the story of a pioneer-第44节

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quarter　of　an　hour　when　they　met　a　little　later　in

the　privacy　of　their　home。



Among　other　duties　that　fell　to　my　lot　at　this

period　were　numerous　suffrage　debates　with　promi…

nent　opponents　of　the　Cause。　　I　have　already　re…

ferred　to　the　debate　in　Kansas　with　Senator　Ingalls。　

Equaling　this　in　importance　was　a　bout　with　Dr。

Buckley；　the　distinguished　Methodist　debater；　which

had　been　arranged　for　us　at　Chautauqua　by　Bishop

Vincent　of　the　Methodist　Church。　　The　bishop　was

not　a　believer　in　suffrage；　nor　was　he　one　of　my

admirers。　　I　had　once　aroused　his　ire　by　replying

to　a　sermon　he　had　delivered　on　‘‘God's　Women；''

and　by　proving；　to　my　own　satisfaction　at　least；

that　the　women　he　thought　were　God's　women　had

done　very　little；　whereas　the　work　of　the　world　had

been　done　by　those　he　believed　were　not　‘‘God's

Women。''　　There　was　considerable　interest；　there…

fore；　in　the　Buckley…Shaw　debate　he　had　arranged；

we　all　knew　he　expected　Dr。　Buckley　to　wipe　out

that　old　score；　and　I　was　determined　to　make　it　as

difficult　as　possible　for　the　distinguished　gentleman

to　do　so。　　We　held　the　debate　on　two　succeeding

days；　I　speaking　one　afternoon　and　Dr。　Buckley

replying　the　following　day。　　On　the　evening　before

I　spoke；　however；　Dr。　Buckley　made　an　indiscreet

remark；　which；　blown　about　Chautauqua　on　the

light　breeze　of　gossip；　was　generally　regarded　as　both

unchivalrous　and　unfair。



As　the　hall　in　which　we　were　to　speak　was　enor…

mous；　he　declared　that　one　of　two　things　would　cer…

tainly　happen。　　Either　I　would　scream　in　order　to

be　heard　by　my　great　audience；　or　I　would　be　un…

able　to　make　myself　heard　at　all。　　If　I　screamed　it

would　be　a　powerful　argument　against　women　as

public　speakers；　if　I　could　not　be　heard；　it　would　be

an　even　better　argument。　　In　either　case；　he　sum…

med　up；　I　was　doomed　to　failure。　　Following　out

this　theory；　he　posted　men　in　the　extreme　rear　of

the　great　hall　on　the　day　of　my　lecture；　to　report　to

him　whether　my　words　reached　them；　while　he　him…

self　graciously　occupied　a　front　seat。　　Bishop　Vin…

cent's　antagonistic　feeling　was　so　strong；　however；

that　though；　as　the　presiding　officer　of　the　occasion；

he　introduced　me　to　the　audience；　he　did　not　wait

to　hear　my　speech；　but　immediately　left　the　hall

and　this　little　slight　added　to　the　public's　interest

in　the　debate。　　It　was　felt　that　the　two　gentlemen

were　not　quite　‘‘playing　fair；''　and　the　champions

of　the　Cause　were　especially　enthusiastic　in　their

efforts　to　make　up　for　these　failures　in　courtesy。　

My　friends　turned　out　in　force　to　hear　the　lecture；

and　on　the　breast　of　every　one　of　them　flamed　the

yellow　bow　that　stood　for　suffrage；　giving　to　the

vast　hall　something　of　the　effect　of　a　field　of　yellow

tulips　in　full　bloom。



When　Dr。　Buckley　rose　to　reply　the　next　day

these　friends　were　again　awaiting　him　with　an　equal…

ly　jocund　display　of　the　suffrage　color；　and　this　did

not　add　to　his　serenity。　　During　his　remarks　he

made　the　serious　mistake　of　losing　his　temper；　and；

unfortunately　for　him；　he　directed　his　wrath　toward

a　very　old　man　who　had　thoughtlessly　applauded　by

pounding　on　the　floor　with　his　cane　when　Dr。

Buckley　quoted　a　point　I　had　made。　　The　doctor

leaned　forward　and　shook　his　fist　at　him。



‘‘Think　she's　right；　do　you？''　he　asked。



‘‘Yes；''　admitted　the　venerable　citizen；　briskly；

though　a　little　startled　by　the　manner　of　the　ques…

tion。



‘‘Old　man；''　shouted　Dr。　Buckley；　‘‘I'll　make　you

take　that　back　if　you've　got　a　grain　of　sense　in　your

head！''



