the story of a pioneer-第32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！



two　traveling　experiences　which　nearly　cost　me　my

life。　　One　of　them　occurred　in　Ohio　at　the　time　of

a　spring　freshet。　　I　know　of　no　state　that　can　cover

itself　with　water　as　completely　as　Ohio　can；　and　for

no　apparent　reason。　　On　this　occasion　it　was　break…

ing　its　own　record。　　We　had　driven　twenty　miles

across　country　in　a　buggy　which　was　barely　out　of　the

water；　and　behind　horses　that　at　times　were　almost

forced　to　swim；　and　when　we　got　near　the　town

where　I　was　to　lecture；　though　still　on　the　opposite

side　of　the　river　from　it；　we　discovered　that　the

bridge　was　gone。　　We　had　a　good　view　of　the　town；

situated　high　and　dry　on　a　steep　bank；　but　the　river

which　rolled　between　us　and　that　town　was　a　roaring；

boiling　stream；　and　the　only　possible　way　to　cross

it；　I　found；　was　to　walk　over　a　railroad　trestle；　already

trembling　under　the　force　of　the　water。



There　were　hundreds　of　men　on　the　river…bank

watching　the　flood；　and　when　they　saw　me　start

out　on　the　empty　trestle　they　set　up　a　cheer　that

nearly　threw　me　off。　　The　river　was　wide　and　the

ties　far　apart；　and　the　roar　of　the　stream　below　was

far　from　reassuring；　but　in　some　way　I　reached　the

other　side；　and　was　there　helped　off　the　trestle　by

what　the　newspapers　called　‘‘strong　and　willing

hands。''



Another　time；　in　a　desperate　resolve　to　meet　a

lecture　engagement；　I　walked　across　the　railroad

trestle　at　Elmira；　New　York；　and　when　I　was　half…

way　over　I　heard　shouts　of　warning　to　turn　back；　as

a　train　was　coming。　　The　trestle　was　very　high　at

that　point；　and　I　realized　that　if　I　turned　and　faced

an　oncoming　train　I　would　undoubtedly　lose　my

nerve　and　fall。　　So　I　kept　on；　as　rapidly　as　I　could；

accompanied　by　the　shrieks　of　those　who　objected

to　witnessing　a　violent　death；　and　I　reached　the　end

of　the　trestle　just　as　an　express…train　thundered　on

the　beginning　of　it。　　The　next　instant　a　policeman

had　me　by　the　shoulders　and　was　shaking　me　as　if

I　had　been　a　bad　child。



‘‘If　you　ever　do　such　a　thing　again；''　he　thundered；

‘‘I'll　lock　you　up！''



As　soon　as　I　could　speak　I　assured　him　fervently

that　I　never　would；　one　such　experience　was　all　I

desired。



Occasionally　a　flash　of　humor；　conscious　or　un…

conscious；　lit　up　the　gloom　of　a　trying　situation。　

Thus；　in　Parkersburg；　West　Virginia；　the　train　I

was　on　ran　into　a　coal…car。　　I　was　sitting　in　a　sleep…

er；　leaning　back　comfortably　with　my　feet　on　the

seat　in　front　of　me；　and　the　force　of　the　collision　lifted

me　up；　turned　me　completely　over；　and　deposited

me；　head　first；　two　seats　beyond。　　On　every　side　I

heard　cries　and　the　crash　of　human　bodies　against

unyielding　substances　as　my　fellow…passengers　flew

through　the　air；　while　high　and　clear　above　the

tumult　rang　the　voice　of　the　conductor：



‘‘Keep　your　seats！''　he　yelled。　　‘‘KEEP　YOUR　SEATS！''



