the story of a pioneer-第29节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



not　expected　to　whistle　now。　　Instead；　it　appeared；

I　was　to　lecture　on　‘‘The　Missing　Link。''



As　usual；　I　had　arrived　in　town　only　an　hour　or

two　before　the　time　fixed　for　my　lecture；　there　was

the　briefest　interval　in　which　to　clear　up　these　pain…

ful　misunderstandings。　　I　repeatedly　tried　to　reach

the　chairman　who　was　to　preside　at　the　entertain…

ment；　but　failed。　　At　last　I　went　to　the　hall　at　the

hour　appointed；　and　found　the　local　committee

there；　graciously　waiting　to　receive　me。　　Without

wasting　precious　minutes　in　preliminaries；　I　asked

why　they　had　advertised　me　as　the　woman　who　had

‘‘whistled　before　Queen　Victoria。''



‘‘Why；　didn't　you　whistle　before　her？''　they　ex…

claimed　in　grieved　surprise。



‘‘I　certainly　did　not；''　I　explained。　　‘‘Moreover；　I

was　never　called　‘The　American　Nightingale；'　and

I　have　never　lectured　on　‘The　Missing　Link。'

Where　DID　you　get　that　subject？　　It　was　not　on　the

list　I　sent　you。''



The　members　of　the　committee　seemed　dazed。　

They　withdrew　to　a　corner　and　consulted　in　whis…

pers。　　Then；　with　clearing　brow；　the　spokesman　re…

turned。



‘‘Why；''　he　said；　cheerfully；　‘‘it's　simple　enough！

We　mixed　you　up　with　a　Shaw　lady　that　whistles；

and　we've　been　discussing　the　missing　link　in　our

debating　society；　so　our　citizens　want　to　hear　your

views。''



‘‘But　I　don't　know　anything　about　the　missing

link；''　I　protested；　‘‘and　I　can't　speak　on　it。''



‘‘Now；　come；''　they　begged。　　‘‘Why；　you'll　have

to！　　We've　sold　all　our　tickets　for　that　lecture。　

The　whole　town　has　turned　out　to　hear　it。''



Then；　as　I　maintained　a　depressed　silence；　one

of　them　had　a　bright　idea。



‘‘I'll　tell　you　how　to　fix　it！''　he　cried。　　‘‘Speak　on

any　subject　you　please；　but　bring　in　something　about

the　missing　link　every　few　minutes。　　That　will　satis…

fy　'em。''



‘‘Very　well；''　I　agreed；　reluctantly。　　‘‘Open　the

meeting　with　a　song。　　Get　the　audience　to　sing

‘America'　or　‘The　Star…spangled　Banner。'　That

will　give　me　a　few　minutes　to　think；　and　I　will　see

what　can　be　done。''



Led　by　a　very　nervous　chairman；　the　big　audience

began　to　sing；　and　under　the　inspiration　of　the　music

the　solution　of　our　problem　flashed　into　my　mind。



‘‘It　is　easy；''　I　told　myself。　　‘‘Woman　is　the　miss…

ing　link　in　our　government。　　I'll　give　them　a　suf…

frage　speech　along　that　line。''



When　the　song　ended　I　began　my　part　of　the　en…

tertainment　with　a　portion　of　my　lecture　on　‘‘The

Fate　of　Republics；''　tracing　their　growth　and　decay；

and　pointing　out　that　what　our　republic　needed　to

give　it　a　stable　government　was　the　missing　link

of　woman　suffrage。　　I　got　along　admirably；　for　every

five　minutes　I　mentioned　‘‘the　missing　link；''　and

the　audience　sat　content　and　apparently　interested；

while　the　members　of　the　committee　burst　into

bloom　on　the　platform。





VIII



DRAMA　IN　THE　LECTURE…FIELD



My　most　dramatic　experience　occurred　in　a

city　in　Michigan；　where　I　was　making　a

temperance　campaign。　　It　was　an　important　lum…

ber　and　shipping　center；　and　it　harbored　much

intemperance。　　The　editor　of　the　leading　news…

paper　was　with　the　temperance…workers　in　our

fight　there；　and　he　had　warned　me　that　the　liquor

people　threatened　to　‘‘burn　the　building　over　my

head''　if　I　attempted　to　lecture。　　We　were　used　to

similar　threats；　so　I　proceeded　with　my　preparations

and　held　the　meeting　in　the　town　skating…rink

a　huge；　bare；　wooden　structure。



Lectures　were　rare　in　that　city；　and　rumors　of

some　special　excitement　on　this　occasion　had　been

circulated；　every　seat　in　the　rink　was　filled；　and

several　hundred　persons　stood　in　the　aisles　and　at

the　back　of　the　building。　　Just　opposite　the　speak…

er's　platform　was　a　small　gallery；　and　above　that；　in

the　ceiling；　was　a　trap…door。　　Before　I　had　been

speaking　ten　minutes　I　saw　a　man　drop　through　this

trap…door　to　the　balcony　and　climb　from　there　to

the　main　floor。　　As　he　reached　the　floor　he　shouted

‘‘Fire！''　and　rushed　out　into　the　street。　　The　next

instant　every　person　in　the　rink　was　up　and　a　panic

had　started。　　I　was　very　sure　there　was　no　fire；

but　I　knew　that　many　might　be　killed　in　the

rush　which　was　beginning。　　So　I　sprang　on　a　chair

and　shouted　to　the　people　with　the　full　strength　of

my　lungs：



‘‘There　is　no　fire！　　It's　only　a　trick！　　Sit　down！　

Sit　down！''



