the story of a pioneer-第55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！



grateful　acknowledgment　of　indebtedness　for　friend…

ship　and　for　help。







XVI



COUNCIL　EPISODES



I　have　said　much　of　the　interest　attending　the

international　meetings　held　in　Chicago；　London；

Berlin；　and　Stockholm。　　That　I　have　said　less　about

those　in　Copenhagen；　Geneva；　The　Hague；　Budapest；

and　other　cities　does　not　mean　that　these　were　less

important；　and　certainly　the　wonderful　women

leaders　of　Europe　who　made　them　so　brilliant　must

not　be　passed　over　in　silence。



First；　however；　the　difference　between　the　Suf…

frage　Alliance　meetings　and　the　International　Coun…

cil　meetings　should　be　explained。　　The　Council

meetings　are　made　up　of　societies　from　the　various

nations　which　are　auxiliary　to　the　International

Councilthese　societies　representing　all　lines　of

women's　activities；　whether　educational；　industrial；

or　social；　while　the　membership；　including　more

than　eleven　million　women；　represents　probably　the

largest　organization　of　women　in　the　world。　　The

International　Suffrage　Alliance　represents　the　suf…

frage　interest　primarily；　whereas　the　International

Council　has　only　a　suffrage　department。　　So　popu…

lar　did　this　International　Alliance　become　after　its

formation　in　Berlin　by　Mrs。　Catt；　in　1904；　that　at

the　Copenhagen　meeting；　only　three　years　later；

more　than　sixteen　different　nations　were　represented

by　regular　delegates。



It　was　unfortunate；　therefore；　that　I　chose　this

occasion　to　make　a　spectacular　personal　failure　in

the　pulpit。　　I　had　been　invited　to　preach　the　con…

vention　sermon；　and　for　the　first　time　in　my　life

I　had　an　interpreter。　　Few　experiences；　I　believe；

can　be　more　unpleasant　than　to　stand　up　in　a　pul…

pit；　utter　a　remark；　and　then　wait　patiently　while　it

is　repeated　in　a　tongue　one　does　not　understand；　by

a　man　who　is　putting　its　gist　in　his　own　words　and

quite　possibly　giving　it　his　own　interpretative　twist。　

I　was　very　unhappy；　and　I　fear　I　showed　it；　for　I

felt；　as　I　looked　at　the　faces　of　those　friends　who

understood　Danish；　that　they　were　not　getting　what

I　was　giving　them。　　Nor　were　they；　for　I　afterward

learned　that　the　interpreter；　a　good　orthodox

brother；　had　given　the　sermon　an　ultra…orthodox

bias　which　those　who　knew　my　creed　certainly　did

not　recognize。　　The　whole　experience　greatly　dis…

heartened　me；　but　no　doubt　it　was　good　for　my

soul。



During　the　Copenhagen　meeting　we　were　given

a　banquet　by　the　City　Council；　and　in　the　course　of

his　speech　of　welcome　one　of　the　city　fathers　airily

remarked　that　he　hoped　on　our　next　visit　to　Copen…

hagen　there　would　be　women　members　in　the　Council

to　receive　us。　　At　the　time　this　seemed　merely　a

pleasant　jest；　but　two　years　from　that　day　a　bill

was　enacted　by　Parliament　granting　municipal　suf…

frage　to　the　women　of　Denmark；　and　seven　women

were　elected　to　the　City　Council　of　Copenhagen。　

So　rapidly　does　the　woman　suffrage　movement　grow

in　these　inspiring　days！



Recalling　the　International　Council　of　1899　in

London；　one　of　my　most　vivid　pictures　has　Queen

Victoria　for　its　central　figure。　　The　English　court

was　in　mourning　at　the　time　and　no　public　audiences

were　being　held；　but　we　were　invited　to　Windsor

with　the　understanding　that；　although　the　Queen

could　not　formally　receive　us；　she　would　pass

through　our　lines；　receiving　Lady　Aberdeen　and

giving　the　rest　of　us　an　opportunity　to　courtesy

and　obtain　Her　Majesty's　recognition　of　the　Cause。　

The　Queen　arranged　with　her　chamberlain　that　we

should　be　given　tea　and　a　collation；　but　before　this

refreshment　was　served；　indeed　immediately　after

our　arrival；　she　entered　her　familiar　little　pony…cart

and　was　driven　slowly　along　lines　of　bowing　women

who　must　have　looked　like　a　wheat…field　in　a　high

wind。



Among　us　was　a　group　of　Indian　women；　and

these；　dressed　in　their　native　costumes；　contributed

a　picturesque　bit　of　brilliant　color　to　the　scene　as

they　deeply　salaamed。　　They　arrested　the　eye　of

the　Queen；　who　stopped　and　spoke　a　few　cordial

words　to　them。　　This　gave　the　rest　of　us　an　excellent

opportunity　to　observe　her　closely；　and　I　admit　that

my　English　blood　stirred　in　me　suddenly　and　loyally

as　I　studied　the　plump　little　figure。　　She　was　dressed

entirely　and　very　simply　in　black；　with　a　quaint

flat　black　hat　and　a　black　cape。　　The　only　bit

of　color　about　her　was　a　black…and…white　parasol

