the story of a pioneer-第35节

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An　hour　passed；　and　another；　and　still　the　train　did

not　come。　　Miss　Anthony；　her　back　braced　against

the　wall；　buried　her　face　in　her　hands　and　dropped

into　a　peaceful　abyss　of　slumber；　while　I　walked

restlessly　up　and　down　the　platform。　　The　train

arrived　four　hours　late；　and　when　eventually　we　had

reached　our　destination　we　learned　that　the　min…

isters　of　the　town　had　persuaded　the　women　to　give

up　the　suffrage　meeting　scheduled　for　that　night；　as

it　was　Sunday。



This　disappointment；　following　our　all…day　and

all…night　drive　to　keep　our　appointment；　aroused

Miss　Anthony's　fighting　spirit。　　She　sent　me　out　to

rent　the　theater　for　the　evening；　and　to　have　some

hand…bills　printed　and　distributed；　announcing　that

we　would　speak。　　At　three　o'clock　she　made　the

concession　to　her　seventy　years　of　lying　down　for

an　hour's　rest。　　I　was　young　and　vigorous；　so　I

trotted　around　town　to　get　somebody　to　preside；

somebody　to　introduce　us；　somebody　to　take　up

the　collection；　and　somebody　who　would　provide

musicin　short；　to　make　all　our　preparations　for

the　night　meeting。



When　evening　came　the　crowd　which　had　assem…

bled　was　so　great　that　men　and　women　sat　in　the

windows　and　on　the　stage；　and　stood　in　the　flies。

Night　attractions　were　rare　in　that　Dakota　town；

and　here　was　something　new。　　Nobody　went　to

church；　so　the　churches　were　forced　to　close。　　We

had　a　glorious　meeting。　　Both　Miss　Anthony　and　I

were　in　excellent　fighting　trim；　and　Miss　Anthony

remarked　that　the　only　thing　lacking　to　make　me

do　my　best　was　a　sick　headache。　　The　collection　we

took　up　paid　all　our　expenses；　the　church　singers

sang　for　us；　the　great　audience　was　interested；　and

the　whole　occasion　was　an　inspiring　success。



The　meeting　ended　about　half　after　ten　o'clock；

and　I　remember　taking　Miss　Anthony　to　our　hotel

and　escorting　her　to　her　room。　　I　also　remember

that　she　followed　me　to　the　door　and　made　some

laughing　remark　as　I　left　for　my　own　room；　but　I

recall　nothing　more　until　the　next　morning　when

she　stood　beside　me　telling　me　it　was　time　for　break…

fast。　　She　had　found　me　lying　on　the　cover　of　my

bed；　fully　clothed　even　to　my　bonnet　and　shoes。　

I　had　fallen　there；　utterly　exhausted；　when　I　entered

my　room　the　night　before；　and　I　do　not　think　I　had

even　moved　from　that　time　until　the　moment

nine　hours　laterwhen　I　heard　her　voice　and　felt

her　hand　on　my　shoulder。



After　all　our　work；　we　did　not　win　Dakota　that

year；　but　Miss　Anthony　bore　the　disappointment

with　the　serenity　she　always　showed。　　To　her　a

failure　was　merely　another　opportunity；　and　I　men…

tion　our　experience　here　only　to　show　of　what　she

was　capable　in　her　gallant　seventies。　　But　I　should

misrepresent　her　if　I　did　not　show　her　human　and

sentimental　side　as　well。　　With　all　her　detachment

from　human　needs　she　had　emotional　moments；　and

of　these　the　most　satisfying　came　when　she　was

listening　to　music。　　She　knew　nothing　whatever

about　music；　but　was　deeply　moved　by　it；　and　I　re…

member　vividly　one　occasion　when　Nordica　sang

for　her；　at　an　afternoon　reception　given　by　a　Chicago

friend　in　‘‘Aunt　Susan's''　honor。　　As　it　happened；

she　had　never　heard　Nordica　sing　until　that　day；

and　before　the　music　began　the　great　artiste　and　the

great　leader　met；　and　in　the　moment　of　meeting

became　friends。　　When　Nordica　sang；　half　an　hour

later；　she　sang　directly　to　Miss　Anthony；　looking

into　her　eyes；　and　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　listened　with　her

own　eyes　full　of　tears。　　When　the　last　notes　had　been

sung　she　went　to　the　singer　and　put　both　arms

around　her。　　The　music　had　carried　her　back　to　her

girlhood　and　to　the　sentiment　of　sixteen。



‘‘Oh；　Nordica；''　she　sighed；　‘‘I　could　die　listening

to　such　singing！''



Another　example　of　her　unquenchable　youth　has

also　a　Chicago　setting。　　During　the　World's　Fair　a

certain　clergyman　made　an　especially　violent　stand

in　favor　of　closing　the　Fair　grounds　on　Sunday。　

Miss　Anthony　took　issue　with　him。



‘‘If　I　had　charge　of　a　young　man　in　Chicago　at　this

time；''　she　told　the　clergyman；　‘‘I　would　much

rather　have　him　locked　inside　the　Fair　grounds　on

Sunday　or　any　other　day　than　have　him　going

about　on　the　outside。''



The　clergyman　was　horrified。　　‘‘Would　you　like

to　have　a　son　of　yours　go　to　Buffalo　Bill's　Wild　West

Show　on　Sunday？''　he　demanded。



‘‘Of　course　I　would；''　admitted　Miss　Anthony。　

‘‘In　fact；　I　think　he　would　learn　more　there　than

from　the　sermons　preached　in　some　churches。''



