the story of a pioneer-第38章

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

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

moment　and　spoke　extemporaneously　on　some　theme

suggested　by　the　atmosphere　of　the　gathering　or　by

the　words　of　another　speaker。



From　Miss　Anthony；　more　than　from　any　one　else；

I　learned　to　keep　cool　in　the　face　of　interruptions

and　of　the　small　annoyances　and　disasters　inevitable

in　campaigning。　　Often　we　were　able　to　help　each

other　out　of　embarrassing　situations；　and　one　incident

of　this　kind　occurred　during　our　campaign　in　South

Dakota。　　We　were　holding　a　meeting　on　the　hottest

Sunday　of　the　hottest　month　in　the　yearAugust

and　hundreds　of　the　natives　had　driven　twenty；

thirty；　and　even　forty　miles　across　the　country　to

hear　us。　　We　were　to　speak　in　a　sod　church；　but　it

was　discovered　that　the　structure　would　not　hold　half

the　people　who　were　trying　to　enter　it；　so　we　decided

that　Miss　Anthony　should　speak　from　the　door；　in

order　that　those　both　inside　and　outside　might　hear

her。　　To　elevate　her　above　her　audience；　she　was

given　an　empty　dry…goods　box　to　stand　on。



This　makeshift　platform　was　not　large；　and　men；

women；　and　children　were　seated　on　the　ground

around　it；　pressing　up　against　it；　as　close　to　the

speaker　as　they　could　get。　　Directly　in　front　of　Miss

Anthony　sat　a　woman　with　a　child　about　two　years

olda　little　boy；　and　this　infant；　like　every　one　else

in　the　packed　throng；　was　dripping　with　perspiration

and　suffering　acutely　under　the　blazing　sun。　　Every

woman　present　seemed　to　have　brought　children　with

her；　doubtless　because　she　could　not　leave　them

alone　at　home；　and　babies　were　crying　and　fretting

on　all　sides。　　The　infant　nearest　Miss　Anthony　fretted

most　strenuously；　he　was　a　sturdy　little　fellow　with

a　fine　pair　of　lungs；　and　he　made　it　very　difficult　for

her　to　lift　her　voice　above　his　dismal　clamor。　　Sud…

denly；　however；　he　discovered　her　feet　on　the　dry…

goods　box；　about　on　a　level　with　his　head。　　They

were　clad　in　black　stockings　and　low　shoes；　they

moved　about　oddly；　they　fascinated　him。　　With　a

yelp　of　interest　he　grabbed　for　them　and　began

pinching　them　to　see　what　they　were。　　His　howls

ceased；　he　was　happy。



Miss　Anthony　was　not。　　But　it　was　a　great　relief

to　have　the　child　quiet；　so　she　bore　the　infliction　of

the　pinching　as　long　as　she　could。　　When　endurance

had　found　its　limit　she　slipped　back　out　of　reach；

and　as　his　new　plaything　receded　the　boy　uttered

shrieks　of　disapproval。　　There　was　only　one　way　to

stop　his　noise；　Miss　Anthony　brought　her　feet　for…

ward　again；　and　he　resumed　the　pinching　of　her

ankles；　while　his　yelps　subsided　to　contented　mur…

murs。　　The　performance　was　repeated　half　a　dozen

times。　　Each　time　the　ankles　retreated　the　baby

yelled。　　Finally；　for　once　at　the　end　of　her　patience；

‘‘Aunt　Susan''　leaned　forward　and　addressed　the

mother；　whose　facial　expression　throughout　had

shown　a　complete　mental　detachment　from　the　situa…

tion。



‘‘I　think　your　little　boy　is　hot　and　thirsty；''　she

said；　gently。　　‘‘If　you　would　take　him　out　of　the

crowd　and　give　him　a　drink　of　water　and　unfasten

his　clothes；　I　am　sure　he　would　be　more　comfortable。''

Before　she　had　finished　speaking　the　woman　had

sprung　to　her　feet　and　was　facing　her　with　fierce

indignation。



‘‘This　is　the　first　time　I　have　ever　been　insulted

as　a　mother；''　she　cried；　‘‘and　by　an　old　maid　at

that！''　　Then　she　grasped　the　infant　and　left　the

scene；　amid　great　confusion。　　The　majority　of　those

in　the　audience　seemed　to　sympathize　with　her。　

They　had　not　seen　the　episode　of　the　feet；　and　they

thought　Miss　Anthony　was　complaining　of　the　child's

crying。　　Their　children　were　crying；　too；　and　they

felt　that　they　had　all　been　criticized。　　Other　women

rose　and　followed　the　irate　mother；　and　many　men

gallantly　followed　them。　　It　seemed　clear　that

motherhood　had　been　outraged。



Miss　Anthony　was　greatly　depressed　by　the　epi…

sode；　and　she　was　not　comforted　by　a　prediction　one

man　made　after　the　meeting。



‘‘You've　lost　at　least　twenty　votes　by　that　little

affair；''　he　told　her。



‘‘Aunt　Susan''　sighed。　　‘‘Well；''　she　said；　‘‘if　those

men　knew　how　my　ankles　felt　I　would　have　won

twenty　votes　by　enduring　the　torture　as　long　as　I　did。''



