for the Rev. B.F. Holingsworth to spend one day in the
week in visiting the good people of Orangeville. Among the pastoral
calls, he visited the home of Penloe and his mother. He was very much
impressed with the spiritual thought and talk of both, and while neither
were members of his congregation he well understood their position. He
saw that for a man like Penloe to come and listen to the sermons he gave
to the people of Orangeville would be like expecting a student in
Harvard College to attend a kindergarten school, with the expectation of
receiving instruction. The minister was broad-minded enough to perceive
that the spiritual food he gave to his flock was kindergarten talk to
Penloe; it was only milk, it was not meat; not the strong spiritual meat
that Penloe lived on. It was all right for babies, but it was not fit
for men who had attained divine realization in the universal Christ. The
Rev. B.F. Holingsworth was too liberal and charitable to think less of
Penloe for not attending his church. He was glad he had the courage of
his convictions instead of masquerading, as some do, with the appearance
of assent to all that is said and taught; but, being at the same time,
within, at variance and holding views entirely different; but for
policy, business interest, family peace, social position and standing,
love of name and fame or salary, acting the hypocrite because they are
arrant cowards.
When thinking of some suitable person to fill the Orangeville pulpit on
the Sunday afternoon of his absence, he could find no one so well
adapted by natural talents, education, experience, and deep spiritual
insight, combined with an irreproachable life, as Penloe. So he went out
to Orangeville to see him. Finding Penloe at home, he made known the
object of his visit. Penloe did not answer him at once, but was silent
for a few minutes; he was thinking that this was a call to a work which
was not of his own seeking, and, as the call to the work had come to
him, he decided to accept it and told the Rev. B.F. Holingsworth so.
The minister then went to Deacon Allen, of Orangeville, and explained
matters to him, telling him that Penloe would select one of the hymns to
sing before the sermon, but Penloe wished Deacon Allen to conduct all
the other parts of the service, including the reading of the hymns. The
minister desired the Deacon not to tell any one who was going to preach
next Sunday, but to explain to the congregation why he was absent, and
then to introduce Penloe. Deacon Allen had only seen Penloe once or
twice, and while he liked the appearance of the man yet he knew very
little about him. But, under the circumstances, he thought the minister
had done the best he could.
It so happened it was the time of year when there was a number of
visitors in Orangeville, which brought out an unusually large audience,
for it included not only the regular attendants and the visitors, but
those who seldom went to church but did so to-day because they had
company. Mr. and Mrs. Herne, who seldom went, attended to-day, and took
the baby with them, this being the first Sunday of the child being in
short clothes. Of course, some of Herne's hired men had to go, to see
how the baby behaved.
Stella was another irregular attendant at church, but young Mrs. Sexton,
whose husband was away, came round in her buggy and wanted Stella to go
for company's sake.
Stella, through being away at school so much and having gone to Roseland
for a while, had only heard about there being such a young man as Penloe
in Orangeville, but had never seen him; neither had her parents.
Penloe was about the first person at church that Sunday afternoon, and
took a seat in the front pew, next to the pulpit with his back to the
congregation, so, as the people assembled, they saw the back of some one
but did not know who it was. When it was time for the service to
commence the church was about full, but the people all seemed surprised
not to see the minister present. Deacon Allen came forward, and opened
service by giving out a hymn, which was followed by prayer. Then the
choir sang, sweetly, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest." Then reading from the Scriptures,
which was followed by the singing of a hymn that Penloe had selected,
and Deacon Allen gave out. The hymn was as follows:
"See Israel's gentle shepherd stands
With all engaging charms,
Hark, how he calls his tender lambs,
And folds them in his arms.
"'Permit them to approach,' he cries,
Nor scorn their humble name,
For 'twas to bless such souls as these
The Lord of angels came."
