the story of a pioneer-第30章

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death　I　gave　two　suffrage　lectures　in　Concord；

and　each　time　Mrs。　Emerson　paid　for　the　hall。　　At

these　lectures　Louisa　M。　Alcott　graced　the　assem…

bly　with　her　splendid；　wholesome　presence；　and　on

both　occasions　she　was　surrounded　by　a　group　of

boys。　　She　frankly　cared　much　more　for　boys　than

for　girls；　and　boys　inevitably　gravitated　to　her　when…

ever　she　entered　a　place　where　they　were。　　When

women　were　given　school　suffrage　in　Massachusetts；

Miss　Alcott　was　the　first　woman　to　vote　in　Concord；

and　she　went　to　the　polls　accompanied　by　a　group

of　her　boys；　all　ardently　‘‘for　the　Cause。''　　My　gen…

eral　impression　of　her　was　that　of　a　fresh　breeze

blowing　over　wide　moors。　　She　was　as　different　as

possible　from　exquisite　little　Mrs。　Emerson；　who；

in　her　daintiness　and　quiet　charm；　suggested　an　old

New　England　garden。



Of　Abby　May　and　Edna　Cheney　I　retain　a　general

impression　of　‘‘bagginess''of　loose　jackets　over

loose　waistbands；　of　escaping　locks　of　hair；　of　bodies

seemingly　one　size　from　the　neck　down。　　Both

women　were　utterly　indifferent　to　the　details　of

their　appearance；　but　they　were　splendid　workers　and

leading　spirits　in　the　New　England　Woman's　Club。　

It　was　said　to　be　the　trouble　between　Abby　May　and

Kate　Gannett　Wells；　both　of　whom　stood　for　the

presidency　of　the　club；　that　led　to　the　beginning　of

the　anti…suffrage　movement　in　Boston。　　Abby　May

was　elected　president；　and　all　the　suffragists　voted

for　her。　　Subsequently　Kate　Gannett　Wells　began

her　anti…suffrage　campaign。　　Mrs。　Wells　was　the

first　anti…suffragist　I　ever　knew　in　this　country。　

Before　her　there　had　been　Mrs。　Dahlgren；　wife　of

Admiral　Dahlgren；　and　Mrs。　William　Tecumseh　Sher…

man。　　On　one　occasion　Elizabeth　Cady　Stanton　chal…

lenged　Mrs。　Dahlgren　to　a　debate　on　woman　suffrage；

and　in　the　light　of　later　events　Mrs。　Dahlgren's　reply

is　amusing。　　She　declined　the　challenge；　explaining

that　for　anti…suffragists　to　appear　upon　a　public

platform　would　be　a　direct　violation　of　the　principle

for　which　they　stoodwhich　was　the　protection　of

female　modesty！　　Recalling　this；　and　the　present

hectic　activity　of　the　anti…suffragists；　one　must　feel

that　they　have　either　abandoned　their　principle　or

widened　their　views。

For　Julia　Ward　Howe　I　had　an　immense　admira…

tion；　but；　though　from　first　to　last　I　saw　much　of

her；　I　never　felt　that　I　really　knew　her。　　She　was　a

woman　of　the　widest　culture；　interested　in　every

progressive　movement。　　With　all　her　big　heart　she

tried　to　be　a　democrat；　but　she　was　an　aristocrat　to

the　very　core　of　her；　and；　despite　her　wonderful　work

for　others；　she　lived　in　a　splendid　isolation。　　Once

when　I　called　on　her　I　found　her　resting　her　mind

by　reading　Greek；　and　she　laughingly　admitted　that

she　was　using　a　Latin　pony；　adding　that　she　was

growing　‘‘rusty。''　　She　seemed　a　little　embarrassed

by　being　caught　with　the　pony；　but　she　must　have

been　reassured　by　my　cheerful　confession　that　if

_I_　tried　to　read　either　Latin　or　Greek　I　should　need

an　English　pony。



Of　Frances　E。　Willard；　who　frequently　came　to

Boston；　I　saw　a　great　deal；　and　we　soon　became　close…

ly　associated　in　our　work。　　Early　in　our　friendship；

and　at　Miss　Willard's　suggestion；　we　made　a　com…

pact　that　once　a　week　each　of　us　would　point　out

to　the　other　her　most　serious　faults；　and　thereby

help　her　to　remedy　them；　but　we　were　both　too　sane

to　do　anything　of　the　kind；　and　the　project　soon

died　a　natural　death。　　The　nearest　I　ever　came　to

carrying　it　out　was　in　warning　Miss　Willard　that　she

was　constantly　defying　all　the　laws　of　personal

hygiene。　　She　never　rested；　rarely　seemed　to　sleep；

and　had　to　be　reminded　at　the　table　that　she　was

there　for　the　purpose　of　eating　food。　　She　was　al…

ways　absorbed　in　some　great　interest；　and　oblivious

to　anything　else；　I　never　knew　a　woman　who　could

grip　an　audience　and　carry　it　with　her　as　she　could。　

She　was　intensely　emotional；　and　swayed　others　by

their　emotions　rather　than　by　logic；　yet　she　was　the

least　conscious　of　her　physical　existence　of　any　one

I　ever　knew；　with　the　exception　of　Susan　B。　Anthony。　

Like　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''　Miss　Willard　paid　no　heed　to