The　insult　cost　him　his　audience。　　When　he

realized　this　he　lost　all　his　self…possession；　and；　as

the　Buffalo　Courier　put　it　the　next　day；　‘‘went　up

and　down　the　platform　raving　like　a　Billingsgate

fishwife。''　　He　lost　the　debate；　and　the　supply　of

yellow　ribbon　left　in　the　surrounding　counties　was

purchased　that　night　to　be　used　in　the　suffrage

celebration　that　followed。　　My　friends　still　refer　to

the　occasion　as　‘‘the　day　we　wiped　up　the　earth

with　Dr。　Buckley''；　but　I　do　not　deserve　the　im…

plied　tribute；　for　Dr。　Buckley　would　have　lost　his

case　without　a　word　from　me。　　What　really　gave

me　some　satisfaction；　however；　was　the　respective

degree　of　freshness　with　which　he　and　I　emerged

from　our　combat。　　After　my　speech　Miss　Anthony

and　I　were　given　a　reception；　and　stood　for　hours

shaking　hands　with　hundreds　of　men　and　women。　

Later　in　the　evening　we　had　a　dinner　and　another

reception；　which；　lasting；　as　they　did；　until　midnight；

kept　us　from　our　repose。　　Dr。　Buckley；　poor　gentle…

man；　had　to　be　taken　to　his　hotel　immediately　after

his　speech；　given　a　hot　bath；　rubbed　down；　and　put

tenderly　to　bed；　and　not　even　the　sympathetic

heart　of　Susan　B。　Anthony　yearned　over　him　when

she　heard　of　his　exhaustion。



It　was　also　at　Chautauqua；　by　the　way；　though　a

number　of　years　earlier；　that　I　had　my　much　mis…

quoted　encounter　with　the　minister　who　deplored

the　fashion　I　followed　in　those　days　of　wearing　my

hair　short。　　This　young　man；　who　was　rather　a

pompous　person；　saw　fit　to　take　me　to　task　at　a

table　where　a　number　of　us　were　dining　together。



‘‘Miss　Shaw；''　he　said；　abruptly；　‘‘I　have　been

asked　very　often　why　you　wear　your　hair　short；

and　I　have　not　been　able　to　explain。　　Of　course''

this　kindly''　I　know　there　is　some　good　reason。　　I

ventured　to　advance　the　theory　that　you　have　been

ill　and　that　your　hair　has　fallen　out。　　Is　that　it？''



‘‘No；''　I　told　him。　　‘‘There　is　a　reason；　as　you

suggest。　　But　it　is　not　that　one。''



‘‘Then　why''　he　insisted。



‘‘I　am　rather　sensitive　about　it；''　I　explained。　

‘‘I　don't　know　that　I　care　to　discuss　the　subject。''



The　young　minister　looked　pained。　　‘‘But　among

friends''　he　protested。



‘‘True；''　I　conceded。　　‘‘Well；　then；　among　friends；

I　will　admit　frankly　that　it　is　a　birthmark。　　I　was

born　with　short　hair。''



That　was　the　last　time　my　short　hair　was　criticized

in　my　presence；　but　the　young　minister　was　right

in　his　disapproval　and　I　was　wrong；　as　I　subsequently

realized。　　A　few　years　later　I　let　my　hair　grow　long；

for　I　had　learned　that　no　woman　in　public　life　can

afford　to　make　herself　conspicuous　by　any　eccen…

tricity　of　dress　or　appearance。　　If　she　does　so　she

suffers　for　it　herself；　which　may　not　disturb　her；　and

to　a　greater　or　less　degree　she　injures　the　cause　she

represents；　which　should　disturb　her　very　much。







XII



BUILDING　A　HOME



It　is　not　generally　known　that　the　meeting　of

the　International　Council　of　Women　held　in

Chicago　during　the　World's　Fair　was　suggested　by

Miss　Anthony；　as　was　also　the　appointment　of　the

Exposition's　‘‘Board　of　Lady　Managers。''　　‘‘Aunt

Susan''　kept　her　name　in　the　background；　that　she

might　not　array　against　these　projects　the　opposi…

tion　of　those　prejudiced　against　woman　suffrage。　

We　both　spoke　at　the　meetings；　however；　as　I　have

already　explained；　and　one　of　our　most　chastening

experiences　occurred　on　‘‘Actress　Night。''　　There

was　a　great　demand　for　tickets　for　this　occasion；　as

every　one　seemed　anxious　to　know　what　kind　of

speeches　our　leading　women　of　the　stage　would　make；

and　the　programme　offered　such　magic　names　as

Helena　Modjeska；　Julia　Marlowe；　Georgia　Cayvan；

Clara　Morris；　and　others　of　equal　appeal。　　The　hall

was　soon　filled；　and　to　keep　out　the　increasing　throng

the　doors　were　locked　and　the　waiting　crowd　was

directed　to　a　second　hall　for　an　overflow　meeting。



As　it　happened；　Miss　Anthony　and　I　were　among

the　earliest　arrivals　at　the　main　hall。　　It　was　the

first　evening　we　had　been　free　to　do　exactly　as　we

pleased；　and　we　were　both　in　high　spirits；　looking

forward　to　the　speeches；　congratulating　each　other

on　the　good　seats　we　had　been　given　on　the　plat…

form；　and　rallying　the　speakers　on　their　stage　fright；

for；　much　to　our　amusement；　we　had　found　them　all

in　mortal　terror　of　their　audience。　　Georgia　Cayvan；

for　example；　was　so　nervous　that　she　had　to　be

strengthened　with　hot　milk　before　she　could　speak；

and　Julia　Marlowe　admitted　freely　that　her　knees

were　giving　way　beneath　her。　　They　really　had

something　of　an　ordeal　before　them；　for　it　was　de…

cided　that　each　actress　must　speak　twice　going

immediately　from　the　hall　to　the　overflow　meeting

and　repeating　there　the　speech　she　had　just　made。　

But　in　the　mean　time　some　one　had　to　hold　the　im…

patient　audience　in　the　second　hall；　and　as　it　was　a

duty　every　one　else　promptly　repudiated；　a　row　of

suddenly　imploring　faces　turned　toward　Miss　An…

thony　and　me。　　I　admit　that　we　responded　to　the

appeal　with　great　reluctance。　　We　were　SO　com…

fortable　where　we　wereand　we　were　also　deeply

interested　in　the　first　intimate　glimpse　we　were

having　of　these　stars　in　the　dramatic　sky。　　We　saw

our　duty；　however；　and　with　deep　sighs　we　rose　and

departed　for　the　second　hall；　where　a　glance　at　the

wai