ly　took　his　advice　and　borrowed　seven　hundred
  dollars。　　After　I　returned　from　Europe　I　repaid　the
  loan　in　monthly　instalments；　and　eventually　got　my
  bonds；　which　I　still　own。　　They　will　mature　in　1916。
  I　have　had　one　hundred　and　five　dollars　a　year　from
  them；　in　interest；　ever　since　I　received　them　in　1878
  more　than　twice　as　much　interest　as　their　face
  valueand　every　time　I　have　gone　abroad　I　have
  used　this　interest　toward　paying　my　passage。　　Thus
  my　friend　has　had　a　share　in　each　of　the　many　visits
  I　have　made　to　Europe；　and　in　all　of　them　her
  memory　has　been　vividly　with　me。
  With　my　return　from　Europe　my　real　career　as
  a　minister　began。　　The　year　in　the　pulpit　at　Hing…
  ham　had　been　merely　tentative；　and　though　I　had
  succeeded　in　building　up　the　church　membership　to
  four　times　what　it　had　been　when　I　took　charge；　I
  was　not　reappointed。　　I　had　paid　off　a　small　church
  debt；　and　had　had　the　building　repaired；　painted；　and
  carpeted。　　Now　that　it　was　out　of　its　difficulties　it
  offered　some　advantages　to　the　occupant　of　its　pul…
  pit；　and　of　these　my　successor；　a　man；　received　the
  benefit。　　I；　however；　had　small　ground　for　com…
  plaint；　for　I　was　at　once　offered　and　accepted　the
  pastorate　of　a　church　at　East　Dennis；　Cape　Cod。
  Here　I　went　in　October；　1878；　and　here　I　spent　seven
  of　the　most　interesting　years　of　my　life。
  V
  SHEPHERD　OF　A　DIVIDED　FLOCK
  On　my　return　from　Europe；　as　I　have　said；　I
  took　up　immediately　and　most　buoyantly　the
  work　of　my　new　parish。　　My　previous　occupation
  of　various　pulpits；　whether　long　or　short；　had　always
  been　in　the　role　of　a　substitute。　　Now；　for　the　first
  time；　I　had　a　church　of　my　own；　and　was　to　stand
  or　fall　by　the　record　made　in　it。　　The　ink　was　barely
  dry　on　my　diploma　from　the　Boston　Theological
  School；　and；　as　it　happened；　the　little　church　to
  which　I　was　called　was　in　the　hands　of　two　warring
  factions；　whose　battles　furnished　the　most　fervid
  interest　of　the　Cape　Cod　community。　　But　my　in…
  experience　disturbed　me　not　at　all；　and　I　was　bliss…
  fully　ignorant　of　the　division　in　the　congregation。
  So　I　entered　my　new　field　as　trustfully　as　a　child
  enters　a　garden；　and　though　I　was　in　trouble　from
  the　beginning；　and　resigned　three　times　in　startling
  succession；　I　ended　by　remaining　seven　years。
  My　appointment　did　not　cause　even　a　lull　in　the
  warfare　among　my　parishioners。　　Before　I　had
  crossed　the　threshold　of　my　church　I　was　made　to
  realize　that　I　was　shepherd　of　a　divided　flock。
  Exactly　what　had　caused　the　original　breach　I　never
  learned；　but　it　had　widened　with　time；　until　it
  seemed　that　no　peacemaker　could　build　a　bridge
  large　enough　to　span　it。　　As　soon　as　I　arrived　in
  East　Dennis　each　faction　tried　to　pour　into　my　ears
  its　bitter　criticisms　of　the　other；　but　I　made　and
  consistently　followed　the　safe　rule　of　refusing　to
  listen　to　either　side；　I　announced　publicly　that　I
  would　hear　no　verbal　charges　whatever；　but　that　if
  my　two　flocks　would　state　their　troubles　in　writing
  I　would　call　a　board　meeting　to　discuss　and　pass
  upon　them。　　This　they　both　resolutely　refused　to
  do　（it　was　apparently　the　first　time　they　had　ever
  agreed　on　any　point）；　and　as　I　steadily　declined
  to　listen　to　complaints；　they　devised　an　original
  method　of　putting　them　before　me。
  During　the　regular　Thursday…night　prayer…meet…
  ing；　held　about　two　weeks　after　my　arrival；　and　at
  which；　of　course；　I　presided；　they　voiced　their　diffi…
  culties　in　public　prayer；　loudly　and　urgently　calling
  upon　the　Lord　to　pardon　such　and　such　a　liar；　men…
  tioning　the　gentleman　by　name；　and　such　and　such
  a　slanderer；　whose　name　was　also　submitted。　　By
  the　time　the　prayers　were　ended　there　were　few　un…
  tarnished　reputations　in　the　congregation；　and　I
  knew；　perforce；　what　both　sides　had　to　say。
  The　following　Thursday　night　they　did　the　same
  thing；　filling　their　prayers　with　intimate　and　sur…
  prising　details　of　one　another's　history；　and　I　en…
  dured　the　situation　solely　because　I　did　not　know
  how　to　meet　it。　　I　was　still　young；　and　my　theo…
  logical　course　had　set　no　guide…posts　on　roads　as
  new　as　these。　　To　interfere　with　souls　in　their　com…
  munion　with　God　seemed　impossible；　to　let　them
  continue　to　utter　personal　attacks　in　church；　under
  cover　of　prayer；　was　equally　impossible。　　Any　course　I
  could　follow　seemed　to　lead　away　from　my　new　parish；
  yet　both　duty　and　pride　made　prompt　action　neces…