with　a　gold　handle。　　It　was；　however；　her　face　which

held　me；　for　it　gave　me　a　wholly　different　impression

of　the　Queen　from　those　I　had　received　from　her

photographs。　　Her　pictured　eyes　were　always　rather

cold；　and　her　pictured　face　rather　haughty；　but　there

was　a　very　sweet　and　winning　softness　in　the　eyes

she　turned　upon　the　Indian　women；　and　her　whole

expression　was　unexpectedly　gentle　and　benignant。　

Behind　her；　as　a　personal　attendant；　strode　an

enormous　East…Indian　in　full　native　costume；　and

closely　surrounding　her　were　gentlemen　of　her　house…

hold；　each　in　uniform。



By　this　time　my　thoughts　were　on　my　courtesy；

which　I　desired　to　make　conventional　if　not　grace…

ful；　but　nature　has　not　made　it　easy　for　me　to

double　to　the　earth　as　Lady　Aberdeen　and　the　In…

dian　women　were　doing；　and　I　fear　I　accomplished

little　save　an　exhibition　of　good　intentions。　　The

Queen；　however；　was　getting　into　the　spirit　of　the

occasion。　　She　stopped　to　speak　to　a　Canadian

representative；　and　she　would；　I　think；　have　ended

by　talking　to　many　others；　but；　just　at　the　psycho…

logical　moment；　a　woman　rushed　out　of　the　line；

seized　Her　Majesty's　hand　and　kissed　itand　Vic…

toria；　startled　and　possibly　fearing　a　general　on…

slaught；　hurriedly　passed　on。



Another　picture　I　recall　was　made　by　the　Duchess

of　Sutherland；　the　Countess　of　Aberdeen；　and　the

Countess　of　Warwick　standing　together　to　receive

us　at　the　foot　of　the　marble　stairway　in　Sutherland

House。　　All　of　them　literally　blazed　with　jewels；　and

the　Countess　of　Aberdeen　wore　the　famous　Aber…

deen　emerald。　　At　Lady　Battersea's　reception　I　had

my　first　memorial　meeting　with　Mary　Anderson

Navarro；　and　was　able　to　thank　her　for　the　pleasure

she　had　given　me　in　Boston　so　long　ago。　　Then　I

reproached　her　mildly　for　taking　herself　away　from

us；　pointing　out　that　a　great　gift　had　been　given

her　which　she　should　have　continued　to　share　with

the　world。



‘‘Come　and　see　my　baby；''　laughed　Madame

Navarro。　　‘‘That's　the　best　argument　I　can　offer

to　refute　yours。''



At　the　same　reception　I　had　an　interesting　talk

with　James　Bryce。　　He　had　recently　written　his

American　Commonwealth；　and　I　had　just　read　it。　

It　was；　therefore；　the　first　subject　I　introduced　in

our　conversation。　　Mr。　Bryce's　comment　amused

me。　　He　told　me　he　had　quite　changed　his　opinion

toward　the　suffrage　aspirations　of　women；　because

so　many　women　had　read　his　book　that　he　really

believed　they　were　intelligent；　and　he　had　come　to

feel　much　more　kindly　toward　them。　　These　were

not　his　exact　words；　but　his　meaning　was　unmistak…

able　and　his　mental　attitude　artlessly　sincere。　　And；

on　reflection；　I　agree　with　him　that　the　American

Commonwealth　is　something　of　an　intellectual　hurdle

for　the　average　human　mind。



In　1908　the　International　Council　was　held　in

Geneva；　and　here；　for　the　first　time；　we　were　shown；

as　entertainment；　the　dances　of　a　countrythe

scene　being　an　especially　brilliant　one；　as　all　the

dancers　wore　their　native　costumes。　　Also；　for　the

first　time　in　the　history　of　Geneva；　the　buildings　of

Parliament　were　opened　to　women　and　a　woman's

organization　was　given　the　key　to　the　city。　　At


that　time　the　Swiss　women　were　making　their　fight

for　a　vote　in　church　matters；　and　we　helped　their

cause　as　much　as　we　could。　　To…day　many　Swiss

women　are　permitted　to　exercise　this　rightthe

first　political　privilege　free　Switzerland　has　given

them。



The　International　Alliance　meeting　in　Amster…

dam　in　1909　was　the　largest　held　up　to　that　time；

and　much　of　its　success　was　due　to　Dr。　Aletta　Jacobs；

the　president　of　the　National　Suffrage　Association

of　Holland。　　Dr。　Jacobs　had　some　wonderful　helpers

among　the　women　of　her　country；　and　she　herself

was　an　ideal　leaderpatient；　enthusiastic；　and　tire…

less。　　That　year　the　governments　of　Australia；　Nor…

way；　and　Finland　paid　the　expenses　of　the　delegates

from　those　countriesa　heartening　innovation。　　One

of　the　interesting　features　of　the　meeting　was　a

cantata　composed　for　the　occasion　and　given　by

the　Queen's　Royal　Band；　under　the　direction　of　a

womanCatharine　van　Rennes；　one　of　the　most

distinguished　composers　and　teachers　in　Holland。　

She　wrote　both　words　and　music　of　her　cantata　and

directed　it　admirably；　and　the　musicians　of　the

Queen's　Band　entered　fully　into　its　spirit　and　played

like　men　inspired。　　That　night　we　had　more　music；

as　well　as　a　never…to…be…forgotten　exhibition　of　folk…

dancing。



The　same　year；　in