the story of a pioneer-第31章

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

earning　a　large　income　and　putting　aside　at　that

time　the　small　surplus　I　still　hold　in　preparation　for

the　‘‘rainy　day''　every　working…woman　inwardly

fears。



I　gave　the　public　at　least　a　fair　equivalent　for

what　it　gave　me；　for　I　put　into　my　lectures　all　my

vitality；　and　I　rarely　missed　an　engagement；　though

again　and　again　I　risked　my　life　to　keep　one。　　My

special　subjects；　of　course；　were　the　two　I　had　most

at　heart…suffrage　and　temperance。　　For　Frances

Willard；　then　President　of　the　Woman's　Christian

Temperance　Union；　had　persuaded　me　to　head　the

Franchise　Department　of　that　organization；　suc…

ceeding　Ziralda　Wallace；　the　mother　of　Gen。　Lew

Wallace；　and　Miss　Susan　B。　Anthony；　who　was　be…

ginning　to　study　me　closely；　soon　swung　me　into

active　work　with　her；　of　which；　later；　I　shall　have

much　to　say。　　But　before　taking　up　a　subject　as

absorbing　to　me　as　my　friendship　for　and　association

with　the　most　wonderful　woman　I　have　ever　known；

it　may　be　interesting　to　record　a　few　of　my　pioneer

experiences　in　the　lecture…field。



In　those　daysthirty　years　agothe　lecture　bu…

reaus　were　wholly　regardless　of　the　comfort　of　their

lecturers。　　They　arranged　a　schedule　of　engagements

with　exactly　one　idea　in　mindto　get　the　lecturer

from　one　lecture…point　to　the　next；　utterly　regardless

of　whether　she　had　time　between　for　rest　or　food　or

sleep。　　So　it　happened　that　all…night　journeys　in

freight…cars；　engines；　and　cabooses　were　casual　com…

monplaces；　while　thirty　and　forty　mile　drives　across

the　country　in　blizzards　and　bitter　cold　were　equally

inevitable。　　Usually　these　things　did　not　trouble

me。　　They　were　high　adventures　which　I　enjoyed　at

the　time　and　afterward　loved　to　recall。　　But　there

was　an　occasional　hiatus　in　my　optimism。



One　night；　for　example；　after　lecturing　in　a　town

in　Ohio；　it　was　necessary　to　drive　eight　miles　across

country　to　a　tiny　railroad　station　at　which　a　train；

passing　about　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　was　to　be

flagged　for　me。　　When　we　reached　the　station　it　was

closed；　but　my　driver　deposited　me　on　the　platform

and　drove　away；　leaving　me　alone。　　The　night　was

cold　and　very　dark。　　All　day　I　had　been　feeling　ill

and　in　the　evening　had　suffered　so　much　pain　that

I　had　finished　my　lecture　with　great　difficulty。　　Now

toward　midnight；　in　this　desolate　spot；　miles　from

any　house；　I　grew　alarmingly　worse。　　I　am　not

easily　frightened；　but　that　time　I　was　sure　I　was

going　to　die。　　Off　in　the　darkness；　very　far　away；　as

it　seemed；　I　saw　a　faint　light；　and　with　infinite　effort

I　dragged　myself　toward　it。　　To　walk；　even　to　stand；

was　impossible；　I　crawled　along　the　railroad　track；

collapsing；　resting；　going　on　again；　whipping　my

will　power　to　the　task　of　keeping　my　brain　clear；

until　after　a　nightmare　that　seemed　to　last　through

centuries　I　lay　across　the　door　of　the　switch…tower

in　which　the　light　was　burning。　　The　switchman

stationed　there　heard　the　cry　I　was　able　to　utter；

and　came　to　my　assistance。　　He　carried　me　up　to

his　signal…room　and　laid　me　on　the　floor　by　the　stove；

he　had　nothing　to　give　me　except　warmth　and　shel…

ter；　but　these　were　now　all　I　asked。　　I　sank　into　a

comatose　condition　shot　through　with　pain。　　Tow…

ard　two　o'clock　in　the　morning　he　waked　me　and

told　me　my　train　was　coming；　asking　if　I　felt　able

to　take　it。　　I　decided　to　make　the　effort。　　He　dared

not　leave　his　post　to　help　me；　but　he　signaled　to　the

train；　and　I　began　my　progress　back　to　the　station。　

I　never　clearly　remembered　how　I　got　there；　but

I　arrived　and　was　helped　into　a　car　by　a　brakeman。　

About　four　o'clock　in　the　morning　I　had　to　change

again；　but　this　time　I　was　left　at　the　station　of　a　town；

and　was　there　met　by　a　man　whose　wife　had　offered

me　hospitality。　　He　drove　me　to　their　home；　and

I　was　cared　for。　　What　I　had；　it　developed；　was　a