After singing the hymn, Deacon Allen explained to the congregation the
cause of the minister's absence, and introduced Penloe, to the great
surprise of those present. Penloe, in a simple, unassuming manner,
stepped up to the desk and faced the audience. Casting his eyes over the
mass of upturned faces, he said, in a very pleasant, musical voice:
"Dear friends, I will speak to you from the following words, 'Suffer
little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the
Kingdom of Heaven.'"
The sermon was a most remarkable and original discourse. It held the
close attention of every one present, and at its end the congregation
sang:
"I think, when I read that sweet story of old,
When Jesus was here among men,
How he called little children as lambs to his fold,
I should like to have been with him then.
"I wish that his hands had been placed on my head,
That his arms had been thrown around me,
And that I might have seen his kind look when He said,
'Suffer the little ones to come unto me.'"
Penloe's sermon we will give, as told to her mother by Stella, and also
the version published in the Roseland _Weekly Gazette_.
When Stella arrived home from church her mother noticed that her
countenance was all animation, and her bright eyes seemed to glisten and
sparkle brighter than ever; but she said nothing, knowing Stella would
relate all she had seen and heard of any interest.
"Well, mother," said Stella, "I have had the greatest surprise and the
greatest pleasure I ever had in my life."
"Why, Stella," said her mother, "I am very pleased to see and hear that
something has delighted you so much."
"Who do you think I saw, and heard preach this afternoon?" said Stella.
"Why, I suppose the minister," said her mother, which was the same as
saying, "I don't know, but want you to tell me."
"Well, mother," said Stella, "it was Penloe. I do wish you had been
there to have seen and heard him. His face, when speaking, at times
looked angelic. His eyes are so clear and bright, his voice sweet and
musical, and he is so graceful in his movement, at the same time so
simple and unassuming in his manner. He is symmetrical in his build, and
as handsome as a picture."
"Is he really all that?" said her mother, with a smile.
"Yes," said Stella, "and there is something about him that is a thousand
times more than all that; for there is an earnestness and sincerity of
purpose and a power, such as I have never seen or felt before, in all he
says and does. I don't know how to describe it, for he is so different
to any man I ever met or saw; and, as for his subject, why, it was just
grand. But I cannot help laughing when I think of the feelings of
horror, and so much mocked modesty which I saw and heard expressed by
many who were there this afternoon."
"Well, whatever could his subject have been about, to cause those
feelings?" said her mother.
"It was this mother; he took for his text, 'Suffer little children to
come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of
Heaven.'
"He said it was not his purpose this afternoon to describe in detail the
circumstances which led Jesus to utter those words, nor to enter in full
into the history of those people at that time, nor to describe the way
in which they were raised by their parents in those days, nor how
children were treated in general at the time Jesus walked on the earth,
but to dwell on the thought more particularly about how to bring the
children to Jesus now, and how to help them find the Kingdom of Heaven
within. He said the subject was such a large one that he could only
dwell for a short time on one method for bringing the children to
Jesus, and that was how to bring them up pure and make pure men and pure
women of them. For purity of life and thought was one of the first steps
in coming to Jesus, and finding the Kingdom of Heaven within.
"Penloe said such an innovation introduced into our society would be a
God-send to us all, for it would bring about a change in so many ways
for the advancement of the race, as to make the mind almost bewildered
in the contemplation of the giant strides that humanity would make. I
cannot begin to tell you all he said, mother, and I don't think the
congregation took in the full sweep of his great thought.
"I will tell you one thing Penloe has done for me. He has cut what few
strings there were which kept me in bondage to my sexual nature. I am
free." And here the beautiful and intellectually bright girl laughed,
and shouted again, "I am free! Free from that awful superstition of
sexual bondage. Bless Penloe for helping me to my freedom," said Stella.
Mrs. Wheelwright said: "Stella, there have been millions of women who
have _died deaths of untold agony_ through being in bondage to their
sexual natures."
"Mother," said Stella, laughing again, "I give you notice that on and
after this I shall speak and act just the same when members of the other
sex are present as I would with my own sex, I don't care what they may
think. I will not be negative to their ideas, for I am free;" and here
she clapped her hands, and said, "I intend to have the courage of my
convictions under all circumstances.
