the story of a pioneer-第32章

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pneumonia　as　a　result　of　the　exposure；　but　I　awoke

next　morning　in　superb　condition。　　I　possess　what

is　called　‘‘an　iron　constitution；''　and　in　those　days

I　needed　it。



That　same　winter；　in　Kansas；　I　was　chased　by

wolves；　and　though　I　had　been　more　or　less　inti…

mately　associated　with　wolves　in　my　pioneer　life

in　the　Michigan　woods；　I　found　the　occasion　extreme…

ly　unpleasant。　　During　the　long　winters　of　my　girl…

hood　wolves　had　frequently　slunk　around　our　log

cabin；　and　at　times　in　the　lumber…camps　we　had

even　heard　them　prowling　on　the　roofs。　　But　those

were　very　different　creatures　from　the　two　huge；

starving；　tireless　animals　that　hour　after　hour　loped

behind　the　cutter　in　which　I　sat　with　another　woman；

who；　throughout　the　whole　experience；　never　lost

her　head　nor　her　control　of　our　frantic　horses。　　They

were　mad　with　terror；　for；　try　as　they　would；　they

could　not　outrun　the　grim　things　that　trailed　us；

seemingly　not　trying　to　gain　on　us；　but　keeping　al…

ways　at　the　same　distance；　with　a　patience　that　was

horrible。　　From　time　to　time　I　turned　to　look　at

them；　and　the　picture　they　made　as　they　came　on

and　on　is　one　I　shall　never　forget。　　They　were　so　near

that　I　could　see　their　eyes　and　slavering　jaws；　and

they　were　as　noiseless　as　things　in　a　dream。　　At

last；　little　by　little；　they　began　to　gain　on　us；　and

they　were　almost　within　striking　distance　of　the

whip；　which　was　our　only　weapon；　when　we　reached

the　welcome　outskirts　of　a　town　and　they　fell　back。



Some　of　the　memories　of　those　days　have　to　do

with　personal　encounters；　brief　but　poignant。　　Once

when　I　was　giving　a　series　of　Chautauqua　lectures；

I　spoke　at　the　Chautauqua　in　Pontiac；　Illinois。　

The　State　Reformatory　for　Boys　was　situated　in

that　town；　and；　after　the　lecture　the　superintendent

of　the　Reformatory　invited　me　to　visit　it　and　say

a　few　words　to　the　inmates。　　I　went　and　spoke　for

half　an　hour；　carrying　away　a　memory　of　the　place

and　of　the　boys　which　haunted　me　for　months。　　A

year　later；　while　I　was　waiting　for　a　train　in　the

station　at　Shelbyville；　a　lad　about　sixteen　years　old

passed　me　and　hesitated；　looking　as　if　he　knew　me。　

I　saw　that　he　wanted　to　speak　and　dared　not；　so

I　nodded　to　him。



‘‘You　think　you　know　me；　don't　you？''　I　asked；

when　he　came　to　my　side。



‘‘Yes'm；　I　do　know　you；''　he　told　me；　eagerly。　

‘‘You　are　Miss　Shaw；　and　you　talked　to　us　boys　at

Pontiac　last　year。　　I'm　out　on　parole　now；　but　I

'ain't　forgot。　　Us　boys　enjoyed　you　the　best　of　any

show　we　ever　had！''



I　was　touched　by　this　artless　compliment；　and

anxious　to　know　how　I　had　won　it；　so　I　asked；

‘‘What　did　I　say　that　the　boys　liked？''



The　lad　hesitated。　　Then　he　said；　slowly；　‘‘Well；

you　didn't　talk　as　if　you　thought　we　were　all

bad。''



‘‘My　boy；''　I　told　him；　‘‘I　don't　think　you　are　all

bad。　　I　know　better！''



As　if　I　had　touched　a　spring　in　him；　the　lad

dropped　into　the　seat　by　my　side；　then；　leaning

toward　me；　he　said；　impulsively；　but　almost　in　a

whisper：



‘‘Say；　Miss　Shaw；　SOME　OF　US　BOYS　SAYS　OUR　PRAYERS！''



Rarely　have　I　had　a　tribute　that　moved　me　more

than　that　shy　confidence；　and　often　since　then；　in

hours　of　discouragement　or　failure；　I　have　reminded

myself　that　at　least　there　must　have　been　something

in　me　once　to　make　a　lad　of　that　age　so　open　up

his　heart。　　We　had　a　long　and　intimate　talk；　from

which　grew　the　abiding　interest　I　feel　in　boys　to…

day。



Naturally　I　was　sometimes　inconvenienced　by

slight　misunderstandings　between　local　committees

and　myself　as　to　the　subjects　of　my　lectures；　and　the

most　extreme　instance　of　this　occurred　in　a　town

where　I　arrived　to　find　myself　widely　advertised

as　‘‘Mrs。　Anna　Shaw；　who　whistled　before　Queen

Victoria''！　　Transfixed；　I　gaped　before　the　bill…

boards；　and　by　reading　their　additional　lettering

discovered　the　gratifying　fact　that　at　least　I　was

not　expected　to　whistle　now。　　Instead；　it　appeared；

I　was　to　lecture　on　‘‘The　Missing　Link。''