  sary。　　By　the　time　we　gathered　for　the　third　prayer…
  meeting　I　had　decided　what　to　do；　and　before　the
  services　began　I　rose　and　addressed　my　erring　chil…
  dren。　　I　explained　that　the　character　of　the　prayers
  at　our　recent　meetings　was　making　us　the　laughing…
  stock　of　the　community；　that　unbelievers　were
  ridiculing　our　religion；　and　that　the　discipline　of
  the　church　was　being　wrecked；　and　I　ended　with
  these　words；　each　of　which　I　had　carefully　weighed：
  ‘‘Now　one　of　two　things　must　happen。　　Either
  you　will　stop　this　kind　of　praying；　or　you　will　re…
  main　away　from　our　meetings。　　We　will　hold　prayer…
  meetings　on　another　night；　and　I　shall　refuse　ad…
  mission　to　any　among　you　who　bring　personal　criti…
  cisms　into　your　public　prayers。''
  As　I　had　expected　it　to　do；　the　announcement
  created　an　immediate　uproar。　　Both　factions　sprang
  to　their　feet；　trying　to　talk　at　once。　　The　storm
  raged　until　I　dismissed　the　congregation；　telling　the
  members　that　their　conduct　was　an　insult　to　the
  Lord；　and　that　I　would　not　listen　to　either　their
  protests　or　their　prayers。　　They　went　unwillingly；
  but　they　went；　and　the　excitement　the　next　day
  raised　the　sick　from　their　beds　to　talk　of　it；　and
  swept　the　length　and　breadth　of　Cape　Cod。　　The
  following　Sunday　the　little　church　held　the　largest
  attendance　in　its　history。　　Seemingly；　every　man
  and　woman　in　town　had　come　to　hear　what　more
  I　would　say　about　the　trouble；　but　I　ignored　the
  whole　matter。　　I　preached　the　sermon　I　had　pre…
  pared；　the　subject　of　which　was　as　remote　from
  church　quarrels　as　our　atmosphere　was　remote　from
  peace；　and　my　congregation　dispersed　with　expres…
  sions　of　such　artless　disappointment　that　it　was　all
  I　could　do　to　preserve　a　dignified　gravity。
  That　night；　however；　the　war　was　brought　into
  my　camp。　　At　the　evening　meeting　the　leader　of　one
  of　the　factions　rose　to　his　feet　with　the　obvious　pur…
  pose　of　starting　trouble。　　He　was　a　retired　sea…cap…
  tain；　of　the　ruthless　type　that　knocks　a　man　down
  with　a　belaying…pin；　and　he　made　his　attack　on　me
  in　a　characteristically　‘‘straight　from　the　shoulder''
  fashion。　　He　began　with　the　proposition　that　my
  morning　sermon　had　been　‘‘entirely　contrary　to　the
  Scriptures；''　and　for　ten　minutes　he　quoted　and　mis…
  quoted　me；　hammering　in　his　points。　　I　let　him　go
  on　without　interruption。　　Then　he　added：
  ‘‘And　this　gal　comes　to　this　church　and　under…
  takes　to　tell　us　how　we　shall　pray。　　That's　a　high…
  handed　measure；　and　I；　for　one；　ain't　goin'　to　stand
  it。　　I　want　to　say　right　here　that　I　shall　pray　as　I
  like；　when　I　like；　and　where　I　like。　　I　have　prayed
  in　this　heavenly　way　for　fifty　years　before　that　gal
  was　born；　and　she　can't　dictate　to　me　now！''
  By　this　time　the　whole　congregation　was　aroused；
  and　cries　of　‘‘Sit　down！''　　‘‘Sit　down！''　came　from
  every　side　of　the　church。　　It　was　a　hard　moment；
  but　I　was　able　to　rise　with　some　show　of　dignity。
  I　was　hurt　through　and　through；　but　my　fighting
  blood　was　stirring。
  ‘‘No；''　I　said；　‘‘Captain　Sears　has　the　floor。　　Let
  him　say　now　all　he　wishes　to　say；　for　it　is　the　last
  time　he　will　ever　speak　at　one　of　our　meetings。''
  Captain　Sears；　whose　exertions　had　already　made
  him　apoplectic；　turned　a　darker　purple。　　‘‘What's
  that？''　he　shouted。　　‘‘What　d'ye　mean？''
  ‘‘I　mean；''　I　replied；　‘‘that　I　do　not　intend　to
  allow　you　or　anybody　else　to　interfere　with　my
  meetings。　　You　are　a　sea…captain。　　What　would
  you　do　to　me　if　I　came　on　board　your　ship　and
  started　a　mutiny　in　your　crew；　or　tried　to　give　you
  orders？''
  Captain　Sears　did　not　reply。　　He　stood　still；　with
  his　legs　far　apart　and　braced；　as　he　always　stood
  when　talking；　but　his　eyes　shifted　a　little。　　I　answered
  my　own　question。
  ‘‘You　would　put　me　ashore　or　in　irons；''　I　re…
  minded　him。　　‘‘Now；　Captain　Sears；　I　intend　to
  put　you　ashore。　　I　am　the　master　of　this　ship。　　I
  have　set　my　course；　and　I　mean　to　follow　it。　　If
  you　rebel；　either　you　will　get　out　or　I　will。　　But
  until　the　board　asks　for　my　resignation；　I　am　in
  command。''
  As　it　happened；　I　had　put　my　ultimatum　in　the
  one　form　the　old　man　could　understand。　　He　sat
  down　without　a　word　and　stared　at　me。　　We　sang
  the　Doxology；　and　I　dismissed　the　meeting。　　Again
  we　had　omitted　prayers。　　The　next　day　Captain
  Sears　sent　me　a　letter　recalling　his　subscription　tow…
  ard　the　support　of　the　church；　and　for　weeks　he
  remained　away　from　our　services；　returnin