"I must tell you, mother, there were a number there who were perfectly
disgusted that Penloe should have introduced such a subject. You just
ought to have seen the faces on some of the congregation.
"The dressmaker, Mrs. Hopkins, and her daughter, said they would not
have come to church if they had known the indecent talk that a strange
man was going to make. The two May girls, with their beaux, were there,
and after the service they acted as if they were afraid to speak to each
other. They went out of the church with their heads down and seemed
afraid to look anywhere; till they saw Deacon Tompkins' wife get in the
buggy, and then the Deacon got in and took the reins and started the
horse. But he had omitted untying the animal from the post, and they all
had a laugh, and that broke the strain they were under, and they were
seen talking to their beaux after that.
"After service I went up to the desk and gave Penloe my hand and thanked
him for the help he had given me in breaking my bondage. I told him he
had cut the last string of sex superstition for me. He smiled and
pressed my hand and said he was glad to hear it.
"Mother, I did not know that Orangeville had such a young man as that.
Why, just think of it! A fine Sanskrit scholar; he can read Bengali just
as well as I can English, and by his reference to the Old and New
Testament he shows he understood Hebrew and Greek. And think of it; he
is only twenty-two years of age! He is a fine orator, very eloquent, and
has such a command over himself and his audience.
"But, mother, great as his scholarship may be, he has a power that is
greater; it is seen in his eyes and in every feature of his handsome
countenance, and felt in the touch of his hand. Its source is not purely
intellectual. I perceive it intuitively, but cannot explain it.
"Why, mother, I never thought Penloe was the kind of man he is. From
what I had heard about him, I thought he was one of those quiet,
goody-goody men, but instead of that he is a scholar of the most
advanced school of thought."
Her mother said: "Stella, do you know why Penloe took the subject he did
to-day and spoke from it? I think I know; it was this: not that he liked
such subjects more than any others, and perhaps not so much; but he knew
that if such ideas were presented to the public, it had to be done by
those who were not in bondage to name and fame and salary. It had to be
done by those bold, fearless thinkers who will speak the truth
regardless of frowns and smiles. And Penloe did it because he knew there
was no one else that would do it. It was pioneer work."
Stella said: "I think so, mother, and he certainly seems well qualified
to do such noble pioneer work."
Mr. and Mrs. Herne, on their way home from church, talked the matter
over. Mr. Herne said: "Penloe is the most remarkable man I have seen; so
young and yet so gifted in every way. The secret of his power I do not
know anything about, but he possesses a power such as no other man I
have ever seen. I could not keep away from church if he was going to
speak every Sunday."
Mrs. Herne said: "He has the clearest and brightest eyes I ever saw. I
never get tired of looking into them. At times his face brightened so
much during his speaking it looked angelic."
They were both very much impressed with the sincerity and earnestness of
the man, but were not prepared to pass an opinion on the subject of his
discourse. They thought well of his ideas, but did not know how they
would work. It set them both to thinking, and it was their intention to
try if possible to cultivate the acquaintance of Penloe.
The Roseland _Gazette_, which was published every Saturday, had the
following:
"Last Monday and Tuesday strange stories began to be circulated through
this city by persons coming in from Orangeville, concerning what was
said in the Congregational Church there last Sunday. It seems that the
Rev. B.F. Holingsworth, of this city, was called away to see a sick
sister, and he got a man who goes by the name of Penloe to fill his
place. The stories that were put in circulation are of a wild and varied
character. Some started the rumor that Penloe preached that we all ought
to go naked. Another story was, that he said we all ought to bathe
together, regardless of sex, in a nude state. Then some said, he told
the people that all families ought to sleep in one large room, to appear
as much in a nude condition as possible, so as to satisfy all curiosity.
