
SAMANTHA AMONG THE BRETHREN. - BY - "JOSIAH ALLEN'S WIFE"
(MARIETTA HOLLEY).
1890
PREFACE.
In a modest New York homestead of 1890, a determined woman named Samantha lifts her ink stand and sets her mind on a cause she calls “Eternal Justice.” With a blend of homespun humor and earnest conviction, she launches a dialogue with her husband, Josiah, about the “Meeting House” – the church gathering place she believes has misplaced its gendered identity. Her opening remarks frame the sanctuary as a “she,” invoking the biblical imagery of the church as a bride and urging a reevaluation of how women are treated within its walls.
Through vivid anecdotes and earnest debate, Samantha charts the history of women’s quiet labor: from caring for the infant Jesus to the countless sisters who fill pews today. She paints a picture of a congregation where women outnumber men, yet remain denied the chance to lead or set the conference agenda. As she prepares to wield her “faithful pen,” listeners are invited into a spirited, early‑modern feminist critique that balances domestic life with a yearning for a more equitable spiritual community.
Language
en
Duration
~54 minutes (52K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Widger and PG Distributed Proofreaders
Release date
2004-08-10
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1836–1926
A sharp, funny voice of 19th-century America, this bestselling humorist used satire to take on marriage, politics, temperance, and women’s rights. Writing as Samantha Allen and “Josiah Allen’s Wife,” she turned homespun comedy into social commentary that reached a huge popular audience.
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