the story of a pioneer-第38节

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She　showed　a　passionate　eagerness　to　make　it　one

of　the　greatest　conventions　ever　held　in　the　history

of　the　movement；　and　we；　who　loved　her　and　saw

that　the　flame　of　her　life　was　burning　low；　also　bent

all　our　energies　to　the　task　of　realizing　her　hopes。　

In　November　preceding　the　convention　she　visited　me

and　her　niece；　Miss　Lucy　Anthony；　in　our　home　in

Mount　Airy；　Philadelphia；　and　it　was　clear　that　her

anxiety　over　the　convention　was　weighing　heavily

upon　her。　　She　visibly　lost　strength　from　day　to

day。　　One　morning　she　said　abruptly；　‘‘Anna；　let's

go　and　call　on　President　M。　Carey　Thomas；　of

Bryn　Mawr。''



I　wrote　a　note　to　Miss　Thomas；　telling　her　of　Miss

Anthony's　desire　to　see　her；　and　received　an　im…

mediate　reply　inviting　us　to　luncheon　the　following

day。　　We　found　Miss　Thomas　deep　in　the　work

connected　with　her　new　college　buildings；　over　which

she　showed　us　with　much　pride。　　Miss　Anthony；　of

course；　gloried　in　the　splendid　results　Miss　Thomas

had　achieved；　but　she　was；　for　her；　strangely　silent

and　preoccupied。　　At　luncheon　she　said：



‘‘Miss　Thomas；　your　buildings　are　beautiful；

your　new　library　is　a　marvel；　but　they　are　not　the

cause　of　our　presence　here。''



‘‘No；''　Miss　Thomas　said；　‘‘I　know　you　have

something　on　your　mind。　　I　am　waiting　for　you　to

tell　me　what　it　is。''



‘‘We　want　your　co…operation；　and　that　of　Miss

Garrett；''　began　Miss　Anthony；　promptly；　‘‘to　make

our　Baltimore　Convention　a　success。　　We　want　you

to　persuade　the　Arundel　Club　of　Baltimore；　the

most　fashionable　club　in　the　city；　to　give　a　recep…

tion　to　the　delegates；　and　we　want　you　to　arrange

a　college　night　on　the　programmea　great　college

night；　with　the　best　college　speakers　ever　brought

together。''



These　were　large　commissions　for　two　extremely

busy　women；　but　both　Miss　Thomas　and　Miss

Garrettrealizing　Miss　Anthony's　intense　earnest…

nesspromised　to　think　over　the　suggestions　and

see　what　they　could　do。　　The　next　morning　we　re…

ceived　a　telegram　from　them　stating　that　Miss

Thomas　would　arrange　the　college　evening；　and　that

Miss　Garrett　would　reopen　her　Baltimore　home；

which　she　had　closed；　during　the　convention。　　She

also　invited　Miss　Anthony　and　me　to　be　her　guests　

there；　and　added　that　she　would　try　to　arrange　the

reception　by　the　Arundel　Club。



‘‘Aunt　Susan''　was　overjoyed。　　I　have　never　seen

her　happier　than　she　was　over　the　receipt　of　that

telegram。　　She　knew　that　whatever　Miss　Thomas

and　Miss　Garrett　undertook　would　be　accomplished；

and　she　rightly　regarded　the　success　of　the　conven…

tion　as　already　assured。　　Her　expectations　were

more　than　realized。　　The　college　evening　was　un…

doubtedly　the　most　brilliant　occasion　of　its　kind

ever　arranged　for　a　convention。　　President　Ira

Remsen　of　Johns　Hopkins　University　presided；　and

addresses　were　made　by　President　Mary　E。　Woolley

of　Mount　Holyoke；　Professor　Lucy　Salmon　of　Vassar；

Professor　Mary　Jordan　of　Smith；　President　Thomas

herself；　and　many　others。



From　beginning　to　end　the　convention　was　prob…

ably　the　most　notable　yet　held　in　our　history。　

Julia　Ward　Howe　and　her　daughter；　Florence　Howe

Hall；　were　also　guests　of　Miss　Garrett；　who；　more…

over；　entertained　all　the　speakers　of　‘‘College　Night。''

Miss　Anthony；　now　eighty…six；　arrived　in　Baltimore

quite　ill；　and　Mrs。　Howe；　who　was　ninety；　was　taken

ill　soon　after　she　reached　there。　　The　two　great

women　made　a　dramatic　exchange　on　the　programme；

for　on　the　first　night；　when　Miss　Anthony　was　un…

able　to　speak；　Mrs。　Howe　took　her　place；　and　on　the

second　night；　when　Mrs。　Howe　had　succumbed；

Miss　Anthony　had　recovered　sufficiently　to　appear

for　her。　　Clara　Barton　was　also　an　honored　figure

at　the　convention；　and　Miss　Anthony's　joy　in　the

presence　of　all　these　old　and　dear　friends　was　over…

flowing。　　With　them；　too；　were　the　younger　women；

ready　to　take　up　and　carry　on　the　work　the　old

leaders　were　laying　down；　and　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''　as