These and other like stories aroused so much interest among the people
of this city, that it has been the upper-most topic of conversation
among them, and led to the inquiry whether it was so, and was the man a
crazy crank or a fool, and how came such a man to be asked to preach.
"Our reporter went out to Orangeville to learn what he could concerning
the matter. He first of all went to see Penloe to get a certified
statement, but that gentleman could not be found anywhere. He had an
interview with Mr. Saunders, the merchant of Orangeville, who said he
was at church last Sunday and heard the sermon.
"When asked if the stories which were circulated in Roseland concerning
Penloe's sermon were correct, he replied that in part they were, and in
part they were not.
"When asked to state as near as he could remember just what was said:
"'Well,' said the merchant, 'I am not used to that kind of business,
but, as near as I can remember it now, it was something like this:
"'In order for children to come to Jesus, they must be pure; that purity
was the basis of all religious growth, and he thought the present mode
of maintaining purity had the very opposite effect to what it was
intended for.'
"Here Mr. Saunders stopped and told the reporter he had better go and
see Deacon Allen, who would give him a better account than he could.
"'But I tell you,' continued Mr. Saunders, 'there has been more talk
over this sermon this week in this store, by every one that has come in,
than all other talk put together. This is the first time in the twelve
years that I have kept store, that I ever heard any one talk about any
sermon they heard.'
"'Well, Mr. Saunders,' said the reporter, 'what seems to be the judgment
of the people about Penloe and the sermon? You have had an opportunity
of hearing all kinds of opinions.'
"'Well,' said Mr. Saunders, 'I heard the old lady Eastman say, that the
next time she sees her minister, she is going to lecture him for getting
that low-down, vulgar man in the pulpit. Why, his talk was awful. Mrs.
Reamy and Mrs. Roberts said they would have both got up in church and
walked out, only it would cause so much disturbance. Two girls came in
to get a spool of thread. While I was waiting on them one said to the
other, "My mother said this morning that she would never again go to
church, if that nasty talking man was going to preach." The other girl
said, "My father says he is the smartest man that ever spoke in
Orangeville or any other part of California. He wished he would preach
every Sunday. Then, I saw Miss Stella Wheelwright go up to Penloe at the
close of the service and give him her hand, and I was told she thanked
him for helping her to cut the last cords of bondage to sex
superstition. She seemed really delighted with his talk."
"'I cannot help laughing when I hear a number of persons who were not at
church last Sunday, say, "I wish I had been to meeting last Sunday and
heard the talk."
"The reporter next called on Deacon Allen and found that gentleman ready
to relate a portion of the sermon.
"In reply to a question put by the reporter, Deacon Allen said: 'Well,
there is one thing I liked about Penloe's sermon, instead of talking
about the sins of the wicked people in Chicago, New York, London or
Paris, he talked straight and square to the people he was facing, about
their own sins, which were keeping them out of the Kingdom of Heaven,
for it acted like a curtain over the windows of the soul so that one
could not see the Divine, and feel the sacred presence of his power
within. They had polluted the Temple of the Living God, and their eyes
became blinded so that they could not see that they were heirs to a
rich spiritual inheritance.'
"The reporter asked the Deacon what Penloe said in regard to the best
way of bringing about the new method of raising all children up, as if
they were one sex.
"The Deacon replied, saying: 'He said: "Character and environments are
so different that each must work from the plane he or she is on. Nothing
but the best judgment and experience will be able to grapple
successfully with the problem, but it can be done; it has been done. And
it will be comparatively easy for the next generation to put into
practice, if it is done by the present. Avoid all kinds of food and
drinks that stimulate the passions. And, above all, keep the mind
interested in pure, elevating thoughts and engage in hearty wholesome
recreations, so that the love for the pure and good in time will
predominate, and the angel rule the animal."
"'I shall never forget,' continued the Deacon, 'how Penloe's clear,
musical voice rang out through the church, how his brilliant eyes seemed
to penetrate through every one present as he looked them in the face and
put this serious question to them, "What victories have you gained over
yourselves?"
