the story of a pioneer-第1节

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The　Story　of　a　Pioneer



by　Anna　Howard　Shaw






BY

ANNA　HOWARD　SHAW；　D。D。；　M。D。



WITH　THE　COLLABORATION　OF

ELIZABETH　JORDAN









THE　STORY　OF　A　PIONEER







TO

THE　WOMEN　PIONEERS

OF　AMERICA



　They　cut　a　path　through　tangled　underwood

　Of　old　traditions；　out　to　broader　ways。

　They　lived　to　here　their　work　called　brave　and　good；

　But　oh！　the　thorns　before　the　crown　of　bays。

　The　world　gives　lashes　to　its　Pioneers

　Until　the　goal　is　reachedthen　deafening　cheers。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Adapted　by　ANNA　HOWARD　SHAW。





CONTENTS

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　



I。　　　　　　FIRST　MEMORIES



II。　　　　　IN　THE　WILDERNESS



III。　　　　HIGH…SCHOOL　AND　COLLEGE　DAYS　



IV。　　　　　THE　WOLF　AT　THE　DOOR　



V。　　　　　　SHEPHERD　OF　A　DIVIDED　FLOCK



VI。　　　　　CAPE　COD　MEMORIES



VII。　　　　THE　GREAT　CAUSE



VIII。　　　DRAMA　IN　THE　LECTURE　FIELD



IX。　　　　　‘‘AUNT　SUSAN''　



X。　　　　　　THE　PASSING　OF　‘‘AUNT　SUSAN''



XI。　　　　　THE　WIDENING　SUFFRAGE　STREAM



XII。　　　　BUILDING　A　HOME



XIII。　　　PRESIDENT　OF　‘‘THE　NATIONAL''



