the story of a pioneer-第37章

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but　I　found　full　compensation　for　every　effort　in

the　glory　of　working　with　her　for　the　Cause　that　was

first　in　both　our　hearts；　and　in　the　happiness　of　being

her　friend。　　Later　I　shall　describe　in　more　detail　the

suffrage　campaigns　and　the　National　and　Inter…

national　councils　in　which　we　took　part；　now　it　is

of　her　I　wish　to　writeof　her　bigness；　her　many…

sidedness；　her　humor；　her　courage；　her　quickness；

her　sympathy；　her　understanding；　her　force；　her

supreme　common…sense；　her　selflessness；　in　short；　of

the　rare　beauty　of　her　nature　as　I　learned　to　know　it。



Like　most　great　leaders；　she　took　one's　best　work

for　granted；　and　was　chary　with　her　praise；　and　even

when　praise　was　given　it　usually　came　by　indirect

routes。　　I　recall　with　amusement　that　the　highest

compliment　she　ever　paid　me　in　public　involved　her

in　a　tangle　from　which；　later；　only　her　quick　wit

extricated　her。　　We　were　lecturing　in　an　especially

pious　town　which　I　shall　call　B；　and　just　before

I　went　on　the　platform　Miss　Anthony　remarked；

peacefully：



‘‘These　people　have　always　claimed　that　I　am　ir…

religious。　　They　will　not　accept　the　fact　that　I　am

a　Quakeror；　rather；　they　seem　to　think　a　Quaker

is　an　infidel。　　I　am　glad　you　are　a　Methodist；　for

now　they　cannot　claim　that　we　are　not　orthodox。''



She　was　still　enveloped　in　the　comfort　of　this　re…

flection　when　she　introduced　me　to　our　audience；

and　to　impress　my　qualifications　upon　my　hearers

she　made　her　introduction　in　these　words：



‘‘It　is　a　pleasure　to　introduce　Miss　Shaw；　who

is　a　Methodist　minister。　　And　she　is　not　only　ortho…

dox　of　the　orthodox；　but　she　is　also　my　right　bower！''



There　was　a　gasp　from　the　pious　audience；　and

then　a　roar　of　laughter　from　irreverent　men；　in

which；　I　must　confess；　I　light…heartedly　joined。　　For

once　in　her　life　Miss　Anthony　lost　her　presence　of

mind；　she　did　not　know　how　to　meet　the　situation；

for　she　had　no　idea　what　had　caused　the　laughter。　

It　bubbled　forth　again　and　again　during　the　eve…

ning；　and　each　time　Miss　Anthony　received　the　dem…

onstration　with　the　same　air　of　puzzled　surprise。　

When　we　had　returned　to　our　hotel　rooms　I　explained

the　matter　to　her。　　I　do　not　remember　now　where

I　had　acquired　my　own　sinful　knowledge；　but　that

night　I　faced　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　from　the　pedestal　of　a

sophisticated　worldling。



‘‘Don't　you　know　what　a　right　bower　is？''　I　de…

manded；　sternly。



‘‘Of　course　I　do；''　insisted　‘‘Aunt　Susan。''　　‘‘It's

a　right…hand　manthe　kind　one　can't　do　without。''



‘‘It　is　a　card；''　I　told　her；　firmly‘‘a　leading　card

in　a　game　called　euchre。''



‘‘Aunt　Susan''　was　dazed。　　‘‘I　didn't　know　it　had

anything　to　do　with　cards；''　she　mused；　mournfully。　

‘‘What　must　they　think　of　me？''



What　they　thought　became　quite　evident。　　The

newspapers　made　countless　jokes　at　our　expense；

and　there　were　significant　smiles　on　the　faces　in　the

audience　that　awaited　us　the　next　night。　　When

Miss　Anthony　walked　upon　the　platform　she　at

once　proceeded　to　clear　herself　of　the　tacit　charge

against　her。



‘‘When　I　came　to　your　town；''　she　began；　cheer…

fully；　‘‘I　had　been　warned　that　you　were　a　very

religious　lot　of　people。　　I　wanted　to　impress　upon

you　the　fact　that　Miss　Shaw　and　I　are　religious；　too。

But　I　admit　that　when　I　told　you　she　was　my　right

bower　I　did　not　know　what　a　right　bower　was。　　I

have　learned　that；　since　last　night。''



She　waited　until　the　happy　chortles　of　her　hearers

had　subsided；　and　then　went　on。



‘‘It　interests　me　very　much；　however；''　she　con…

cluded；　‘‘to　realize　that　every　one　of　you　seemed　to

know　all　about　a　right　bower；　and　that　I　had　to　come

to　your　good；　orthodox　town　to　get　the　informa…

tion。''



