the story of a pioneer-第14章

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my　first　days　at　Albion　were　spent　in　strenuous　prep…

aration　for　the　entrance　examinations；　and　one　morn…

ing；　as　I　was　crossing　the　campus　with　a　History

of　the　United　States　tucked　coyly　under　my　arm；

I　met　the　president　of　the　college；　Dr。　Josclyn。　　He

stopped　for　a　word　of　greeting；　during　which　I　be…

trayed　the　fact　that　I　had　never　studied　United

States　history。　　Dr。　Josclyn　at　once　invited　me　into

his　office　with；　I　am　quite　sure；　the　purpose　of　ex…

plaining　as　kindly　as　he　could　that　my　preparation

for　college　was　insufficient。　　As　an　opening　to　the

subject　he　began　to　talk　of　history；　and　we　talked

and　talked　on；　while　unheeded　hours　were　born　and

died。　　We　discussed　the　history　of　the　United　States；

the　governments　of　the　world；　the　causes　which　led

to　the　influence　of　one　nation　on　another；　the　philo…

sophical　basis　of　the　different　national　movements

westward；　and　the　like。　　It　was　the　longest　and　by

far　the　most　interesting　talk　I　have　ever　had　with

a　highly　educated　man；　and　during　it　I　could　actually

feel　my　brain　expand。　　When　I　rose　to　go　President

Josclyn　stopped　me。



‘‘I　have　something　to　give　you；''　he　said；　and　he

wrote　a　few　words　on　a　slip　of　paper　and　handed

the　slip　to　me。　　When；　on　reaching　the　dormitory；

I　opened　it；　I　found　that　the　president　had　passed

me　in　the　history　of　the　entire　college　course！　　This；

moreover；　was　not　the　only　pleasant　result　of　our

interview；　for　within　a　few　weeks　President　and　Mrs。

Josclyn；　whose　daughter　had　recently　died；　invited

me　to　board　with　them；　and　I　made　my　home　with

them　during　my　first　year　at　Albion。



My　triumph　in　history　was　followed　by　the　swift

and　chastening　discovery　that　I　was　behind　my　as…

sociates　in　several　other　branches。　　Owing　to　my

father's　early　help；　I　was　well　up　in　mathematics；

but　I　had　much　to　learn　of　philosophy　and　the

languages；　and　to　these　I　devoted　many　midnight

candles。



Naturally；　I　soon　plunged　into　speaking；　and　my

first　public　speech　at　college　was　a　defense　of　Xan…

tippe。　　I　have　always　felt　that　the　poor　lady　was

greatly　abused；　and　that　Socrates　deserved　all　he

received　from　her；　and　more。　　I　was　glad　to　put

myself　on　record　as　her　champion；　and　my　fellow…

students　must　soon　have　felt　that　my　admiration

for　Xantippe　was　based　on　similarities　of　tempera…

ment；　for　within　a　few　months　I　was　leading　the　first

college　revolt　against　the　authority　of　the　men

students。



Albion　was　a　coeducational　institution；　and　the

brightest　jewels　in　its　crown　were　its　three　literary

societiesthe　first　composed　of　men　alone；　the　sec…

ond　of　women　alone；　and　the　third　of　men　and

women　together。　　Each　of　the　societies　made　friend…

ly　advances　to　new　students；　and　for　some　time　I

hesitated　on　the　brink　of　the　new　joys　they　offered；

uncertain　which　to　choose。　　A　representative　of　the

mixed　society；　who　was　putting　its　claims　before

me；　unconsciously　helped　me　to　make　up　my　mind。



‘‘Women；''　he　pompously　assured　me；　‘‘need　to　be

associated　with　men；　because　they　don't　know　how

to　manage　meetings。''



On　the　instant　the　needle　of　decision　swung　around

to　the　women's　society　and　remained　there；　fixed。



‘‘If　they　don't；''　I　told　the　pompous　young　man；

‘‘it's　high　time　they　learned。　　I　shall　join　the　women；

and　we'll　master　the　art。''



