Part 2, Chapter IX Summary

Part 2: The Astrakhan Apples Are Ripe begins with Chapter IX: The River or the Font? in which the Swedish immigrants of the St. Croix Valley are divided on religious matters. When Baptist revivalist, Fredrick Nilsson, who was exiled from Sweden in 1851 for preaching immersion comes to preach in Chisago Lake, Johannes Stenius, the Lutheran pastor, forbids any of his parish to open their homes to "this uncouth, unschooled sailor who was not ordained as a church official" (p. 79). This results in at least ten members of his parish offering a room where Nilsson can preach, and twenty Lutherans leave their church and are baptized after listening to Nilsson preach. When Pastor Stenius issues stronger orders, especially regarding men watching their wives since woman are more easily led astray, Karl speaks out that the settlers do not obey the clergy...