the story of a pioneer-第40章

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gence　of　his　faithful　spot…light。　　He　rode　directly

to　our　boxes；　reined　his　horse　in　front　of　Miss　An…

thony；　rose　in　his　stirrups；　and　with　his　characteris…

tic　gesture　swept　his　slouch…hat　to　his　saddle…bow　in

salutation。　　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　immediately　rose；　bowed

in　her　turn　and；　for　the　moment　as　enthusiastic　as　a

girl；　waved　her　handkerchief　at　him；　while　the　big

audience；　catching　the　spirit　of　the　scene；　wildly

applauded。　　It　was　a　striking　picture　this　meeting

of　the　pioneer　man　and　woman；　and；　poor　as　I　am；

I　would　give　a　hundred　dollars　for　a　snapshot　of　it。



On　many　occasions　I　saw　instances　of　Miss　An…

thony's　prescienceand　one　of　these　was　connected

with　the　death　of　Frances　E。　Willard。　　‘‘Aunt

Susan''　had　called　on　Miss　Willard；　and；　coming　to

me　from　the　sick…room；　had　walked　the　floor；　beating

her　hands　together　as　she　talked　of　the　visit。



‘‘Frances　Willard　is　dying；''　she　exclaimed；　pas…

sionately。　　‘‘She　is　dying；　and　she　doesn't　know　it；

and　no　one　around　her　realizes　it。　　She　is　lying　there；

seeing　into　two　worlds；　and　making　more　plans　than

a　thousand　women　could　carry　out　in　ten　years。　

Her　brain　is　wonderful。　　She　has　the　most　extraor…

dinary　clearness　of　vision。　　There　should　be　a　stenog…

rapher　in　that　room；　and　every　word　she　utters

should　be　taken　down；　for　every　word　is　golden。　

But　they　don't　understand。　　They　can't　realize　that

she　is　going。　　I　told　Anna　Gordon　the　truth；　but　she

won't　believe　it。''



Miss　Willard　died　a　few　days　later；　with　a　sudden…

ness　which　seemed　to　be　a　terrible　shock　to　those

around　her。



Of　‘‘Aunt　Susan's''　really　remarkable　lack　of　self…

consciousness　we　who　worked　close　to　her　had　a

thousand　extraordinary　examples。　　Once；　I　remem…

ber；　at　the　New　Orleans　Convention；　she　reached

the　hall　a　little　late；　and　as　she　entered　the　great

audience　already　assembled　gave　her　a　tremendous

reception。　　The　exercises　of　the　day　had　not　yet

begun；　and　Miss　Anthony　stopped　short　and　looked

around　for　an　explanation　of　the　outburst。　　It　never

for　a　moment　occurred　to　her　that　the　tribute　was

to　her。



‘‘What　has　happened；　Anna？''　she　asked　at　last。



‘‘You　happened；　Aunt　Susan；''　I　had　to　explain。



Again；　on　the　great　‘‘College　Night''　of　the　Balti…

more　Convention；　when　President　M。　Carey　Thomas

of　Bryn　Mawr　College　had　finished　her　wonderful

tribute　to　Miss　Anthony；　the　audience；　carried　away

by　the　speech　and　also　by　the　presence　of　the　vener…

able　leader　on　the　platform；　broke　into　a　whirlwind

of　applause。　　In　this　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　artlessly　joined；

clapping　her　hands　as　hard　as　she　could。　　‘‘This　is

all　for　you；　Aunt　Susan；''　I　whispered；　‘‘so　it　isn't

your　time　to　applaud。''



‘‘Aunt　Susan''　continued　to　clap。　　‘‘Nonsense；''

she　said；　briskly。　　‘‘It's　not　for　me。　　It's　for　the

Causethe　Cause！''