I　did　join　the　women's　society；　and　I　had　not　been

a　member　very　long　before　I　discovered　that　when

there　was　an　advantage　of　any　kind　to　be　secured

the　men　invariably　got　it。　　While　I　was　brooding

somberly　upon　this　wrong　an　opportunity　came　to

make　a　formal　and　effective　protest　against　the

men's　high…handed　methods。　　The　Quinquennial　re…

union　of　all　the　societies　was　about　to　be　held；　and

the　special　feature　of　this　festivity　was　always　an

oration。　　The　simple　method　of　selecting　the　orator

which　had　formerly　prevailed　had　been　for　the

young　men　to　decide　upon　the　speaker　and　then　an…

nounce　his　name　to　the　women；　who　humbly　con…

firmed　it。　　On　this　occasion；　however；　when　the

name　came　in　to　us；　I　sent　a　message　to　our　brother

society　to　the　effect　that　we；　too；　intended　to　make

a　nomination　and　to　send　in　a　name。



At　such　unprecedented　behavior　the　entire　stu…

dent　body　arose　in　excitement；　which；　among　the

girls；　was　combined　with　equal　parts　of　exhilaration

and　awe。　　The　men　refused　to　consider　our　nominee；

and　as　a　friendly　compromise　we　suggested　that　we

have　a　joint　meeting　of　all　the　societies　and　elect

the　speaker　at　this　gathering；　but　this　plan　also

the　men　at　first　refused；　giving　in　only　after　weeks

of　argument；　during　which　no　one　had　time　for

the　calmer　pleasures　of　study。　　When　the　joint

meeting　was　finally　held；　nothing　was　accomplished；

we　girls　had　one　more　member　than　the　boys　had；

and　we　promptly　re…elected　our　candidate；　who　was

as　promptly　declined　by　the　boys。　　Two　of　our　girls

were　engaged　to　two　of　the　boys；　and　it　was　secretly

planned　by　our　brother　society　that　during　a　second

joint　meeting　these　two　men　should　take　the　girls

out　for　a　drive　and　then　slip　back　to　vote；　leaving

the　girls　at　some　point　sufficiently　remote　from　col…

lege。　　We　discovered　the　plot；　however；　in　time　to

thwart　it；　and　at　last；　when　nothing　but　the　un…

precedented　tie…up　had　been　discussed　for　months；

the　boys　suddenly　gave　up　their　candidate　and

nominated　me　for　orator。



This　was　not　at　all　what　I　wanted；　and　I　immedi…

ately　declined　to　serve。　　We　girls　then　nominated

the　young　man　who　had　been　first　choice　of　our

brother　society；　but　he　haughtily　refused　to　accept

the　compliment。　　The　reunion　was　only　a　fortnight

away；　and　the　programme　had　not　been　printed；　so

now　the　president　took　the　situation　in　hand　and

peremptorily　ordered　me　to　accept　the　nomination

or　be　suspended。　　This　was　a　wholly　unexpected

boomerang。　　I　had　wished　to　make　a　good　fight　for

equal　rights　for　the　girls；　and　to　impress　the　boys

with　the　fact　of　our　existence　as　a　society；　but　I

had　not　desired　to　set　the　entire　student　body　by

the　ears　nor　to　be　forced　to　prepare　and　deliver　an

oration　at　the　eleventh　hour。　　Moreover；　I　had　no

suitable　gown　to　wear　on　so　important　an　occasion。　

One　of　my　classmates；　however；　secretly　wrote　to

my　sister；　describing　my　blushing　honors　and　ex…

plaining　my　need；　and　my　family　rallied　to　the　call。　

My　father　bought　the　material；　and　my　mother　and

Mary　paid　for　the　making　of　the　gown。　　It　was　a

white　alpaca　creation；　trimmed　with　satin；　and　the

consciousness　that　it　was　extremely　becoming　sus…

tained　me　greatly　during　the　mental　agony　of　pre…

paring　and　delivering　my　oration。　　To　my　family

that　oration　was　the　redeeming　episode　of　my　early

career。　　For　the　moment　it　almost　made　them　for…

get　my　crime　of　preaching。



My　original　fund　of　eighteen　dollars　was　now

supplemented　by　the　proceeds　of　a　series　of　lectures

I　gave　on　temperance。　　The　temperance　women　were

not　yet　organized；　but　they　had　their　speakers；　and

I　was　occasionally　paid　five　dollars　to　hold　forth

for　an　hour　or　two　in　the　little　country　school…houses

of　our　region。　　As　a　licensed　preacher　I　had　no

tuition　fees　to　pay　at　college；　but　my　board；　in　the

home　of　the　president　and　his　wife；　was　costing　me

four　dollars　a　week；　and　this　was　the　limit　of　my

expenses；　as　I　did　my　own　laundry…work。　　During

my　first　college　year　the　amount　I　paid　for　amuse…

ment　was　exactly　fifty　cents；　that　went　for　a　lec…

ture。　　The　mental　strain　of　the　whole　experience

was　rather　severe；　for　I　never　knew　how　much　I

would　be　able　to　earn；　and　I　was　beginning　to　feel

the　effects　of　this　when　Christmas　came　and　brought

with　it　a　gift　of　ninety…two　dollars；　which　Miss　Foot

had　collected　among　my　Big　Rapids　friends。　　That；

with　what　I　could　earn；　carried　me　through　the

year。



The　following　spring　our　brother　James；　who

was　now　living　in　St。　Johnsbury；　Vermont；　invited

my　sister