As　usual；　I　had　arrived　in　town　only　an　hour　or

two　before　the　time　fixed　for　my　lecture；　there　was

the　briefest　interval　in　which　to　clear　up　these　pain…

ful　misunderstandings。　　I　repeatedly　tried　to　reach

the　chairman　who　was　to　preside　at　the　entertain…

ment；　but　failed。　　At　last　I　went　to　the　hall　at　the

hour　appointed；　and　found　the　local　committee

there；　graciously　waiting　to　receive　me。　　Without

wasting　precious　minutes　in　preliminaries；　I　asked

why　they　had　advertised　me　as　the　woman　who　had

‘‘whistled　before　Queen　Victoria。''



‘‘Why；　didn't　you　whistle　before　her？''　they　ex…

claimed　in　grieved　surprise。



‘‘I　certainly　did　not；''　I　explained。　　‘‘Moreover；　I

was　never　called　‘The　American　Nightingale；'　and

I　have　never　lectured　on　‘The　Missing　Link。'

Where　DID　you　get　that　subject？　　It　was　not　on　the

list　I　sent　you。''



The　members　of　the　committee　seemed　dazed。　

They　withdrew　to　a　corner　and　consulted　in　whis…

pers。　　Then；　with　clearing　brow；　the　spokesman　re…

turned。



‘‘Why；''　he　said；　cheerfully；　‘‘it's　simple　enough！

We　mixed　you　up　with　a　Shaw　lady　that　whistles；

and　we've　been　discussing　the　missing　link　in　our

debating　society；　so　our　citizens　want　to　hear　your

views。''



‘‘But　I　don't　know　anything　about　the　missing

link；''　I　protested；　‘‘and　I　can't　speak　on　it。''



‘‘Now；　come；''　they　begged。　　‘‘Why；　you'll　have

to！　　We've　sold　all　our　tickets　for　that　lecture。　

The　whole　town　has　turned　out　to　hear　it。''



Then；　as　I　maintained　a　depressed　silence；　one

of　them　had　a　bright　idea。



‘‘I'll　tell　you　how　to　fix　it！''　he　cried。　　‘‘Speak　on

any　subject　you　please；　but　bring　in　something　about

the　missing　link　every　few　minutes。　　That　will　satis…

fy　'em。''



‘‘Very　well；''　I　agreed；　reluctantly。　　‘‘Open　the

meeting　with　a　song。　　Get　the　audience　to　sing

‘America'　or　‘The　Star…spangled　Banner。'　That

will　give　me　a　few　minutes　to　think；　and　I　will　see

what　can　be　done。''



Led　by　a　very　nervous　chairman；　the　big　audience

began　to　sing；　and　under　the　inspiration　of　the　music

the　solution　of　our　problem　flashed　into　my　mind。



‘‘It　is　easy；''　I　told　myself。　　‘‘Woman　is　the　miss…

ing　link　in　our　government。　　I'll　give　them　a　suf…

frage　speech　along　that　line。''



When　the　song　ended　I　began　my　part　of　the　en…

tertainment　with　a　portion　of　my　lecture　on　‘‘The

Fate　of　Republics；''　tracing　their　growth　and　decay；

and　pointing　out　that　what　our　republic　needed　to

give　it　a　stable　government　was　the　missing　link

of　woman　suffrage。　　I　got　along　admirably；　for　every

five　minutes　I　mentioned　‘‘the　missing　link；''　and

the　audience　sat　content　and　apparently　interested；

while　the　members　of　the　committee　burst　into

bloom　on　the　platform。





VIII



DRAMA　IN　THE　LECTURE…FIELD



My　most　dramatic　experience　occurred　in　a

city　in　Michigan；　where　I　was　making　a

temperance　campaign。　　It　was　an　important　lum…

ber　and　shipping　center；　and　it　harbored　much

intemperance。　　The　editor　of　the　leading　news…

paper　was　with　the　temperance…workers　in　our

fight　there；　and　he　had　warned　me　that　the　liquor

people　threatened　to　‘‘burn　the　building　over　my

head''　if　I　attempted　to　lecture。　　We　were　used　to

similar　threats；　so　I　proceeded　with　my　preparations

and　held　the　meeting　in　the　town　skating…rink

a　huge；　bare；　wooden　structure。



Lectures　were　rare　in　that　city；　and　rumors　of

some　special　excitement　on　this　occasion　had　been

circulated；　every　seat　in　the　rink　was　filled；　and

several　hundred　persons　stood　in　the　aisles　and　at

the　back　of　the　building。　　Just　opposite　the　speak…

er's　platform　was　a　small　gallery；　and　above　that；　in

the　ceiling；　was　a　trap…door。　　Before　I　had　been

speaking　ten　minutes　I　saw　a　man　drop　through　this

trap…door　to　the　balcony　and　climb　from　there　to

the　main　floor。　　As　he　reached　the　floor　he　shouted

‘‘Fire！''　and　rushed　out　i