Later　this　remark　was　repeated　to　Colonel　Cody

（‘‘Buffalo　Bill''）；　who；　of　course；　was　delighted　with

it。　　He　at　once　wrote　to　Miss　Anthony；　thanking

her　for　the　breadth　of　her　views；　and　offering　her　a

box　for　his　‘‘Show。''　　She　had　no　strong　desire

to　see　the　performance；　but　some　of　us　urged　her　to

accept　the　invitation　and　to　take　us　with　her。　　She

was　always　ready　to　do　anything　that　would　give

us　pleasure；　so　she　promised　that　we　should　go　the

next　afternoon。　　Others　heard　of　the　jaunt　and

begged　to　go　also；　and　Miss　Anthony　blithely　took

every　applicant　under　her　wing；　with　the　result　that

when　we　arrived　at　the　box…office　the　next　day

there　were　twelve　of　us　in　the　group。　　When　she

presented　her　note　and　asked　for　a　box；　the　local

manager　looked　doubtfully　at　the　delegation。



‘‘A　box　only　holds　six；''　he　objected；　logically。

Miss　Anthony；　who　had　given　no　thought　to　that

slight　detail；　looked　us　over　and　smiled　her　seraphic

smile。



‘‘Why；　in　that　case；''　she　said；　cheerfully；　‘‘you'll

have　to　give　us　two　boxes；　won't　you？''



The　amused　manager　decided　that　he　would；　and

handed　her　the　tickets；　and　she　led　her　band　to

their　places　in　triumph。　　When　the　performance　be…

gan　Colonel　Cody；　as　was　his　custom；　entered　the

arena　from　the　far　end　of　the　building；　riding　his

wonderful　horse　and　bathed；　of　course；　in　the　efful…

gence　of　his　faithful　spot…light。　　He　rode　directly

to　our　boxes；　reined　his　horse　in　front　of　Miss　An…

thony；　rose　in　his　stirrups；　and　with　his　characteris…

tic　gesture　swept　his　slouch…hat　to　his　saddle…bow　in

salutation。　　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　immediately　rose；　bowed

in　her　turn　and；　for　the　moment　as　enthusiastic　as　a

girl；　waved　her　handkerchief　at　him；　while　the　big

audience；　catching　the　spirit　of　the　scene；　wildly

applauded。　　It　was　a　striking　picture　this　meeting

of　the　pioneer　man　and　woman；　and；　poor　as　I　am；

I　would　give　a　hundred　dollars　for　a　snapshot　of　it。



On　many　occasions　I　saw　instances　of　Miss　An…

thony's　prescienceand　one　of　these　was　connected

with　the　death　of　Frances　E。　Willard。　　‘‘Aunt

Susan''　had　called　on　Miss　Willard；　and；　coming　to

me　from　the　sick…room；　had　walked　the　floor；　beating

her　hands　together　as　she　talked　of　the　visit。



‘‘Frances　Willard　is　dying；''　she　exclaimed；　pas…

sionately。　　‘‘She　is　dying；　and　she　doesn't　know　it；

and　no　one　around　her　realizes　it。　　She　is　lying　there；

seeing　into　two　worlds；　and　making　more　plans　than

a　thousand　women　could　carry　out　in　ten　years。　

Her　brain　is　wonderful。　　She　has　the　most　extraor…

dinary　clearness　of　vision。　　There　should　be　a　stenog…

rapher　in　that　room；　and　every　word　she　utters

should　be　taken　down；　for　every　word　is　golden。　

But　they　don't　understand。　　They　can't　realize　that

she　is　going。　　I　told　Anna　Gordon　the　truth；　but　she

won't　believe　it。''



Miss　Willard　died　a　few　days　later；　with　a　sudden…

ness　which　seemed　to　be　a　terrible　shock　to　those

around　her。



Of　‘‘Aunt　Susan's''　really　remarkable　lack　of　self…

consciousness　we　who　worked　close　to　her　had　a

thousand　extraordinary　examples。　　Once；　I　remem…

ber；　at　the　New　Orleans　Convention；　she　reached

the　hall　a　little　late；　and　as　she　entered　the　great

audience　already　assembled　gave　her　a　tremendous

reception。　　The　exercises　of　the　day　had　not　yet

begun；　and　Miss　Anthony　stopped　short　and　looked

around　for　an　explanation　of　the　outburst。　　It　never

for　a　moment　occurred　to　her　that　the　tribute　was

to　her。



‘‘What　has　happened；　Anna？''　she　asked　at　last。



‘‘You　happened；　Aunt　Susan；''　I　had　to　explain。



Again；　on　the　great　‘‘College　Night''　of　the　Balti…

more　Convention；　when　President　M。　Carey　Thomas

of　Bryn　Mawr　College　had　finished　her　wonderful

tribute　to　Miss　Anthony；　the　audience；　carried　away

by　the　speech　and　also　by　the　presence　of　the　vener…

able　leader　on　the　platform；　broke　into　a　whirlwind

of　applause。　　In　this　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　artlessly　joined；

clapping　her　hands　as　hard　as　she　could。　　‘‘This　is

all　for　you；　Aunt　Susan；''　I　whispered；　‘‘so　it　isn't

your　time　to　applaud。''



‘‘Aunt　Susan''　continued　to　clap。　　‘‘Nonsense；''

she　said；　briskly。　　‘‘It's　not　for　me。　　It's　for　the

Causethe　Cause！''



Miss　Anthony　told　me　in　1904　that　she　regarded

her　reception　in　Berlin；　during　the　meeting　of　the

International　Council　of　Women　that　year；　as　the

climax　of　her　career。