the story of a pioneer-第41章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



mitted　to　preach　unless　clothed　in　clerical　robes　in

the　pulpit。　　It　happened　that　I　had　not　taken　my

clerical　robes　with　meI　am　constantly　forgetting

those　clerical　robes！so　the　pastor　of　the　church

kindly　offered　me　his　robes。



Now　the　pastor　was　six　feet　tall　and　broad　in　pro…

portion；　and　I；　as　I　have　already　confessed；　am　very

short。　　His　robes　transformed　me　into　such　an　absurd

caricature　of　a　preacher　that　it　was　quite　impossible

for　me　to　wear　them。　　What；　then；　were　we　to　do？　

Lacking　clerical　robes；　the　police　would　not　allow

me　to　utter　six　words。　　It　was　finally　decided　that

the　clergyman　should　meet　the　letter　of　the　law　by

entering　the　pulpit　in　his　robes　and　standing　by　my

side　while　I　delivered　my　sermon。　　The　law　soberly

accepted　this　solution　of　the　problem；　and　we　offered

the　congregation　the　extraordinary　tableau　of　a

pulpit　combining　a　large　and　impressive　pastor

standing　silently　beside　a　small　and　inwardly　con…

vulsed　woman　who　had　all　she　could　do　to　deliver

her　sermon　with　the　solemnity　the　occasion　re…

quired。



At　this　same　conference　I　made　one　of　the　few

friendships　I　enjoy　with　a　member　of　a　European

royal　family；　for　I　met　the　Princess　Blank　of　Italy；

who　overwhelmed　me　with　attention　during　my　visit；

and　from　whom　I　still　receive　charming　letters。　　She

invited　me　to　visit　her　in　her　castle　in　Italy；　and　to

accompany　her　to　her　mother's　castle　in　Austria；

and　she　finally　insisted　on　knowing　exactly　why　I

persistently　refused　both　invitations。



‘‘Because；　my　dear　Princess；''　I　explained；　‘‘I　am

a　working…woman。''



‘‘Nobody　need　KNOW　that；''　murmured　the　Princess；

calmly。



‘‘On　the　contrary；''　I　assured　her；　‘‘it　is　the　first

thing　I　should　explain。''



‘‘But　why？''　the　Princess　wanted　to　know。



I　studied　her　in　silence　for　a　moment。　　She　was　a

new　and　interesting　type　to　me；　and　I　was　glad　to

exchange　viewpoints　with　her。



‘‘You　are　proud　of　your　family；　are　you　not？''　I

asked。　　‘‘You　are　proud　of　your　great　line？''



The　Princess　drew　herself　up。　　‘‘Assuredly；''　she

said。



‘‘Very　well；''　I　continued。　　‘‘I　am　proud；　too。　

What　I　have　done　I　have　done　unaided；　and；　to　be

frank　with　you；　I　rather　approve　of　it。　　My　work

is　my　patent　of　nobility；　and　I　am　not　willing　to

associate　with　those　from　whom　it　would　have　to　be

concealed　or　with　those　who　would　look　down　upon

it。''



The　Princess　sighed。　　I　was　a　new　type　to　her；

too；　as　new　as　she　was　to　me；　but　I　had　the　ad…

vantage　of　her；　for　I　could　understand　her　point　of

view；　whereas　she　apparently　could　not　follow　mine。　

She　was　very　gracious　to　me；　however；　showing　me

kindness　and　friendship　in　a　dozen　ways；　giving　me

an　immense　amount　of　her　time　and　taking　rather

more　of　my　time　than　I　could　spare；　but　never　for…

getting　for　a　moment　that　her　blood　was　among　the

oldest　in　Europe；　and　that　all　her　traditions　were　in

keeping　with　its　honorable　age。



After　the　Berlin　meeting　Miss　Anthony　and　I

were　invited　to　spend　a　week…end　at　the　home　of

Mrs。　Jacob　Bright；　that　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　might　re…