"The Deacon said: 'It makes me feel disgusted to hear some persons who
were at church on Sunday last talk about Penloe being low and vulgar,
when a purer or more spiritual man never walked in this country; while
their own characters are tarnished by being connected with numerous
scandals. While Penloe is not a member of the same church as I am, yet I
know a good man when I meet him and hear him talk.'
"Our reporter left Orangeville greatly regretting he did not have the
honor to meet so distinguished a man as Penloe."
Mrs. Trask, wife of Dr. Trask, of Roseland, called on Stella's aunt,
Mrs. Marston, and after a little general conversation, Mrs. Trask said:
"Mrs. Marston, have you heard or read anything about the horrid talk
that some crank preacher made in Orangeville last Sunday?"
"Why, no," said Mrs. Marston, "I have not looked at the _Gazette_ and I
have been out but little the past few days, for I have not felt very
well lately, having had a bilious attack."
Mrs. Trask said: "I know, Mrs. Marston, you will be perfectly shocked
when I tell you. Why, it's all the talk of the town; just think of it; a
man getting up in the pulpit and telling the people that boys and girls
should appear before each other naked, and that they all should be
brought up as if they were one sex."
Mrs. Marston said: "It's perfectly awful to think about such a thing.
Why, it would be dreadful. The preacher must have come from Paris with
French ideas. According to what my son writes me, I should say that is
just about what they do over there."
Mrs. Trask said that her husband said, speaking as a medical man, he
would consider it the greatest step towards the downfall of the human
race. Every one would become so corrupt and depraved sexually that the
race would become weak and puny, with no moral stamina.
After Mrs. Trask had gone, Mrs. Marston got the Roseland _Gazette_ to
see what it said about the matter. When she came to the part where it
stated that her niece had gone up to the desk and given her hand to the
preacher and thanked him for helping her out of sexual bondage, she was
completely overcome and just felt like having a fit. She would rather
have paid a thousand dollars than to have that appear in the paper.
"What a disgrace this is to me, after all I have done for her,
ungrateful hussy! She doesn't think about the shame she brings upon me
by her bold actions, with that vulgar crank." While she was smarting
from the effects of wounded pride, her door-bell rang and soon the
servant came in and told Mrs. Marston that Mr. Barker was in the parlor.
Mrs. Marston kept him waiting a few minutes, till she had composed
herself. Soon she came in, bright, smiling and cordially greeted the
rising young attorney who had manifested so much interest in Stella's
hosiery.
Mr. Barker was a perfect Chesterfield in dress and manners, and knew
exactly what part of Mrs. Marston's nature to touch to make her feel
good, and to raise himself one hundred per cent. in her estimation.
Mr. Barker felt as if he had a little grudge against Stella, ever since
the day his wish was not gratified, and now he thought this was his
opportunity to pay her back.
In course of conversation Mr. Barker said: "Mrs. Marston, have you been
to Orangeville lately?"
"No," said Mrs. Marston, "I have not been there since Stella returned
home."
"How is your niece, Mrs. Marston?" said Mr. Barker.
"The last I heard from her she was very well," said Mrs. Marston.
Mr. Barker said: "By the way, Mrs. Marston, is there another Miss Stella
Wheelwright in Orangeville besides your niece?"
"I have not heard of any other young lady by that name," replied Mrs.
Marston.
"Well," said Mr. Barker, "I was hoping there was, for I did not want to
think it was your niece that the _Gazette_ said went up and gave that
vulgar preacher her hand."
"I think it must be," replied Mrs. Marston. Continuing, she said: "Of
course, I am greatly shocked over the matter and feel that my niece has
hurt me by her foolish conduct. I blame her mother more than I do her,
for she has encouraged Stella in radical ideas."
Mr. Barker said: "I don't understand what the man can be thinking about
to talk such vulgar nonsense. He ought to be sent to Stockton Insane
Asylum."