cold　or　heat　or　hunger；　to　privation　or　fatigue。　　In

their　relations　to　such　trifles　both　women　were　dis…

embodied　spirits。



Another　woman　doing　wonderful　work　at　this　time

was　Mrs。　Quincy　Shaw；　who　had　recently　started　her

day　nurseries　for　the　care　of　tenement　children　whose

mothers　labored　by　the　day。　　These　nurseries　were

new　in　Boston；　as　was　the　kindergarten　system　she

also　established。　　I　saw　the　effect　of　her　work　in　the

lives　of　the　people；　and　it　strengthened　my　growing

conviction　that　little　could　be　done　for　the　poor　in　a

spiritual　or　educational　way　until　they　were　given

a　certain　amount　of　physical　comfort；　and　until　more

time　was　devoted　to　the　problem　of　prevention。　

Indeed；　the　more　I　studied　economic　issues；　the　more

strongly　I　felt　that　the　position　of　most　philan…

thropists　is　that　of　men　who　stand　at　the　bottom

of　a　precipice　gathering　up　and　trying　to　heal　those

who　fall　into　it；　instead　of　guarding　the　top　and　pre…

venting　them　from　going　over。



Of　course　I　had　to　earn　my　living；　but；　though　I

had　taken　my　medical　degree　only　a　few　months

before　leaving　Cape　Cod；　I　had　no　intention　of　prac…

tising　medicine。　　I　had　merely　wished　to　add　a

certain　amount　of　medical　knowledge　to　my　mental

equipment。　　The　Massachusetts　Woman　Suffrage

Association；　of　which　Lucy　Stone　was　president；　had

frequently　employed　me　as　a　lecturer　during　the

last　two　years　of　my　pastorate。　　Now　it　offered　me

a　salary　of　one　hundred　dollars　a　month　as　a　lecturer

and　organizer。　　Though　I　may　not　have　seemed　so

in　these　reminiscences；　in　which　I　have　written　as

freely　of　my　small　victories　as　of　my　struggles　and

failures；　I　was　a　modest　young　person。　　The　amount

seemed　too　large；　and　I　told　Mrs。　Stone　as　much；

after　which　I　humbly　fixed　my　salary　at　fifty　dollars

a　month。　　At　the　end　of　a　year　of　work　I　felt　that

I　had　‘‘made　good''；　then　I　asked　for　and　received

the　one　hundred　dollars　a　month　originally　offered

me。



During　my　second　year　Miss　Cora　Scott　Pond　and

I　organized　and　carried　through　in　Boston　a　great

suffrage　bazaar；　clearing　six　thousand　dollars　for

the　associationa　large　amount　in　those　days。　

Elated　by　my　share　in　this　success；　I　asked　that　my

salary　should　be　increased　to　one　hundred　and

twenty…five　dollars　a　monthbut　this　was　not　done。　

Instead；　I　received　a　valuable　lesson。　　It　was　freely

admitted　that　my　work　was　worth　one　hundred　and

twenty…five　dollars；　but　I　was　told　that　one　hundred

was　the　limit　which　could　be　paid；　and　I　was　re…

minded　that　this　was　a　good　salary　for　a　woman。



The　time　seemed　to　have　come　to　make　a　practical

stand　in　defense　of　my　principles；　and　I　did　so　by

resigning　and　arranging　an　independent　lecture　tour。　

The　first　month　after　my　resignation　I　earned　three

hundred　dollars。　　Later　I　frequently　earned　more

than　that；　and　very　rarely　less。　　Eventually　I　lec…

tured　under　the　direction　of　the　Slaton　Lecture

Bureau　of　Chicago；　and　later　still　for　the　Redpath

Bureau　of　Boston。　　My　experience　with　the　Red…

path　people　was　especially　gratifying。　　Mrs。　Liver…

more；　who　was　their　only　woman　lecturer；　was　grow…

ing　old　and　anxious　to　resign　her　work。　　She　saw

in　me　a　possible　successor；　and　asked　them　to　take

me　on　their　list。　　They　promptly　refused；　explain…

ing　that　I　must　‘‘make　a　reputation''　before　they

could　even　consider　me。　　A　year　later　they　wrote

me；　making　a　very　good　offer；　which　I　accepted。　　It

may　be　worth　while　to　mention　here　that　through

my　lecture…work　at　this　period　I　earned　all　the　money

I　have　ever　saved。　　I　lectured　night　after　night；　week

after　week；　month　after　month；　in　‘‘Chautauquas''

in　the　summer；　all　over　the　country　in　the　winter；

earning　a　large　income　and　putting　aside