severe　case　of　ptomaine　poisoning；　and　I　soon　re…

covered；　but　even　after　all　these　years　I　do　not

like　to　recall　that　night。



To　be　‘‘snowed　in''　was　a　frequent　experience。　

Once；　in　Minnesota；　I　was　one　of　a　dozen　travelers

who　were　driven　in　an　omnibus　from　a　country　hotel

to　the　nearest　railroad　station；　about　two　miles　away。　

It　was　snowing　hard；　and　the　driver　left　us　on　the

station　platform　and　departed。　　Time　passed；　but

the　train　we　were　waiting　for　did　not　come。　　A　true

Western　blizzard；　growing　wilder　every　moment；　had

set　in；　and　we　finally　realized　that　the　train　was　not

coming；　and　that；　moreover；　it　was　now　impossible

to　get　back　to　the　hotel。　　The　only　thing　we　could

do　was　to　spend　the　night　in　the　railroad　station。　

I　was　the　only　woman　in　the　group；　and　my　fellow…

passengers　were　cattlemen　who　whiled　away　the

hours　by　smoking；　telling　stories；　and　exchanging

pocket　flasks。　　The　station　had　a　telegraph　operator

who　occupied　a　tiny　box　by　himself；　and　he　finally

invited　me　to　share　the　privacy　of　his　microscopic

quarters。　　I　entered　them　very　gratefully；　and　he

laid　a　board　on　the　floor；　covered　it　with　an　over…

coat　made　of　buffalo…skins；　and　cheerfully　invited

me　to　go　to　bed。　　I　went；　and　slept　peacefully　until

morning。　　Then　we　all　returned　to　the　hotel；　the

men　going　ahead　and　shoveling　a　path。



Again；　one　Sunday；　I　was　snowbound　in　a　train

near　Faribault；　and　this　time　also　I　was　the　only

woman　among　a　number　of　cattlemen。　　They　were

an　odoriferous　lot；　who　smoked　diligently　and　played

cards　without　ceasing；　but　in　deference　to　my　pres…

ence　they　swore　only　mildly　and　under　their　breath。　

At　last　they　wearied　of　their　game；　and　one　of　them

rose　and　came　to　me。



‘‘I　heard　you　lecture　the　other　night；''　he　said；

awkwardly；　‘‘and　I've　bin　tellin'　the　fellers　about　it。　

We'd　like　to　have　a　lecture　now。''



Their　card…playing　had　seemed　to　me　a　sinful

thing　（I　was　stricter　in　my　views　then　than　I　am

to…day）；　and　I　was　glad　to　create　a　diversion。　　I

agreed　to　give　them　a　lecture；　and　they　went　through

the　train；　which　consisted　of　two　day　coaches；　and

brought　in　the　remaining　passengers。　　A　few　of

them　could　sing；　and　we　began　with　a　Moody　and

Sankey　hymn　or　two　and　the　appealing　ditty；

‘‘Where　is　my　wandering　boy　to…night？''　in　which

they　all　joined　with　special　zest。　　Then　I　delivered

the　lecture；　and　they　listened　attentively。　　When　I

had　finished　they　seemed　to　think　that　some　slight

return　was　in　order；　so　they　proceeded　to　make　a

bed　for　me。　　They　took　the　bottoms　out　of　two　seats；

arranged　them　crosswise；　and　one　man　folded　his

overcoat　into　a　pillow。　　Inspired　by　this；　two　others

immediately　donated　their　fur　overcoats　for　upper

and　lower　coverings。　　When　the　bed　was　ready　they

waved　me　toward　it　with　a　most　hospitable　air；　and

I　crept　in　between　the　overcoats　and　slumbered

sweetly　until　I　was　aroused　the　next　morning　by　the

welcome　music　of　a　snow…plow　which　had　been

sent　from　St。　Paul　to　our　rescue。

To　drive　fifty　or　sixty　miles　in　a　day　to　meet　a

lecture　engagement　was　a　frequent　experience。　　I

have　been　driven　across　the　prairies　in　June　when

they　were　like　a　mammoth　flower…bed；　and　in　Jan…

uary　when　they　seemed　one　huge　snow…covered

gravemy　grave；　I　thought；　at　times。　　Once　during　a

thirty…mile　drive；　when　the　thermometer　was　twenty

degrees　below　zero；　I　suddenly　realized　that　my　face

was　freezing。　　I　opened　my　satchel；　took　out　the

tissue…paper　that　protected　my　best　gown；　and　put

the　paper　over　my　face　as　a　veil；　tucking　it　inside

of　my　bonnet。　　When　I　reached　my　destination　the

tissue　was　a　perfect　mask；　frozen　stiff；　and　I

had　to　be　lifted　from　the　sleigh。　　I　was　due　on　the

lecture　platform　in　half　an　hour；　so　I　drank　a　huge

bowl　of　boiling　ginger　tea　and　appeared　on　time。　

That　night　I　went　to　bed　expecting　an　attack　of

pneumonia　as　a　result　of　the　exposure；　but　I　awoke

next　morning　in　superb　condition。　　I　possess　what

is　called　‘‘an　iron　consti