Part 15 (1/2)
After the first wave of the novelty, the beauty, the grandeur and the thrilling depth of the truth had subsided only temporarily (to be superseded by a far more powerful wave of the same character), there came over Stella's mind during this lull, a strong feeling of attachment to some of the old ideas she had held. It was very easy for her to let some of her garments drop from her mental form, and be clothed with new ones, but there were some that seemed rather hard to loosen; and which were they? One was this: While it cannot be said that Stella was vain or self-conceited, there was that strong attachment to the personal I, which is generally seen in positive dominant characters in the Western world. And as a woman she had everything to make her feel proud of her form and beauty, with a graceful carriage, combined with a bright mind and n.o.ble purpose. She had realized her power over the opposite s.e.x. Her dominant thought had been, that as a woman she was going to lead her sisters out of bondage; that because she was a woman she had a right to vote; because she was a woman she should not be in bondage to forms, ceremonies, and customs; because she was a woman she should not be a slave to s.e.x superst.i.tion. But now all this had been swept away, and it was hard for her to let go all the grand thoughts she had entertained about woman as woman. But, blessed, n.o.ble, courageous girl, she said: ”I will follow truth whithersoever it may lead,” and she inscribed truth on her banner, saying, ”That will I follow.”
So she let the last of her old garments drop from her, saying: ”I will clothe myself with the garment of truth.” The battle had now been fought and the victory won; and now a wave came sweeping over her mind, more powerful, with more beauty, with greater grandeur, penetrating far deeper, stirring the very depths of her nature, and she felt such freedom as she had never realized in her life before. With this rock, the corner-stone of truth, she commenced to lay a foundation which is eternal and immortal.
CHAPTER XVII.
PENLOE'S ORIGINAL ADDRESS.
The Roseland _Gazette_ was very pleased to get something of a sensational character in its columns, like the different stories which had been brought to that city concerning Penloe's sermon delivered in Orangeville. The State Legislature not being in session (to see how much money they could get out of the pockets of the people for the benefit of its members and their friends), there were no sensational charges of bribery or boodle to report; and as Congress had closed there was no news concerning laws pa.s.sed in the interests of bankers, railroad corporations, sugar trusts, whiskey and other trusts which are able to furnish members of Congress with funds to carry their schemes through.
It happened to be at a time when news was scarce and dull, and therefore the press made the most of the matter by writing an editorial on the subject of s.e.x relations.h.i.+p, which appeared in the paper the following week, and was as follows:
”In our last issue we gave as correct a report of the remarkable sermon preached by Penloe in the church at Orangeville, as our reporter could get. Since then most all other subjects of conversation have subsided in this county and the main topic of conversation has been Penloe and the s.e.x question. As to Penloe, it is not our purpose in this article to discuss the man, but some of his ideas. The s.e.x question is a very peculiar one to the minds of many. Penloe's ideas are so radical that it gives us a shock all over even to think of attempting to bring the people to that mode of living. The thought we have concerning our s.e.x is instilled into us by custom, precept and example, so that from earliest infancy to introduce such an innovation as Penloe proposes would apparently, to our minds, seem like undermining our social structure and its very foundations. While we admit the state of society is morally low, yet what can be done to improve it? Can we ever reconcile ourselves to persons of both s.e.xes and all ages undressing in the presence of each other and all bathing together naked? We question whether society is ready for such a change? Penloe's theories are like many other theories, very fine on paper but when you put them in practice they won't work.
What say you, readers? We would like to hear also from our brothers of the press.”
And they did hear from their brethren of the press. For other county papers took the matter up, being very glad to get something sensational for their columns; and from county papers the subject got into the big city dailies throughout California, and they printed very sensational articles concerning Penloe and his sermon, discussing the s.e.x question at great length. It was not very long before the Eastern papers had long articles about Penloe and his sermon, and they wrote much on the subject. Then the matter reached the magnitude of what is known as a wave; which swept through the press all over the continent, causing as much comment and talk as Markham's poem, ”The Man with the Hoe.”
Penloe's mail increased in size rapidly, and he was now receiving twenty times more letters than all the other mail in Orangeville combined. It was amusing to see how the letters were addressed. They read, ”Dr.
Penloe, Rev. Dr. Penloe, Rev. Penloe, Penloe, Esq., Prof. Penloe, D.D., and LL.D.” Letters came to him from every state in the Union. Here is one:
”MR. PENLOE:
”DEAR SIR:--I am shocked and disgusted with you. You never ought to be allowed to talk from the pulpit in such a way. The people of Orangeville ought to tar and feather you and ride you on a rail out of the county.”
