Mr. Nicholson, the preacher, used to go to a drugstore kept by a noted jointist and infidel.  He would sit with him in front of his drugstore.  I would rebuke him for “sitting in the seat of the scornful and in the way of sinners.”

Whenever I went visiting, I went where I felt I could do some good for Jesus, and at Thanksgiving and Christmas I invited the poor, crippled and blind, to a feast at my house as Jesus said to never invite those who were able to make a feast.

There was a Mrs. Tucker, who was quite young and married to an old man.  She worked hard, washing, to care for her five children.  I would take her to church and it was not long before she joined.  There was rejoicing in Heaven, but none in the church at Medicine Lodge.  For two years she attended church, and not an officer or member ever called to see her.  I would visit her, and often take her clothes for her children, also read the Bible, and prayed with her.  I did not wish her to notice the lack of all Christian fellowship, but she saw the cool way in which she was treated and she stopped going to church.  A false report of treachery was told to this minister by her unfeeling, jealous husband, and without going to see this poor woman, it was decided to take her name from the church book.

One Lord’s Day morning, before Mr. Nicholson commenced his sermon, he said:  “It is the painful duty of the church to withdraw fellowship from Sister Tucker, who had been living in open adultery.”  I was sitting in front, and I rose to my feet.

Mr. Nicholson said:  “You sit down, the elders will attend to this.”

I said:  “No, the elders will not, but I will.  What you have said is not true about this woman.  She has been a member of the church for two years, and neither you nor the elders or any member of this church but myself have been in her home.  I do for that woman what I would want some one to do for me, under the same circumstances.  These elders never reclaim the erring or pray with the dying, but this poor little lamb has come in for shelter, and they are pulling the fleece off of her.”

All this time Mr. Nicholson was telling me in angry tones to “sit down”.  He then called on the elders to take me out, came down from the pulpit, took me by the arm intending to put me out himself, but he could not move me.  I turned to the audience, told them what the preacher said could not be proven.  The Normal was in session and there were many strangers present.  I sat down as calmly as if nothing had happened out of the usual, and waited until the close.

Mr. Nicholson came to me after service and said:  “We will settle your case.”

I said:  “Do your worst and do your best.”

That afternoon the elders met in the church, and withdrew from me because I was a “stumbling block,” and a “disturber of the peace.”  This was a grief to me, for my beloved father, mother, brothers and sisters belonged to this society of Christians, and I had, since I was a child ten years of age.  I wept much over this, but I went to church as usual, not so much to the Christian church, but the Baptist, where they were very kind to me.