That　time　the　joke　was　on　the　audience。

Miss　Anthony's　home　was　in　Rochester；　New

York；　and　it　was　said　by　our　friends　that　on　the

rare　occasions　when　we　were　not　together；　and　I　was

lecturing　independently；　‘‘all　return　roads　led

through　Rochester。''　　I　invariably　found　some　ex…

cuse　to　go　there　and　report　to　her。　　Together　we

must　have　worn　out　many　Rochester　pavements；

for　‘‘Aunt　Susan's''　pet　recreation　was　walking；　and

she　used　to　walk　me　round　and　round　the　city

squares；　far　into　the　night；　and　at　a　pace　that　made

policemen　gape　at　us　as　we　flew　by。　　Some　dis…

respectful　youth　once　remarked　that　on　these　oc…

casions　we　suggested　a　race　between　a　ruler　and　a

rubber　ballfor　she　was　very　tall　and　thin；　while

I　am　short　and　plump。　　To　keep　up　with　her　I

literally　bounded　at　her　side。



A　certain　amount　of　independent　lecturing　was

necessary　for　me；　for　I　had　to　earn　my　living。　　The

National　American　Woman　Suffrage　Association

has　never　paid　salaries　to　its　officers；　so；　when　I　be…

came　vice…president　and　eventually；　in　1904；　presi…

dent　of　the　association；　I　continued　to　work　gratui…

tously　for　the　Cause　in　these　positions。　　Even　Miss

Anthony　received　not　one　penny　of　salary　for　all

her　years　of　unceasing　labor；　and　she　was　so　poor

that　she　did　not　have　a　home　of　her　own　until　she

was　seventy…five。　　Then　it　was　a　very　simple　one；

and　she　lived　with　the　utmost　economy。　　I　decided

that　I　could　earn　my　bare　expenses　by　making　one

brief　lecture　tour　each　year；　and　I　made　an　arrange…

ment　with　the　Redpath　Bureau　which　left　me

fully　two…thirds　of　my　time　for　the　suffrage　work

I　loved。



This　was　one　result　of　my　all…night　talk　with　Miss

Anthony　in　Chicago；　and　it　enabled　me　to　carry

out　her　plan　that　I　should　accompany　her　in　most

of　the　campaigns　in　which　she　sought　to　arouse　the

West　to　the　need　of　suffrage　for　women。　　From　that

time　on　we　traveled　and　lectured　together　so　con…

stantly　that　each　of　us　developed　an　almost　uncanny

knowledge　of　the　other's　mental　processes。　　At　any

point　of　either's　lecture　the　other　could　pick　it　up

and　carry　it　ona　fortunate　condition；　as　it　some…

times　became　necessary　to　do　this。　　Miss　Anthony

was　subject　to　contractions　of　the　throat；　which　for

the　moment　caused　a　slight　strangulation。　　On　such

occasionsof　which　there　were　severalshe　would

turn　to　me　and　indicate　her　helplessness。　　Then　I

would　repeat　her　last　sentence；　complete　her　speech；

and　afterward　make　my　own。



The　first　time　this　happened　we　were　in　Washing…

ton；　and　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　stopped　in　the　middle　of　a

word。　　She　could　not　speak；　she　merely　motioned

to　me　to　continue　for　her；　and　left　the　stage。　　At　the

end　of　the　evening　a　prominent　Washington　man

who　had　been　in　our　audience　remarked　to　me；　con…

fidentially：



‘‘That　was　a　nice　little　play　you　and　Miss　An…

thony　made　to…nightvery　effective　indeed。''



For　an　instant　I　did　not　catch　his　meaning；　nor

the　implication　in　his　knowing　smile。



‘‘Very　clever；　that　strangling　bit；　and　your　going

on　with　the　speech；''　he　repeated。　　‘‘It　hit　the　au…

dience　hard。''



‘‘Surely；''　I　protested；　‘‘you　don't　think　it　was　a

deliberate　thingthat　we　planned　or　rehearsed　it。''



He　stared　at　me　incredulously。　　‘‘Are　you　going

to　pretend；''　he　demanded；　‘‘that　it　wasn't　a　put…up

job？''



I　told　him　he　had　paid　us　a　high　compliment；　and

that　we　must　really　have　done　very　well　if　we　had

conveyed　that　impression；　and　I　finally　convinced

him　that　we　not　only　had　not　rehearsed　the　episode；

but　that　neither　of　us　had　known　what　the　other

meant　to　say。　　We　never　wrote　out　our　speeches；

but　our　subject　was　always　suffrage　or　some　ramifica…

tion　of　suffrage；　and；　naturally；　we　had　thoroughly

digested　each　other's　views。



It　is　said　by　my　friends　that　I　write　my　speeches

on　the　tips　of　my　fingersfor　I　always　make　my

points　on　my　fingers　and　have　my　fingers　named　for

points。　　When　I　plan　a　speech　I　decide　how　many

points　I　wish　to　make　and　what　those　points　shall

be。　　My　mental　preparation　follows。　　Miss　An…

thony's　method　was　much　the　same；　but　very　fre…

quently　both　of　us　threw　over　all　our　plans　at　the　last