Another letter was as follows:
”CRANK PENLOE:
”Of all the cranks I ever did read about or hear tell on, you are the darndest. The women folks in my house are as hot as h.e.l.l, ever since they read in the paper what you talked in church. My wife said, 'What a crank you must be,' and my mother-in-law said h.e.l.l is too good for such as you. What a rumpus you have made all over the country; it seems as if h.e.l.l is to pay for all this.”
Penloe also received some powerful scorching letters from orthodox ministers, while on the other hand the liberal and radical elements of society poured forth eulogies and commendations for his bold original utterances, for his fearlessness in treating the subject in the courageous way he did; calling him a brave pioneer and they themselves would start Penloe Clubs for putting his ideas in practice. He received many letters from churches in some of the large cities, like the following:
”REV. DR. PENLOE:
”DEAR SIR:--Our church in this city is an elegant structure and will seat twelve hundred persons. For some months we have been looking for a popular young man to fill our pulpit. It has been very difficult to find an up-to-date man, one that will draw a congregation to fill our church, for the audience keeps growing less every Sunday, because we have not got a real, live smart man to preach to us. We think if we could secure your services you would draw the largest congregation in this city, for your popularity has swept the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and we feel sure you are the right man. Our people are very sociable and well to do, many of our members being rich. We are willing to pay you a salary of seven thousand dollars a year, and the use of a handsome house elegantly furnished, and will allow you two months' vacation, besides paying your expenses to come here. We will say that, should you accept our offer, our people will be glad to receive you into their hearts and homes.”
Penloe always answered all such communications, but as for accepting one of them it was out of the question; for he knew it was not his field of labor, and if the salary had been a hundred thousand dollars a year, it would have been no temptation or an inducement to him to accept the offer. For money, name and fame touched him not; and nothing could induce him to leave his path of labor for the sake of going into some new field of work which only held out large material rewards. He also received many offers from the owners of papers and magazines, asking him to write his views. The New York _Monthly Magazine_ offered him one thousand dollars for an eight-page article on the s.e.x question; provided he would not write on the subject for any other magazine or paper.
Penloe accepted the offer because he considered that was the best channel to communicate to the world his views on the s.e.x question. Its readers were of a cla.s.s that could comprehend the subject in the spirit in which it was offered. And as for the thousand dollars Penloe had a sacred purpose he wished to use that money for. A man wrote to Penloe offering him forty thousand dollars if he would consent to lecture for one year in all the large cities in the United States. The man told a friend of his, he was sure after paying Penloe his forty thousand dollars and all other expenses, he would clear about sixty thousand dollars himself.
How true it is that a prophet is not without honor, save in his own country. For Orangeville was the last place to feel the Penloe wave which swept over all the country. At last the people of Orangeville reading so much about him in their papers and magazines, began to think he was something more than a crank, that they must have a great man amongst them, or else he would never have received such big offers of money for his services as the papers stated he had, and there would not have been so much written about him if he was of no account.
Quite a change had come over the people in Roseland concerning Penloe, and they began to feel differently towards him since his wave of popularity had swept over the country. Even Stella's aunt had experienced a change of heart towards him, for she was heard to say, ”People's ideas are changing now in regard to the s.e.x question. They look at the subject so differently now from what they did when I was a girl. I did not think Penloe was such a smart man as the papers say he is. He must be, or else he never would have received an offer of forty thousand dollars to lecture for one year.”
A man may possess all the characteristics of a saint and a martyr combined, and yet the average person is not attracted to him; but as soon as money and popularity flow towards him, then in his eyes he becomes next to a G.o.d; for people love to be touched on the material side of their nature rather than on the spiritual. They consider the spiritual well enough to talk about, and when a friend of theirs dies they may love to sing ”Nearer, My G.o.d, to Thee” and ”Safe in the Arms of Jesus,” but what they really desire for themselves and families, above everything else, is a rich blessing of material things; that which makes well for the body and which puts them in a position to have full play of the emotional and sensational part of their natures.
So great was the desire among the people of Orangeville and Roseland, and in fact the whole county, to hear Penloe speak, and to see the man that so much had been said and written about, that a committee was sent to him with a request signed by the leading citizens, asking him to deliver an address to them in Roseland. Penloe accepted the invitation to speak. The committee secured the use of a large packing house for the meeting, and fixed it up so that it seated a very large audience, for they knew that the Penloe wave was at its height, and about every team from every ranch in the county would be out on that occasion. As the committee had well advertised more than a week ahead, that Penloe would deliver a public address, the news reached to many parts outside the county, so that when the day came for the meeting to be held a number of strangers from different parts of the state were seen in Roseland.