Miss　Anthony　told　me　in　1904　that　she　regarded

her　reception　in　Berlin；　during　the　meeting　of　the

International　Council　of　Women　that　year；　as　the

climax　of　her　career。　　She　said　it　after　the　unex…

pected　and　wonderful　ovation　she　had　received　from

the　German　people；　and　certainly　throughout　her

inspiring　life　nothing　had　happened　that　moved　her

more　deeply。



For　some　time　Mrs。　Carrie　Chapman　Catt；　of

whose　splendid　work　for　the　Cause　I　shall　later　have

more　to　say；　had　cherished　the　plan　of　forming　an

International　Suffrage　Alliance。　　She　believed　the

time　had　come　when　the　suffragists　of　the　entire

world　could　meet　to　their　common　benefit；　and　Miss

Anthony；　always　Mrs。　Catt's　devoted　friend　and　ad…

mirer；　agreed　with　her。　　A　committee　was　appointed

to　meet　in　Berlin　in　1904；　just　before　the　meeting

of　the　International　Council　of　Women；　and　Miss

Anthony　was　appointed　chairman　of　the　committee。　

At　first　the　plan　of　the　committee　was　not　welcomed

by　the　International　Council；　there　was　even　a　sus…

picion　that　its　purpose　was　to　start　a　rival　organiza…

tion。　　But　it　met；　a　constitution　was　framed；　and

officers　were　elected；　Mrs。　Cattthe　ideal　choice

for　the　placebeing　made　president。　　As　a　climax

to　the　organization；　a　great　public　mass…meeting　had

been　arranged　by　the　German　suffragists；　but　at　the

special　plea　of　the　president　of　the　International

Council　Miss　Anthony　remained　away　from　this

meeting。　　It　was　represented　to　her　that　the　in…

terests　of　the　Council　might　suffer　if　she　and　other

of　its　leading　speakers　were　also　leaders　in　the　suf…

frage　movement。　　In　the　interest　of　harmony；　there

fore；　she　followed　the　wishes　of　the　Council's　presi…

dentto　my　great　unhappiness　and　to　that　of　other

suffragists。



When　the　meeting　was　opened　the　first　words　of

the　presiding　officer　were；　‘‘Where　is　Susan　B。　An…

thony？''　and　the　demonstration　that　followed　the

question　was　the　most　unexpected　and　overwhelm…

ing　incident　of　the　gathering。　　The　entire　audience

rose；　men　jumped　on　their　chairs；　and　the　cheering

continued　without　a　break　for　ten　minutes。　　Every

second　of　that　time　I　seemed　to　see　Miss　Anthony；

alone　in　her　hotel　room；　longing　with　all　her　big

heart　to　be　with　us；　as　we　longed　to　have　her。　　I

prayed　that　the　loss　of　a　tribute　which　would　have

meant　so　much　might　be　made　up　to　her；　and　it　was。　

Afterward；　when　we　burst　in　upon　her　and　told　her

of　the　great　demonstration　the　mere　mention　of　her

name　had　caused；　her　lips　quivered　and　her　brave

old　eyes　filled　with　tears。　　As　we　looked　at　her　I

think　we　all　realized　anew　that　what　the　world　called

stoicism　in　Susan　B。　Anthony　throughout　the　years

of　her　long　struggle　had　been；　instead；　the　splendid

courage　of　an　indomitable　soulwhile　all　the　time

the　woman's　heart　had　longed　for　affection　and

recognition。　　The　next　morning　the　leading　Berlin

newspaper；　in　reporting　the　debate　and　describing

the　spontaneous　tribute　to　Miss　Anthony；　closed

with　these　sentences：　　‘‘The　Americans　call　her

‘Aunt　Susan。'　　She　is　our　‘Aunt　Susan；'　too！''



Throughout　the　remainder　of　Miss　Anthony's

visit　she　was　the　most　honored　figure　at　the　Inter…

national　Council。　　Every　time　she　entered　the　great

convention…hall　the　entire　audience　rose　and　re…

mained　standing　until　she　was　seated；　each　mention

of　her　name　was　punctuated　by　cheers；　and　the　en…

thusiasm　when　she　appeared　on　the　platform　to　say

a　few　words　was　beyond　bounds。　　When　the　Em…

press　of　Germany　gave　her　reception　to　the　officers

of　the　Council；　she　crowned　the　hospitality　of　her

people　in　a　characteristically　gracious　way。　　As　soon

as　Miss　Anthony　was　presented　to　her　the　Empress

invited　her　to　be　seated；　and　to　remain　seated；　al…

though　every　one　else；　including　the　august　lady

herself；　was　standing。　　A　little　later；　seeing　the　in…

trepid　warrior　of　eighty…four　on　her　feet　with　the

other　delegates；　the　Empress　sent　one　of　her　aides

across　the　room　with　this　message：　　‘‘Please　tell　my

friend　Miss　Anthony　that　I　especially　wish　her　to

be　seated。　　We　must　not　let　her　grow　weary。''



In　her　turn；　Miss　Anthony　was　fascinated　by　the

Empress。　　She　could　not　keep　her　eyes　off　that

charming　royal　lady。　　Probably　the　thing　that　most

impressed　her　was　the　ability　of　her　Majesty　as　a

linguist。　　Receiving　women　from　every　civilized

country　on　the　globe；　the　Empress　seemed　to　address

each　in　her　own　tongue…slipping　from　one　language

into　the　next　as　easily　as　from　one　topic　to　another。



‘‘And　here　I　am；''　mourned　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''　‘‘speak…

ing　only　one　language；　and　that　not　very　well。''



At　this　Berlin　quinquennial；　by　the　way；　I　preached

the　Council　sermon；　and　the　occasion　gained　a　cer…

tain　interest　from　the　fact　that　I　was　the　first　or…

dained　woman　to　preach　in　a　church　in　Germany。　

It　then　took　on　a　tinge　of　humor　from　the　additional

fact　that；　according　to　the　German　law；　as　suddenly

revealed　to　us　by　the　police；　no　clergyman　was　per…

mitted　to　preach　unless　clothed　in　clerical　robes　in

the　pulpit。　　It　happen