Mrs. Marston said: "As for the subject he had under discussion, I could
not think of talking about it to a gentleman. I intend to go to
Orangeville to-morrow and see my sister about the matter. I do wish
Stella would come and live with me; where she would be in the company of
well-bred, well-behaved society people, who have common-sense ideas."
It was always customary for Mrs. Marston when she went to Orangeville to
take a great variety of table dainties, and never mention the real
purpose of her visit till after dinner. Mrs. Marston had been so well
disciplined in the art of concealment through living so much in
fashionable society, that she could put on a very pleasant exterior,
when really she was very much disturbed within.
So to-day when she visited her sister Bertha, everything was exceedingly
pleasant, and the topics under discussion were such that there was
perfect harmony in all that was said. Mrs. Marston presented the bright
side of everything in regard to Roseland when talking to Stella, telling
her how certain young gentlemen were continually inquiring after her,
and how her young lady friends were wishing she would return to Roseland
soon, for they did want her to come and visit them so much.
Stella was interested to hear about her friends in Roseland, and enjoyed
her Aunt Helen's talk.
After dinner was over and settled a little, Mrs. Marston took the
opportunity to say to her sister Bertha (while Stella and her father
were out for awhile): "Is it really true, Bertha, what the Roseland
_Gazette_ says in regard to Stella's going up to that crank preacher at
the close of the service and giving him her hand and saying a lot of
queer stuff about sexual bondage?"
"I was not there myself, Helen," said her sister, "but this I do know,
that when Stella returned home she told me herself she did such a
thing."
"Well," said Mrs. Marston, "I always knew Stella was a strange kind of
girl, but I never thought she would disgrace herself and her relatives
in that manner. Why," continued Mrs. Marston, "it's all the talk in
Roseland and among Stella's friends, about the disgrace she has brought
on me and herself in talking to such a vulgar man."
Stella's mother could not help smiling within herself at her sister
calling Penloe a vulgar man, when she thought of what her daughter
related to her in regard to her experience with some of the "upper ten"
gentlemen.
Continuing, Mrs. Marston said: "It will never do for Stella to associate
with such an indecent man, who preaches French ideas from the pulpit.
Why, Bertha, it will never do. You had better let Stella come and stay
with me till she is married. She is a great favorite with the young
people in Roseland and there are some splendid catches for her there."
"Well," said Bertha, "I have no control over her; she can go to Roseland
if she wishes."
"But," said Mrs. Marston, "it becomes your duty as her mother to show
her the danger of speaking to a man like Penloe. You should keep her
away from his influence and do what you can to encourage her to marry
well."
Bertha looked her sister Helen in the face and said: "Helen, I have
decided to let Stella choose her own path in life and select her own
mate. If she asks my advice I will give it. She has her own life to
lead, and it does not become me to mark it out for her. She must hew the
way. And, supposing I wanted to, do you think it would do any good?
Helen, you know better than that. Could you keep your son from getting
that waiter girl in trouble? And now the poor girl is homeless and
penniless, with a baby, in a hospital, without a friend to keep her,
while your son is walking the streets of Paris as a well dressed
gentleman." Here Mrs. Marston interrupted her and said: "Oh, my poor
boy! It makes my blood boil when I think how that nasty, dirty hussy got
my poor Henry into disgrace. Don't mention her, Bertha. It would have
served her right to have died before the child was born."
Bertha said: "Helen, you can invite Stella to Roseland, and if she
wishes to go it is just the same to me as if she stayed here, for I will
not be in Stella's way of exercising her freedom."
So when Stella came into the house her aunt said: "Stella, I do wish you
would come to Roseland and stay with me."
"Thank you, Aunt, you are very kind, but I have certain subjects I wish
to study and I want to be where I can be quiet; but, Aunt, dear, I will
return with you and stay a week, if you will bring me back home at the
end of that time."
"All right, Stella, get yourself ready and we will leave right away."