the story of a pioneer-第35章

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the　State　Church。　　I　am　happy　to　add　that　of　the

three　who　voted　favorably　on　the　question　one　was

the　Premier　of　Norway。　　Again　the　newspapers

grasped　their　opportunityespecially　the　organs　of

the　opposition　party。　　My　rooms　were　filled　with

reporters；　while　daily　the　excitement　grew。　　The

question　was　brought　up　in　Parliament；　and　I　was

invited　to　attend　and　hear　the　discussion　there。　

By　this　time　every　newspaper　in　Scandinavia　was

for　or　against　me；　and　the　result　of　the　whole　matter

was　that；　though　the　State　Church　of　Norway　was

not　opened　to　me；　a　most　unusual　interest　had　been

aroused　in　my　sermon　in　the　State　Church　of　Sweden。　

When　I　arrived　there　to　keep　my　engagement；　not

only　was　the　wonderful　structure　packed　to　its　walls；

but　the　waiting　crowds　in　the　street　were　so　large

that　the　police　had　difficulty　in　opening　a　way　for

our　party。



I　shall　never　forget　my　impression　of　the　church

itself　when　I　entered　it。　　It　will　always　stand　forth

in　my　memory　as　one　of　the　most　beautiful　churches

I　have　ever　visited。　　On　every　side　were　monu…

ments　of　dead　heroes　and　statesmen；　and　the　high；

vaulted　blue　dome　seemed　like　the　open　sky　above

our　heads。　　Over　us　lay　a　light　like　a　soft　twilight；

and　the　great　congregation　filled　not　only　all　the

pews；　but　the　aisles；　the　platform；　and　even　the

steps　of　the　pulpit。　　The　ushers　were　young　women

from　the　University　of　Upsala；　wearing　white　uni…

versity　caps　with　black　vizors；　and　sashes　in　the

university　colors。　　The　anthem　was　composed　es…

pecially　for　the　occasion　by　the　first　woman　cathe…

dral　organist　in　Swedenthe　organist　of　the　cathe…

dral　in　Gothenburgand　she　had　brought　with　her

thirty　members　of　her　choir；　all　of　them　remarkable

singers。



The　whole　occasion　was　indescribably　impressive；

and　I　realized　in　every　fiber　the　necessity　of　being

worthy　of　it。　　Also；　I　experienced　a　sensation　such

as　I　had　never　known　before；　and　which　I　can　only

describe　as　a　seeming　complete　separation　of　my

physical　self　from　my　spiritual　self。　　It　was　as　if　my

body　stood　aside　and　watched　my　soul　enter　that

pulpit。　　There　was　no　uncertainty；　no　nervousness；

though　usually　I　am　very　nervous　when　I　begin　to

speak；　and　when　I　had　finished　I　knew　that　I　had

done　my　best。



But　all　this　is　a　long　way　from　the　early　days　I

was　discussing；　when　I　was　making　my　first　diffident

bows　to　lecture　audiences　and　learning　the　lessons

of　the　pioneer　in　the　lecture…field。　　I　was　soon　to

learn　more；　for　in　1888　Miss　Anthony　persuaded　me

to　drop　my　temperance　work　and　concentrate　my

energies　on　the　suffrage　cause。　　For　a　long　time　I

hesitated。　　I　was　very　happy　in　my　connection

with　the　Woman's　Christian　Temperance　Union；

and　I　knew　that　Miss　Willard　was　depending　on　me

to　continue　it。　　But　Miss　Anthony's　arguments

were　irrefutable；　and　she　was　herself；　as　always；

irresistible。



‘‘You　can't　win　two　causes　at　once；''　she　reminded

me。　　‘‘You're　merely　scattering　your　energies。　　Be…

gin　at　the　beginning。　　Win　suffrage　for　women；　and

the　rest　will　follow。''　　As　an　added　argument；　she

took　me　with　her　on　her　Kansas　campaign；　and　after

that　no　further　arguments　were　needed。　　From　then

until　her　death；　eighteen　years　later；　Miss　Anthony

and　I　worked　shoulder　to　shoulder。



The　most　interesting　lecture　episode　of　our　first

Kansas　campaign　was　my　debate　with　Senator　John

J。　Ingalls。　　Before　this；　however；　on　our　arrival

at　Atchison；　Mrs。　Ingalls　gave　a　luncheon　for　Miss

Anthony；　and　Rachel　Foster　Avery　and　I　were　also

invited。　　Miss　Anthony　sat　at　the　right　of　Senator

Ingalls；　and　I　at　his　left；　while　Mrs。　Ingalls；　of　course；

adorned　the　opposite　end　of　her　table。　　Mrs。　Avery

and　I　had　just　been　entertained　for　several　days　at

the　home　of　a　vegetarian　friend　who　did　not　know

how　to　cook　vegetables；　and　we　were　both　half

starved。　　When　we　were　invited　to　the　Ingalls　home