The　next　day　we　had　a　second　meeting。　　Miss

Anthony　made　her　speech　early　in　the　evening；　and

by　the　time　it　was　my　turn　to　begin　all　the　children

in　the　audienceand　there　were　manywere　both

tired　and　sleepy。　　At　least　half　a　dozen　of　them

were　crying；　and　I　had　to　shout　to　make　my　voice

heard　above　their　uproar。　　Miss　Anthony　remarked

afterward　that　there　seemed　to　be　a　contest　between

me　and　the　infants　to　see　which　of　us　could　make

more　noise。　　The　audience　was　plainly　getting　rest…

less　under　the　combined　effect；　and　finally　a　man　in

the　rear　rose　and　added　his　voice　to　the　tumult。



‘‘Say；　Miss　Shaw；''　he　yelled；　‘‘don't　you　want

these　children　put　out？''



It　was　our　chance　to　remove　the　sad　impression

of　yesterday；　and　I　grasped　it。



‘‘No；　indeed；''　I　yelled　back。　　‘‘Nothing　inspires

me　like　the　voice　of　a　child！''



A　handsome　round　of　applause　from　mothers　and

fathers　greeted　this　noble　declaration；　after　which

the　blessed　babies　and　I　resumed　our　joint　vocal

efforts。　　When　the　speech　was　finished　and　we　were

alone　together；　Miss　Anthony　put　her　arm　around

my　shoulder　and　drew　me　to　her　side。



‘‘Well；　Anna；''　she　said；　gratefully；　‘‘you've　cer…

tainly　evened　us　up　on　motherhood　this　time。''



That　South　Dakota　campaign　was　one　of　the

most　difficult　we　ever　made。　　It　extended　over　nine

months；　and　it　is　impossible　to　describe　the　poverty

which　prevailed　throughout　the　whole　rural　com…

munity　of　the　State。　　There　had　been　three　con…

secutive　years　of　drought。　　The　sand　was　like　pow…

der；　so　deep　that　the　wheels　of　the　wagons　in　which

we　rode　‘‘across　country''　sank　half…way　to　the

hubs；　and　in　the　midst　of　this　dry　powder　lay　with…

ered　tangles　that　had　once　been　grass。　　Every　one

had　the　forsaken；　desperate　look　worn　by　the　pioneer

who　has　reached　the　limit　of　his　endurance；　and　the

great　stretches　of　prairie　roads　showed　innumerable

canvas…covered　wagons；　drawn　by　starved　horses；

and　followed　by　starved　cows；　on　their　way　‘‘Back

East。''　　Our　talks　with　the　despairing　drivers　of

these　wagons　are　among　my　most　tragic　memories。

They　had　lost　everything　except　what　they　had　with

them；　and　they　were　going　East　to　leave　‘‘the　wom…

an''　with　her　father　and　try　to　find　work。　　Usually；

with　a　look　of　disgust　at　his　wife；　the　man　would

say：　　‘‘I　wanted　to　leave　two　years　ago；　but　the

woman　kept　saying；　‘Hold　on　a　little　longer。'　''



Both　Miss　Anthony　and　I　gloried　in　the　spirit　of

these　pioneer　women；　and　lost　no　opportunity　to

tell　them　so；　for　we　realized　what　our　nation　owes

to　the　patience　and　courage　of　such　as　they　were。　

We　often　asked　them　what　was　the　hardest　thing　to

bear　in　their　pioneer　life；　and　we　usually　received

the　same　reply：



‘‘To　sit　in　our　little　adobe　or　sod　houses　at　night

and　listen　to　the　wolves　howl　over　the　graves　of　our

babies。　　For　the　howl　of　the　wolf　is　like　the　cry　of

a　child　from　the　grave。''



Many　days；　and　in　all　kinds　of　weather；　we　rode

forty　and　fifty　miles　in　uncovered　wagons。　　Many

nights　we　shared　a　one…room　cabin　with　all　the　mem…

bers　of　the　family。　　But　the　greatest　hardship　we

suffered　was　the　lack　of　water。　　There　was　very

little　good　water　in　the　state；　and　the　purest　water

was　so　brackish　that　we　could　hardly　drink　it。　　The

more　we　drank　the　thirstier　we　became；　and　when

the　water　was　made　into　tea　it　tasted　worse　than

when　it　was　clear。　　A　bath　was　the　rarest　of　luxuries。　

The　only　available　fuel　was　buffalo　manure；　of　which

the　odor　permeated　all　our　food。　　But　despite　these

handicaps　we　were　happy　in　our　work；　for　we　had

some　great　meetings　and