Samantha Among the Brethren

Samantha Among the Brethren

Project Gutenberg's Samantha Among the Brethren, by Josiah Allen's
Wife #1 in our series by Marietta Holley
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Title: Samantha Among the Brethren, Complete
Author: Josiah Allen's Wife (Marietta Holley)
Release Date: December, 2005 [EBook #9450] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on October 1,
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Edition: 10

Language: English
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SAMANTHA AMONG THE BRETHREN ***

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[Illustration] SAMANTHA
AMONG THE BRETHREN.
BY
"JOSIAH ALLEN'S WIFE"
(MARIETTA HOLLEY).
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS.

1890

TO
All Women
WHO WORK, TRYING TO BRING INTO DARK LIVES
THE BRIGHTNESS AND HOPE OF A
BETTER COUNTRY,
THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED.

PREFACE.
Again it come to pass, in the fulness of time, that my companion,
Josiah Allen, see me walk up and take my ink stand off of the manteltry
piece, and carry it with a calm and majestick gait to the corner of the
settin' room table devoted by me to literary pursuits. And he sez to me:
"What are you goin' to tackle now, Samantha?"
And sez I, with quite a good deal of dignity, "The Cause of Eternal
Justice, Josiah Allen."

"Anythin' else?" sez he, lookin' sort o' oneasy at me. (That man realizes
his shortcomin's, I believe, a good deal of the time, he duz.)
"Yes," sez I, "I lay out in petickuler to tackle the Meetin' House. She is
in the wrong on't, and I want to set her right."
Josiah looked sort o' relieved like, but he sez out, in a kind of a pert
way, es he set there a-shellin corn for the hens:
"A Meetin' House hadn't ort to be called she--it is a he."
And sez I, "How do you know?"
And he sez, "Because it stands to reason it is. And I'd like to know what
you have got to say about him any way?"
Sez I, "That 'him' don't sound right, Josiah Allen. It sounds more right
and nateral to call it 'she.' Why," sez I, "hain't we always hearn about
the Mother Church, and don't the Bible tell about the Church bein'
arrayed like a bride for her husband? I never in my life hearn it called a
'he' before."
"Oh, wall, there has always got to be a first time. And I say it sounds
better. But what have you got to say about the Meetin' House,
anyway?"
"I have got this to say, Josiah Allen. The Meetin' House hain't a-actin'
right about wimmen. The Founder of the Church wuz born of woman.
It wuz on a woman's heart that His head wuz pillowed first and last.
While others slept she watched over His baby slumbers and His last
sleep. A woman wuz His last thought and care. Before dawn she wuz at
the door of the tomb, lookin' for His comin'. So she has stood ever
sense--waitin', watchin', hopin', workin' for the comin' of Christ.
Workin', waitin' for His comin' into the hearts of tempted wimmen and
tempted men--fallen men and fallen wimmen--workin', waitin', toilin',
nursin' the baby good in the hearts of a sinful world--weepin' pale-faced
over its crucefixion--lookin' for its reserection. Oh how she has worked
all through the ages!"
"Oh shaw!" sez Josiah, "some wimmen don't care about anythin' but
crazy work and back combs."
I felt took down, for I had been riz up, quite considerble, but I sez,
reasonable:
"Yes, there are such wimmen, Josiah, but think of the sweet and saintly
souls that have given all their lives, and hopes, and thoughts to the
Meetin' House--think of the throngs to-day that crowd the aisles of the

Sanctuary--there are five wimmen to one man, I believe, in all the
meetin' houses to-day a-workin' in His name. True Daughters of the
King, no matter what their creed may be--Catholic or Protestant.
"And