XIV。　　　　RECENT　CAMPAIGNS



XV。　　　　　CONVENTION　INCIDENTS



XVI。　　　　COUNCIL　EPISODES



XVII。　　　VALE！









THE　STORY　OF　A　PIONEER



FIRST　MEMORIES



My　father's　ancestors　were　the　Shaws　of

Rothiemurchus；　in　Scotland；　and　the　ruins

of　their　castle　may　still　be　seen　on　the　island　of

Loch…an…Eilan；　in　the　northern　Highlands。　　It　was

never　the　picturesque　castle　of　song　and　story；　this

home　of　the　fighting　Shaws；　but　an　austere　fortress；

probably　built　in　Roman　times；　and　even　to…day

the　crumbling　walls　which　alone　are　left　of　it　show

traces　of　the　relentless　assaults　upon　them。　　Of

these　the　last　and　the　most　successful　were　made

in　the　seventeenth　century　by　the　Grants　and

Rob　Roy；　and　it　was　into　the　hands　of　the　Grants

that　the　Shaw　fortress　finally　fell；　about　1700；　after

almost　a　hundred　years　of　ceaseless　warfare。



It　gives　me　no　pleasure　to　read　the　grisly　details

of　their　struggles；　but　I　confess　to　a　certain　satisfac…

tion　in　the　knowledge　that　my　ancestors　made　a

good　showing　in　the　defense　of　what　was　theirs。　

Beyond　doubt　they　were　brave　fighters　and　strong

men。　　There　were　other　sides　to　their　natures；

however；　which　the　high　lights　of　history　throw　up

less　appealingly。　　As　an　instance；　we　have　in　the

family　chronicles　the　blood…stained　page　of　Allen

Shaw；　the　oldest　son　of　the　last　Lady　Shaw　who

lived　in　the　fortress。　　It　appears　that　when　the

father　of　this　young　man　died；　about　1560；　his

mother　married　again；　to　the　intense　disapproval

of　her　son。　　For　some　time　after　the　marriage　he

made　no　open　revolt　against　the　new…comer　in　the

domestic　circle；　but　finally；　on　the　pretext　that

his　dog　had　been　attacked　by　his　stepfather；　he

forced　a　quarrel　with　the　older　man　and　the　two

fought　a　duel　with　swords；　after　which　the　vic…

torious　Allen　showed　a　sad　lack　of　chivalry。　　He

not　only　killed　his　stepfather；　but　he　cut　off　that

gentleman's　head　and　bore　it　to　his　mother　in　her　bed…

chamberan　action　which　was　considered；　even　in

that　tolerant　age；　to　be　carrying　filial　resentment

too　far。



Probably　Allen　regretted　it。　　Certainly　he　paid

a　high　penalty　for　it；　and　his　clan　suffered　with　him。　

He　was　outlawed　and　fled；　only　to　be　hunted　down

for　months；　and　finally　captured　and　executed　by

one　of　the　Grants；　who；　in　further　virtuous　disap…

proval　of　Allen's　act；　seized　and　held　the　Shaw

stronghold。　　The　other　Shaws　of　the　clan　fought

long　and　ably　for　its　recovery；　but　though　they　were

helped　by　their　kinsmen；　the　Mackintoshes；　and

though　good　Scotch　blood　dyed　the　gray　walls　of

the　fortress　for　many　generations；　the　castle　never

again　came　into　the　hands　of　the　Shaws。　　It　still

entails　certain　obligations　for　the　Grants；　however；

and　one　of　these　is　to　give　the　King　of　England　a

snowball　whenever　he　visits　Loch…an…Eilan！



As　the　years　passed　the　Shaw　clan　scattered。　

Many　Shaws　are　still　to　be　found　in　the　Mackintosh

country　and　throughout　southern　Scotland。　　Others

went　to　England；　and　it　was　from　this　latter　branch

that　my　father　sprang。　　His　name　was　Thomas

Shaw；　and　he　was　the　younger　son　of　a　gentlemana

word　which　in　those　days　seemed　to　define　a　man

who　devoted　his　time　largely　to　gambling　and　horse…

racing。　　My　grandfather；　like　his　father　before　him；

was　true　to　the　traditions　of　his　time　and　class。　

Quite　naturally　and　simply　he　squandered　all　he　had；

and　died　abruptly；　leaving　his　wife　and　two　sons

penniless。　　They　were　not；　however；　a　helpless　band。　

They；　too；　had　their　traditions；　handed　down　by

the　fighting　Shaws。　　Peter；　the　older　son；　became　a

soldier；　and　died　bravely　in　the　Crimean　War。　　My

father；　through　some　outside　influence；　turned　his

attention　to　trade；　learning　to　stain　and　emboss　wall…

paper　by　hand；　and　developing　this　work　until　he

became　the　recognized　expert　in　his　field。　　Indeed；

he　progressed　until　he　himself　checked　his　rise　by

inventing　a　machine　that　made　his　handwork　un…

necessary。　　His　employer　at　once　claimed　and

utilized　this　invention；　to　which；　by　the　laws　of

those　days；　he　was　entitled；　and　thus　the　corner…

stone　on　which　my　father　had　expected　to　build　a

fortune　proved　the　rock　on　which　his　career　was

wrecked。　　But　that　was　years　later；　in　America；　and

many　other　things　had　happened　first。



For　one；　he　had　temporarily　dropped　his　trade

and　gone　into　the　flour…and…grain　business；　and；

for　another；　he　had　married　my　mother。　　She　was

the　daughter　of　a　Scotch　couple　who　had　come　to

England　and　settled　in　Alnwick；　in　Northumberland

County。　　Her　father；　James　Stott；　was　the　driver

of　the　royal…mail　stage　between　Alnwick　and　New…

castle；　and　his　accidental　death　while　he　was　still　a

young　man　left　my　grandmother　and　her　eight

children　almost　destitute。　　She　was　immediately

given　a　position　in　the　castle　of　the　Duke　of　Nor…

thumberland；　and　her　sons　were　educated　in　the

duke's　school；　while　her　daughters　were　entered　in

the　school　of　the　duchess。



My　thoughts　dwell　lovingly　on　this　grandmother；

Nicolas　Grant　Stott；　for　she　was　a　remarkable

woman；　with　a　dauntless　soul　and　progressive　ideas

far　in　advance　of　her　time。　　She　was　one　of　the　first

Unitarians　in　England；　and　years　before　any　thought

of　woman　suffrage　entered　the　minds　of　her　country…

women　she　refused　to　pay　tithes　to　the　support　of

the　Church　of　Englandan　action　which　precipitated

a　long…drawn…out　conflict　between　her　and　the　law。　

In　those　days　it　was　customary　to　assess　tithes　on

every　pane　of　glass　in　a　window；　and　a　portion　of　the

money　thus　collected　went　to　the　support　of　the

Church。　　Year　after　year　my　intrepid　grandmother

refused　to　pay　these　assessments；　and　year　after

year　she　sat　pensively　upon　her　door…step；　watching

articles　of　her　furniture　being　sold　for　money　to　pay

her　tithes。　　It　must　have　been　an　impressive　picture；

and　it　was　one　with　which　the　community　became

thoroughly　familiar；　as　the　determined　old　lady

never　won　her　fight　and　never　abandoned　it。　　She

had　at　least　the　comfort　of　public　sympathy；　for　she

was　by　far　the　most　popular　woman　in　the　country…

side。　　Her　neighbors　admired　her　courage；　perhaps

they　appreciated　still　more　what　she　did　for　them；

for　she　spent　all　her　leisure　in　the　homes　of　the　very

poor；　mending　their　clothing　and　teaching　them　to

sew。　　Also；　she　left　behind　her　a　path　of　cleanliness

as　definite　as　the　line　of　foam　that　follows　a　ship；

for　it　soon　became　known　among　her　protegees　that

Nicolas　Stott　was　as　much　opposed　to　dirt　as　she

was　to　the　payment　of　tithes。



She　kept　her　children　in　the　schools　of　the　duke　and

duchess　until　they　had　completed　the　entire　course

open　to　them。　　A　hundred　times；　and　among　many

new　scenes　and　strange　people；　I　have　heard　my

mother　describe　her　own　experiences　as　a　pupil。　

All　the　children　of　the　dependents　of　the　castle　were

expected　to　leave　school　at　fourteen　years　of　age。　

During　their　course　they　were　not　allowed　to　study

geography；　because；　in　the　sage　opinion　of　their　elders；

knowledge　of　foreign　lands　might　make　them　dis…

contented　and　inclined　to　wander。　　Neither　was　com…

position　encouragedthat　might　lead　to　the　writing

of　love…notes！　　But　they　were　permitted　to　absorb

all　the　reading　and　arithmetic　their　little　brains

could　hold；　while　the　art　of　sewing　was　not　only

encouraged；　but　proficiency　in　it　was　stimulated　by

the　award　of　prizes。　　My　mother；　being　a　rather　pre…

cocious　young　person；　graduated　at　thirteen　and

carried　off　the　first　prize。　　The　garment　she　made

was　a　linen　chemise　for　the　duchess；　and　the　little

needlewoman　had　embroidered　on　it；　with　her　own

hair；　the　august　lady's　coat　of　arms。　　The　offering

must　have　been　appreciated；　for　my　mother's　story

always　ended　with　the　same　wo