the story of a pioneer-第29章

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community　spent　much　of　their　leisure　in　discussing

it　and　me。　　The　social　center　of　East　Dennis　was

a　certain　grocery；　to　which　almost　every　man　in

town　regularly　wended　his　way；　and　from　which　all

the　gossip　of　the　town　emanated。　　Here　the　men　sat

for　hours；　tilted　back　in　their　chairs；　whittling　the

rungs　until　they　nearly　cut　the　chairs　from　under

them；　and　telling　one　another　all　they　knew　or　had

heard　about　their　fellow…townsmen。　　Then；　after

each　session；　they　would　return　home　and　repeat　the

gossip　to　their　wives。　　I　used　to　say　that　I　would

give　a　dollar　to　any　woman　in　East　Dennis　who

could　quote　a　bit　of　gossip　which　did　not　come　from

the　men　at　that　grocery。　　Even　my　old　friend　Cap…

tain　Doane；　fine　and　high…minded　citizen　though　he

was；　was　not　above　enjoying　the　mild　diversion　of

these　social　gatherings；　and　on　one　occasion　at　least

he　furnished　the　best　part　of　the　entertainment。　

The　departing　minister　was；　it　seemed；　the　topic

of　the　day's　discussion；　and；　to　tease　Captain　Doane

one　young　man　who　knew　the　strength　of　his　friend…

ship　for　me　suddenly　began　to　speak；　then　pursed

up　his　lips　and　looked　eloquently　mysterious。　　As　he

had　expected；　Captain　Doane　immediately　pounced

on　him。



‘‘What's　the　matter　with　you？''　demanded　the

old　man。　　‘‘Hev　you　got　anything　agin　Miss

Shaw？''



The　young　man　sighed　and　murmured　that　if　he

wished　he　could　repeat　a　charge　never　before　made

against　a　Cape　Cod　minister；　butand　he　shut　his

lips　more　obviously。　　The　other　men；　who　were　in

the　plot；　grinned；　and　this　added　the　last　touch　to

Captain　Doane's　indignation。　　He　sprang　to　his

feet。　　One　of　his　peculiarities　was　a　constant　mis…

use　of　words；　and　now；　in　his　excitement；　he　outdid

himself。



‘‘You've　made　an　incineration　against　Miss　Shaw；''

he　shouted。　　‘‘Do　you　hearAN　INCINERATION！　　Take

it　back　or　take　a　lickin'！''



The　young　man　decided　that　the　joke　had　gone

far　enough；　so　he　answered；　mildly：　　‘‘Well；　it　is　said

that　all　the　women　in　town　are　in　love　with　Miss

Shaw。　　Has　that　been　charged　against　any　other

minister　here？''



The　men　roared　with　laughter；　and　Captain

Doane　sat　down；　looking　sheepish。



‘‘All　I　got　to　say　is　this；''　he　muttered：　　‘‘That　gal

has　been　in　this　community　for　seven　years；　and　she

'ain't　done　a　thing　during　the　hull　seven　years　that

any　one　kin　lay　a　finger　on！''



The　men　shouted　again　at　this　back…handed　trib…

ute；　and　the　old　fellow　left　the　grocery　in　a　huff。　

Later　I　was　told　of　the　‘‘incineration''　and　his　elo…

quent　defense　of　me；　and　I　thanked　him　for　it。　　But

I　added：



‘‘I　hear　you　said　I　haven't　done　a　thing　in　seven

years　that　any　one　can　lay　a　finger　on？''



‘‘I　said　it；''　declared　the　Captain；　‘‘and　I'll　stand

by　it。''



‘‘Haven't　I　done　any　good？''　I　asked。



‘‘Sartin　you　have；''　he　assured　me；　heartily。　

‘‘Lots　of　good。''



‘‘Well；''　I　said；　‘‘can't　you　put　your　finger　on

that？''



The　Captain　looked　startled。　　‘‘Whywhy

Sister　Shaw；''　he　stammered；　‘‘you　know　I　didn't

mean　THAT！　　What　I　meant；''　he　repeated；　slowly　and

solemnly；　‘‘was　that　the　hull　time　you　been　here

you　ain't　done　nothin'　anybody　could　put　a　finger

on！''



Captain　Doane　apparently　shared　my　girl　parish…

ioner's　prejudice　against　men　in　the　pulpit；　for　long

afterward；　on　one　of　my　visits　to　Cape　Cod；　he　ad…

mitted　that　he　now　went　to　church　very　rarely。



‘‘When　I　heard　you　preach；''　he　explained；　‘‘I

gen'ally　followed　you　through　and　I　knowed　where

you　was　a…comin'　out。　　But　these　young　fellers　that

come　from　the　theological　schoolwhy；　Sister　Shaw；

the　Lord　Himself　don't　know　where　they're　comin'

out！''



