Narcissa Prentiss Whitman, part 2
From that time on, Man and Woman created the eternal triangle. It was no different in the early 1800s, nor for prospective missionaries or their parents. Henry Spalding’s mother had her own eternal triangle to deal with, but that is another story. However, the result was Henry—born out of wedlock. It was a fact of life he did not discover until he was a young man. That he resented his birth status throughout his life is shown in a letter, dated May of 1871, that he wrote many years later to his second wife. Henry Spalding’s illegitimate standing did not, however, keep him from pursuing a religious calling.
During the winter of 1828-1829, Spalding was attending school and also teaching school to support his self. It was during this time that he learned of the urgent need by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions for missionaries. This plea for missionaries showed Henry the direction his life must take. But before he could begin such a devoted venture four years of higher learning awaited him. For the first two of these studious years he returned to Prattsburg where the bright and sunny Narcissa Prentiss still lived and attended church.
Narcissa Prentiss, too, had heard of the need for missionaries. Her heart’s desire and devotion was to go west and save the souls of the savages. It was a good plan but there was just one little hitch in the harness. The Mission Board didn’t allow single women to go west for the church no matter how devout they were, or said they were. Therein lay the reasoning behind the Mission Board’s rule. Male missionaries might be far above the morals of regular fellows, but still they were male with natural urges and inclinations. No doubt the same could have been said of single female missionaries.
Narcissa was about as devout as they come, but she was single.
Narcissa Prentiss needed to find herself a man to marry.
Henry Spalding, though he was willing to take on a mission amongst the Indians most anywhere, had a similar problem. He needed a helpmate of the female variety.
Though no completely accurate likeness of Narcissa Prentiss exists, as the well-known portrait of her is a composite of various opinions given to the artists after her death, Narcissa’s most pleasing looks and fine soprano voice allowed her a secure position in the church and its choir. The congregated members on a Sunday morn surely were appreciative of the young woman’s talent.
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