she　surveyed　them　all；　felt　like　a　general　whose

superb　army　is　passing　in　review　before　him。

At　the　close　of　the　college　programme；　when　the

final　address　had　been　made　by　Miss　Thomas；　Miss

Anthony　rose　and　in　a　few　words　expressed　her

feeling　that　her　life…work　was　done；　and　her　con…

sciousness　of　the　near　approach　of　the　end。　　After

that　night　she　was　unable　to　appear；　and　was　indeed

so　ill　that　she　was　confined　to　her　bed　in　Miss　Gar…

rett's　most　hospitable　home。　　Nothing　could　have

been　more　thoughtful　or　more　beautiful　than　the

care　Miss　Garrett　and　Miss　Thomas　bestowed　on　her。　

They　engaged　for　her　one　of　the　best　physicians　in

Baltimore；　who；　in　turn；　consulted　with　the　leading

specialists　of　Johns　Hopkins；　and　they　also　secured

a　trained　nurse。　　This　final　attention　required

special　tact；　for　Miss　Anthony's　fear　of　‘‘giving

trouble''　was　so　great　that　she　was　not　willing　to

have　a　nurse。　　The　nurse；　therefore；　wore　a　house…

maid's　uniform；　and　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　remained　wholly

unconscious　that　she　was　being　cared　for　by　one　of

the　best　nurses　in　the　famous　hospital。



Between　sessions　of　the　convention　I　used　to

sit　by　‘‘Aunt　Susan's''　bed　and　tell　her　what　was

going　on。　　She　was　triumphant　over　the　immense

success　of　the　convention；　but　it　was　clear　that

she　was　still　worrying　over　the　details　of　future

work。　　One　day　at　luncheon　Miss　Thomas　asked

me；　casually：



‘‘By　the　way；　how　do　you　raise　the　money　to

carry　on　your　work？''



When　I　told　her　the　work　was　wholly　dependent

on　voluntary　contributions　and　on　the　services　of

those　who　were　willing　to　give　themselves　gratui…

tously　to　it；　Miss　Thomas　was　greatly　surprised。　

She　and　Miss　Garrett　asked　a　number　of　practical

questions；　and　at　the　end　of　our　talk　they　looked　at

each　other。



‘‘I　don't　think；''　said　Miss　Thomas；　‘‘that　we　have

quite　done　our　duty　in　this　matter。''



The　next　day　they　invited　a　number　of　us　to

dinner；　to　again　discuss　the　situation；　and　they

admitted　that　they　had　sat　up　throughout　the

previous　night；　talking　the　matter　over　and　trying

to　find　some　way　to　help　us。　　They　had　also　dis…

cussed　the　situation　with　Miss　Anthony；　to　her　vast

content；　and　had　finally　decided　that　they　would

try　to　raise　a　fund　of　60；000；　to　be　paid　in　yearly

instalments　of　12；000　for　five　yearspart　of　these

annual　instalments　to　be　used　as　salaries　for　the

active　officers。

The　mere　mention　of　so　large　a　fund　startled　us

all。　　We　feared　that　it　could　not　possibly　be　raised。　

But　Miss　Anthony　plainly　believed　that　now　the

last　great　wish　of　her　life　had　been　granted。　　She

was　convinced　that　Miss　Thomas　and　Miss　Gar…

rett　could　accomplish　anythingeven　the　miracle

of　raising　60；000　for　the　suffrage　causeand　they

did；　though　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　was　not　here　to　glory

over　the　result　when　they　had　achieved　it。



On　the　15th　of　February　we　left　Baltimore　for

Washington；　where　Miss　Anthony　was　to　cele…

brate　her　eighty…sixth　birthday。　　For　many　years

the　National　American　Woman　Suffrage　Associa…

tion　had　celebrated　our　birthdays　together；　as　hers

came　on　the　15th　of　the　month　and　mine　on　the

14th。　　There　had　been　an　especially　festive　banquet

when　she　was　seventy…four　and　I　was　forty…seven；

and　our　friends　had　decorated　the　table　with　floral

‘‘4's''　and　‘‘7's''the　centerpiece　representing　‘‘74''

during　the　first　half　of　the　banquet；　and　‘‘47''　the

latter　half。　　This　time　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　should　not

have　attempted　the　Washington　celebration；　for　she

was　still　ill　and　exhausted　by　the　strain　of　the　con…

vention。　　But　notwithstanding　her　sufferings　and

the　warnings　of　her　physicians；　she　insisted　on　being

present；　so　Miss　Garrett　sent　the　trained　nurse　to

Washington　with　her；　and　we　all　tried　to　make　the　jour…

ney　the　least　possible　strain　on　the　patient's　vitality。



On　our　arrival　in　Washington　we　went　to　the

Shoreham；　where；　as　always；　the　proprietor　took　pains

to　give　Miss　Anthony　a　room　with　a　view　of　the

Washington　monument；　which　she　greatly　admired。　

When　I　entered　her　room　a　little　later　I　found　her

standing　at　a　window；　holding　herself　up　with　hands

braced　against　the　casement　on　either　side；　and　so

absorbed　in　the　view　that　she　did　not　hear　my　ap…

proach。　　When　I　spoke　to　her　she　answered　with…

out　turning　her　head。



‘‘That；''　she　said；　softly；　‘‘is　the　most　beautiful

monument　in　the　world。''



I　stood　by　her　side；　and　together　we　looked　at　it

in　silence　I　realizing　with　a　sick　heart　that　‘‘Aunt

Susan''　knew　she　was　seeing　it　for　the　last　time。



The　birthday　celebration　that　followed　our　exec…

utive　meeting　was　an　impressive　one。　　It　was　held

in　the　Church　of　Our　Father；　whose　pastor；　the　Rev。

John　Van　Schaick；　had　always　been　exceedingly　kind

to　Miss　Anthony。　　Many　prominent　men　spoke。　

President　Roosevelt　and　other　statesmen　sent　most

friendly　letters；　and　William　H。　Taft　had　promised　to

be　p