For　a　moment　he　pondered。　　Then　he　uttered　a

valedictory　which　I　have　always　been　glad　to　recall

as　his　last　message；　for　I　never　saw　him　again。



‘‘When　you　fust　come　to　us；''　he　said；　‘‘you　had

a　lot　of　crooked　places；　an'　we　had　a　lot　of　crooked

places；　and　we　kind　of　run　into　each　other；　all　of

us。　　But　before　you　left；　Sister　Shaw；　why；　all　the

crooked　places　was　wore　off　and　everything　was　as

smooth　as　silk。''



‘‘Yes；''　I　agreed；　‘‘and　that　was　the　time　to　leave

when　everything　was　running　smoothly。''



All　is　changed　on　Cape　Cod　since　those　days；　thirty

years　ago。　　The　old　families　have　died　or　moved

away；　and　those　who　replaced　them　were　of　a　dif…

ferent　type。　　I　am　happy　in　having　known　and　loved

the　Cape　as　it　was；　and　in　having　gathered　there　a

store　of　delightful　memories。　　In　later　strenuous

years　it　has　rested　me　merely　to　think　of　the　place；

and　long　afterward　I　showed　my　continued　love　of

it　by　building　a　home　there；　which　I　still　possess。　

But　I　had　little　time　to　rest　in　this　or　in　my　Moylan

home；　of　which　I　shall　write　later；　for　now　I　was

back　in　Boston；　living　my　new　life；　and　each　crowded

hour　brought　me　more　to　do。



We　were　entering　upon　a　deeply　significant　period。　

For　the　first　time　women　were　going　into　industrial

competition　with　men；　and　already　men　were　in…

tensely　resenting　their　presence。　　Around　me　I　saw

women　overworked　and　underpaid；　doing　men's

work　at　half　men's　wages；　not　because　their　work

was　inferior；　but　because　they　were　women。　　Again；

too；　I　studied　the　obtrusive　problems　of　the　poor　and

of　the　women　of　the　streets；　and；　looking　at　the

whole　social　situation　from　every　angle；　I　could　find

but　one　solution　for　womenthe　removal　of　the

stigma　of　disfranchisement。　　As　man's　equal　before

the　law；　woman　could　demand　her　rights；　asking

favors　from　no　one。　　With　all　my　heart　I　joined　in

the　crusade　of　the　men　and　women　who　were　fight…

ing　for　her。　　My　real　work　had　begun。



Naturally；　at　this　period；　I　frequently　met　the

members　of　Boston's　most　inspiring　groupthe

Emersons　and　John　Greenleaf　Whittier；　James　Free…

man　Clark；　Reverend　Minot　Savage；　Bronson　Alcott

and　his　daughter　Louisa；　Wendell　Phillips；　William

Lloyd　Garrison；　Stephen　Foster；　Theodore　Weld；　and

the　rest。　　Of　them　all；　my　favorite　was　Whittier。　　He

had　been　present　at　my　graduation　from　the　theo…

logical　school；　and　now　he　often　attended　our　suffrage

meetings。　　He　was　already　an　old　man；　nearing　the

end　of　his　life；　and　I　recall　him　as　singularly　tall　and

thin；　almost　gaunt；　bending　forward　as　he　talked；

and　wearing　an　expression　of　great　serenity　and

benignity。　　I　once　told　Susan　B。　Anthony　that　if　I

needed　help　in　a　crowd　of　strangers　that　included　her；

I　would　immediately　turn　to　her；　knowing　from　her

face　that；　whatever　I　had　done；　she　would　under…

stand　and　assist　me。　　I　could　have　offered　the　same

tribute　to　Whittier。　　At　our　meetings　he　was　like　a

vesper…bell　chiming　above　a　battle…field。　　Garrison

always　became　excited　during　our　discussions；　and

the　others　frequently　did；　but　Whittier；　in　whose　big

heart　the　love　of　his　fellow…man　burned　as　unquench…

ably　as　in　any　heart　there；　always　preserved　his　ex…

quisite　tranquillity。



Once；　I　remember；　Stephen　Foster　insisted　on

having　the　word　‘‘tyranny''　put　into　a　resolution；

stating　that　women　were　deprived　of　suffrage　by　the

TYRANNY　of　men。　　Mr。　Garrison　objected；　and　the

debate　that　followed　was　the　most　exciting　I　have

ever　heard。　　The　combatants　actually　had　to　ad…

journ　before　they　could　calm　down　sufficiently　to　go

on　with　their　meeting。　　Knowing　the　stimulating

atmosphere　to　which　he　had　grown　accustomed；　I

was　not　surprised　to　have　Theodore　Weld　explain

to　me；　long　afterward；　why　he　no　longer　attended

suffrage　meetings。



‘‘Oh；''　he　said；　‘‘why　should　I　go？　　There　hasn't

been　any　one　mobbed　in　twenty　years！''



The　Ralph　Waldo　Emersons　occasionally　attended

our　meetings；　and　Mr。　Emerson；　at　first　opposed　to

woman　suffrage；　became　a　convert　to　it　during　the

last　years　of　his　lifea　fact　his　son　and　daughter

omitted　to　mention　in　his　biography。　　After　his

death　I　gave　two　suffrage　lectures　in　Concord；

and　each　tim