The　cooler　persons　in　the　crowd　at　once　began　to

help　in　this　calming　process。



‘‘Sit　down！''　they　repeated。　　‘‘It's　all　right！　

There's　no　fire！　　Sit　down！''



It　looked　as　if　we　had　the　situation　in　hand；　for

the　people　hesitated；　and　most　of　them　grew　quiet；

but　just　then　a　few　words　were　hissed　up　to　me　that

made　my　heart　stop　beating。　　A　member　of　our　local

committee　was　standing　beside　my　chair；　speaking

in　a　terrified　whisper：



‘‘There　IS　a　fire；　Miss　Shaw；''　he　said。　　‘‘For　God's

sake　get　the　people　outQUICKLY！''



The　shock　was　so　unexpected　that　my　knees　al…

most　gave　way。　　The　people　were　still　standing；

wavering；　looking　uncertainly　toward　us。　　I　raised

my　voice　again；　and　if　it　sounded　unnatural　my

hearers　probably　thought　it　was　because　I　was　speak…

ing　so　loudly。



‘‘As　we　are　already　standing；''　I　cried；　‘‘and　are

all　nervous；　a　little　exercise　will　do　us　good。　　So

march　out；　singing。　　Keep　time　to　the　music！　

Later　you　can　come　back　and　take　your　seats！''



The　man　who　had　whispered　the　warning　jumped

into　the　aisle　and　struck　up　‘‘Jesus；　Lover　of　My

Soul。''　　Then　he　led　the　march　down　to　the　door；

while　the　big　audience　swung　into　line　and　followed

him；　joining　in　the　song。　　I　remained　on　the　chair；

beating　time　and　talking　to　the　people　as　they　went；

but　when　the　last　of　them　had　left　the　building　I

almost　collapsed；　for　the　flames　had　begun　to　eat

through　the　wooden　walls　and　the　clang　of　the　fire…

engines　was　heard　outside。



As　soon　as　I　was　sure　every　one　was　safe；　however；

I　experienced　the　most　intense　anger　I　had　yet　known。　

My　indignation　against　the　men　who　had　risked

hundreds　of　lives　by　setting　fire　to　a　crowded　building

made　me　‘‘see　red''；　it　was　clear　that　they　must　be

taught　a　lesson　then　and　there。　　As　soon　as　I　was

outside　the　rink　I　called　a　meeting；　and　the　Congre…

gational　minister；　who　was　in　the　crowd；　lent　us　his

church　and　led　the　way　to　it。　　Most　of　the　audience

followed　us；　and　we　had　a　wonderful　meeting；　dur…

ing　which　we　were　able　at　last　to　make　clear　to

the　people　of　that　town　the　character　of　the　liquor

interests　we　were　fighting。　　That　episode　did　the

temperance　cause　more　good　than　a　hundred　ordinary

meetings。　　Men　who　had　been　indifferent　before

became　our　friends　and　supporters；　and　at　the　fol…

lowing　election　we　carried　the　town　for　prohibition

by　a　big　majority。



There　have　been　other　occasions　when　our　op…

ponents　have　not　fought　us　fairly。　　Once；　in　an

Ohio　town；　a　group　of　politicians；　hearing　that　I　was

to　lecture　on　temperance　in　the　court…house　on　a

certain　night；　took　possession　of　the　building　early

in　the　evening；　on　the　pretense　of　holding　a　meeting；

and　held　it　against　us。　　When；　escorted　by　a　com…

mittee　of　leading　women；　I　reached　the　building　and

tried　to　enter；　we　found　that　the　men　had　locked

us　out。　　Our　audience　was　gathering　and　filling　the

street；　and　we　finally　sent　a　courteous　message　to　the

men；　assuming　that　they　had　forgotten　us　and　re…

minding　them　of　our　position。　　The　messenger　re…

ported　that　the　men　would　leave　‘‘about　eight；''

but　that　the　room　was　‘‘black　with　smoke　and　filthy

with　tobacco…juice。　　‘‘We　waited　patiently　until　eight

o'clock；　holding　little　outside　meetings　in　groups；

as　our　audience　waited　with　us。　　At　eight　we　again

sent　our　messenger　into　the　hall；　and　he　brought

back　word　that　the　men　were　‘‘not　through；　didn't

know　when　they　would　be　through；　and　had　told

the　women　not　to　wait。''



Naturally；　the　waiting　townswomen　were　deeply

chagrined　by　this。　　So　were　many　men　in　the　out…

side　crowd。　　We　asked　if　there　was　no　other　en…

trance　to　the　hall　except　through　the　locked　front

doors；　and　were　told　that　the　judge's　private　room

opened　into　it；　and　that　one　of　our　committee　had

the　key；　as　she　had　planned　to　use　this　room　as　a

dressing　and　retiring　room　for　the　speakers。　　After

some　discussion　we　decided　to　storm　the　hall

and　take　possession。　　Within　five　minutes　all　the

women　had　formed　in　line　and　were　crowding　up

the　back　stairs　and　into　the　judge's　room。　　There

we　unlocked　the　door；　again　formed　in　line；　and

marched　into　the　hall；　singing　‘‘Onward；　Christian

Soldiers！''



There　were　hundreds　of　us；　and　we　marched　di…

rectly　to　the　platform；　where　the　astonished　men

got　up　to　stare　at　us。　　More　and　more　women

entered；　coming　up　the　back　stairs　from　the　street

and　filling　the　hall；　and　when　the　men　realized

what　it　all　meant；　and　recognized　their　wives；　sis