Nobody　in　our　car　was　seriously　hurt；　but；　so

great　is　the　power　of　vested　authority；　no　one　smiled

over　that　order　but　me。



Many　times　my　medical　experience　was　useful。　

Once　I　was　on　a　train　which　ran　into　a　buggy　and

killed　the　woman　in　it。　　Her　little　daughter；　who

was　with　her；　was　badly　hurt；　and　when　the　train

had　stopped　the　crew　lifted　the　dead　woman　and

the　injured　child　on　board；　to　take　them　to　the　next

station。　　As　I　was　the　only　doctor　among　the　pas…

sengers；　the　child　was　turned　over　to　me。　　I　made　up

a　bed　on　the　seats　and　put　the　little　patient　there；

but　no　woman　in　the　car　was　able　to　assist　me。　　The

tragedy　had　made　them　hysterical；　and　on　every

side　they　were　weeping　and　nerveless。　　The　men　were

willing　but　inefficient；　with　the　exception　of　one　un…

couth　woodsman　whose　trousers　were　tucked　into

his　boots　and　whose　hands　were　phenomenally　big

and　awkward。　　But　they　were　also　very　gentle；　as

I　realized　when　he　began　to　help　me。　　I　knew　at

once　that　he　was　the　man　I　needed；　notwithstanding

his　unkempt　hair；　his　general　ungainliness；　the

hat　he　wore　on　the　back　of　his　head；　and　the　pink

carnation　in　his　buttonhole；　which；　by　its　very　in…

congruity；　added　the　final　accent　to　his　unprepossess…

ing　appearance。　　Together　we　worked　over　the　child；

making　it　as　comfortable　as　we　could。　　It　was　hard…

ly　necessary　to　tell　my　aide　what　I　wanted　done；

he　seemed　to　know　and　even　to　anticipate　my　efforts。



When　we　reached　the　next　station　the　dead　woman

was　taken　out　and　laid　on　the　platform；　and　a　nurse

and　doctor　who　had　been　telegraphed　for　were　wait…

ing　to　care　for　the　little　girl。　　She　was　conscious　by

this　time；　and　with　the　most　exquisite　gentleness　my

rustic　Bayard　lifted　her　in　his　arms　to　carry　her　off

the　train。　　Quite　unnecessarily　I　motioned　to　him

not　to　let　her　see　her　dead　mother。　　He　was　not　the

sort　who　needed　that　warning；　he　had　already　turned

her　face　to　his　shoulder；　and；　with　head　bent　low

above　her；　was　safely　skirting　the　spot　where　the

long；　covered　figure　lay。



Evidently　the　station　was　his　destination；　too；

for　he　remained　there；　but　just　as　the　train　pulled

out　he　came　hurrying　to　my　window；　took　the　car…

nation　from　his　buttonhole；　and　without　a　word

handed　it　to　me。　　And　after　the　tragic　hour　in

which　I　had　learned　to　know　him　the　crushed　flower；

from　that　man；　seemed　the　best　fee　I　had　ever

received。







IX



‘‘AUNT　SUSAN''



In　The　Life　of　Susan　B。　Anthony　it　is　mentioned

that　1888　was　a　year　of　special　recognition　of　our

great　leader's　work；　but　that　it　was　also　the　year

in　which　many　of　her　closest　friends　and　strongest

supporters　were　taken　from　her　by　death。　　A。　Bron…

son　Alcott　was　among　these；　and　Louisa　M。　Alcott；

as　well　as　Dr。　Lozier；　and　special　stress　is　laid　on

Miss　Anthony's　sense　of　loss　in　the　diminishing　circle

of　her　friendsa　loss　which　new　friends　and　workers

came　forward；　eager　to　supply。



‘‘Chief　among　these；''　adds　the　record；　‘‘was　Anna

Shaw；　who；　from　the　time　of　the　International　Coun…

cil　in　'88；　gave　her　truest　allegiance　to　Miss　An…

thony。''



It　is　true　that　from　that　year　until　Miss　Anthony's

death　in　1906　we　two　were　rarely　separated；　and

I　never　read　the　paragraph　I　have　just　quoted　with…

out　seeing；　as　in　a　vision；　the　figure　of　‘‘Aunt　Susan''

as　she　slipped　into　my　hotel　room　in　Chicago　late

one　night　after　an　evening　meeting　of　the　Inter…

national　Council。　　I　had　gone　to　bedindeed；　I　was

almost　asleep　when　she　came；　for　the　day　had　been

as　exhausting　as　it　was　interesting。　　But　notwith…

standing　the　lateness　of　the　hour；　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''

then　nearing　seventy；　was　still　as　fresh　and　as　full

of　enthusiasm　as　a　young　girl。　　She　had　a　great　deal

to　say；　she　declared；　and　she　proceeded　to　say　it

sitting　in　a　big　easy…chair　near　the　bed；　with　a　rug

around　her　knees；　while　I　propped　myself　up　with

pillows　and　listened。



Hours　passed　and　the　dawn　peered　wanly　through

the　windows；　but　still　Miss　Anthony　talked　of　the

Cause　always　of　the　Causeand　of　what　we　two

must　do　for　it。　　The　previous　evening　she　had　been

too　busy　to　eat　any　dinner；　and　I　greatly　doubt

whether　she　had　eaten　any　luncheon　at　noon。　　She

had　been　on　her　feet　for　hours　at　a　time；　and　she

had　held　numerous　discussions　with　other　women

she　wished　to　inspire　to　special　effort。　　Yet；　after

it　all；　here　she　was　laying　out　our　campaigns　for　years

ahead；　foreseeing　everything；　forgetting　nothing；　and

sweeping　me　with　her　in　her　flight　toward　our　com…

mon　goal；　until　I；　who　am　not　easily　carried　off　my

feet；　experienced　an　almost　dizzy　sense　of　exhilara…

tion。



Suddenly　she　stopped；　looked　at　the　gas…jets　paling

in　the　morning　light　that　filled　the　room；　and　for　a

fleeting　instant　seemed　surprised。　　In　the　next　she

had　dismissed　from　her　mind　the　realization　that　we

had　talked　all　night。　　Why　should　we　not　talk　all

night？　　It　was　part　of　our　work。　　She　threw　off

the　enveloping　rug　and　rose。



‘‘I　must　dress　now；''　she　said；　briskly。　　‘‘I've

called　a　committee　meeting　before　the　morning

session。''



On　her　way　to　the　door　nature　smote　her　with　a

rare　reminder；　but　even　then　she　did　not　realize　that

it　was　personal。　　‘‘Perhaps；''　she　remarked；　tenta…

tively；　‘‘you　ought　to　have　a　cup　of　coffee。''



That　was　‘‘Aunt　Susan。''　　And　in　the　eighteen

years　which　followed　I　had　daily　illustrations　of　her

superiority　to　purely　human　weaknesses。　　To　her

the　hardships　we　underwent　later；　in　our　Western

campaigns　for　woman　suffrage；　were　as　the　airiest

trifles。　　Like　a　true　soldier；　she　could　snatch　a　mo…

ment　of　sleep　or　a　mouthful　of　food　where　she　found

it；　and　if　either　was　not　forthcoming　she　did　not

miss　it。　　To　me　she　was　an　unceasing　inspira…

tionthe　torch　that　illumined　my　life。　　We　went

through　some　difficult　years　togetheryears　when

we　fought　hard　for　each　inch　of　headway　we　gained

but　I　found　full　compensation　for　every　effort　in

the　glory　of　working　with　her　for　the　Cause　that　was

f