we　had　uttered　in　unison　a　joyous　cry；　‘‘Now　we　shall

have　something　to　eat！''　　At　the　luncheon；　however；

Senator　Ingalls　kept　Miss　Anthony　and　me　talking

steadily。　　He　was　not　in　favor　of　suffrage　for　women；

but　he　wished　to　know　all　sorts　of　things　about　the

Cause；　and　we　were　anxious　to　have　him　know　them。　

The　result　was　that　I　had　time　for　only　an　occasional

mouthful；　while　down　at　the　end　of　the　table　Mrs。

Avery　ate　and　ate；　pausing　only　to　send　me　glances

of　heartfelt　sympathy。　　Also；　whenever　she　had　an

especially　toothsome　morsel　on　the　end　of　her　fork

she　wickedly　succeeded　in　catching　my　eye　and　thus

adding　the　last　sybaritic　touch　to　her　enjoyment。



Notwithstanding　the　wealth　of　knowledge　we　had

bestowed　upon　him；　or　perhaps　because　of　it；　the

following　night　Senator　Ingalls　made　his　famous

speech　against　suffrage；　and　it　fell　to　my　lot　to

answer　him。　　In　the　course　of　his　remarks　he　asked

this　question：　　‘‘Would　you　like　to　add　three　million

illiterate　voters　to　the　large　body　of　illiterate　voters

we　have　in　America　to…day？''　　The　audience　ap…

plauded　light…heartedly；　but　I　was　disturbed　by　the

sophistry　of　the　question。　　One　of　Senator　Ingalls's

most　discussed　personal　peculiarities　was　the　parting

of　his　hair　in　the　middle。　　Cartoonists　and　news…

paper　writers　always　made　much　of　this；　so　when　I

rose　to　reply　I　felt　justified　in　mentioning　it。



‘‘Senator　Ingalls；''　I　began；　‘‘parts　his　hair　in　the

middle；　as　we　all　know；　but　he　makes　up　for　it　by

parting　his　figures　on　one　side。　　Last　night　he　gave

you　the　short　side　of　his　figures。　　At　the　present　time

there　are　in　the　United　States　about　eighteen　million

women　of　voting　age。　　When　the　Senator　asked

whether　you　wanted　three　million　additional　illiterate

women　voters；　he　forgot　to　ask　also　if　you　didn't　want

fifteen　million　additional　intelligent　women　voters！　

We　will　grant　that　it　will　take　the　votes　of　three

million　intelligent　women　to　wipe　out　the　votes　of

three　million　illiterate　women。　　But　don't　forget　that

that　would　still　leave　us　twelve　million　intelligent

votes　to　the　good！''



The　audience　applauded　as　gaily　as　it　had　ap…

plauded　Senator　Ingalls　when　he　spoke　on　the　other

side；　and　I　continued：



‘‘Now　women　have　always　been　generous　to　men。　

So　of　our　twelve　million　intelligent　voters　we　will

offer　four　million　to　offset　the　votes　of　the　four

million　illiterate　men　in　this　countryand　then

we　will　still　have　eight　million　intelligent　votes　to

add　to　the　other　intelligent　votes　which　are　cast。''　

The　audience　seemed　to　enjoy　this。



‘‘The　anti…suffragists　are　fairly　safe；''　I　ended；

‘‘as　long　as　they　remain　on　the　plane　of　prophecy。　

But　as　soon　as　they　tackle　mathematics　they　get

into　trouble！''



Miss　Anthony　was　much　pleased　by　the　wide

publicity　given　to　this　debate；　but　Senator　Ingalls

failed　to　share　her　enthusiasm。



It　was　shortly　after　this　encounter　that　I　had

two　traveling　experiences　which　nearly　cost　me　my

life。　　One　of　them　occurred　in　Ohio　at　the　time　of

a　spring　freshet。　　I　know　of　no　state　that　can　cover

itself　with　water　as　completely　as　Ohio　can；　and　for

no　apparent　reason。　　On　this　occasion　it　was　break…

ing　its　own　record。　　We　had　driven　twenty　miles

across　country　in　a　buggy　which　was　barely　out　of　the

water；　and　behind　horses　that　at　times　were　almost

forced　to　swim；　and　when　we　got　near　the　town

where　I　was　to　lecture；　though　still　on　the　opposite

side　of　the　river　from　it；　we　discovered　that　the

bridge　was　gone。　　We　had　a　good　view　of　the　town；

situated　high　and　dry　on　a　steep　bank；　but　the　river

which　rolled　between　us　and　that　town　was　a　roaring；

boiling　stream；　and　the　only　possible　way　to　cross

it；　I　found；　was　to　walk　over　a　railroad　trestle；　already

trembling　under　the　force　of　the　water。



There　were　hundreds　of　men　on　the　river…bank

watching　the　flood；　and　when　they　saw　me　start

out　on　the　empty　trestle　they　set　up　a　cheer　that

nearly　threw　me　off。　　T