new　her　acquaintance　with　Annie　Besant。　　This

visit　is　among　my　most　vivid　memories。　　Originally

‘‘Aunt　Susan''　had　greatly　admired　Mrs。　Besant；

and　had　openly　lamented　the　latter's　concentration

on　theosophical　interestswhen；　as　Miss　Anthony

put　it；　‘‘there　are　so　many　live　problems　here　in　this

world。''　　Now　she　could　not　conceal　her　disapproval

of　the　‘‘other…worldliness''　of　Mrs。　Besant；　Mrs。

Bright；　and　her　daughter。　　Some　remarkable　and；

to　me；　most　amusing　discussions　took　place　among

the　three；　but　often；　during　Mrs。　Besant's　most　sus…

tained　oratorical　flights；　Miss　Anthony's　interest

would　wander；　and　she　would　drop　a　remark　that

showed　she　had　not　heard　a　word。　　She　had　a　great

admiration　for　Mrs。　Besant's　intellect；　but　she　dis…

approved　of　her　flowing　and　picturesque　white　robes；

of　her　bare　feet；　of　her　incessant　cigarette…smoking；

above　all；　of　her　views。　　At　last；　one　day。｛sic｝　the　climax

of　the　discussions　came。



‘‘Annie；''　demanded　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''　‘‘why　don't

you　make　that　aura　of　yours　do　its　gallivanting　in

this　world；　looking　up　the　needs　of　the　oppressed；

and　investigating　the　causes　of　present　wrongs？

Then　you　could　reveal　to　us　workers　just　what　we

should　do　to　put　things　right；　and　we　could　be

about　it。''



Mrs。　Besant　sighed　and　said　that　life　was　short

and　aeons　were　long；　and　that　while　every　one　would

be　perfected　some　time；　it　was　useless　to　deal　with

individuals　here。



‘‘But；　Annie！''　exclaimed　Miss　Anthony；　patheti…

cally。　　‘‘We　ARE　here！　　Our　business　is　here！　　It's

our　duty　to　do　what　we　can　here。''



Mrs。　Besant　seemed　not　to　hear　her。　　She　was　in

a　trance；　gazing　into　the　aeons。



‘‘I'd　rather　have　one　year　of　your　ability；　backed

up　with　common　sense；　for　the　work　of　making　this

world　better；''　cried　the　exasperated　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''

‘‘than　a　million　aeons　in　the　hereafter！''



Mrs。　Besant　sighed　again。　　It　was　plain　that　she

could　not　bring　herself　back　from　the　other　world；

so　Miss　Anthony；　perforce；　accompanied　her　to　it。



‘‘When　your　aura　goes　visiting　in　the　other

world；''　she　asked；　curiously；　‘‘does　it　ever　meet

your　old　friend　Charles　Bradlaugh？''



‘‘Oh　yes；''　declared　Mrs。　Besant。　　‘‘Frequently。''



‘‘Wasn't　he　very　much　surprised；''　demanded　Miss

Anthony；　with　growing　interest；　‘‘to　discover　that　he

was　not　dead？''



Mrs。　Besant　did　not　seem　to　know　what　emotion

Mr。　Bradlaugh　had　experienced　when　that　revela…

tion　came。



‘‘Well；''　mused　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''　‘‘I　should　think

he　would　have　been　surprised。　　He　was　so　certain

he　was　going　to　be　dead　that　it　must　have　been

astounding　to　discover　he　wasn't。　　What　was　he

doing　in　the　other　world？''



Mrs。　Besant　heaved　a　deeper　sigh。　　‘‘I　am　very

much　discouraged　over　Mr。　Bradlaugh；''　she　ad…

mitted；　wanly。　　‘‘　He　is　hovering　too　near　this

world。　　He　cannot　seem　to　get　away　from　his　mun…

dane　interests。　　He　is　as　much　concerned　with　par…

liamentary　affairs　now　as　when　he　was　on　this

plane。''



‘‘Humph！''　said　Miss　Anthony；　‘‘that's　the　most

sensible　thing　I've　heard　yet　about　the　other　world。　

It　encourages　me。　　I've　always　felt　sure　that　if　I

entered　the　other　life　before　women　were　enfran…

chised　nothing　in　the　glories　of　heaven　would　in…

terest　me　so　much　as　the　work　for　women's　freedom

on　earth。　　Now；''　she　ended；　‘‘I　shall　be　like　Mr。

Bradlaugh。　　I　shall　hover　round　and　continue　my

work　here。''



When　Mrs。　Besant　had　left　the　room　Mrs。　Bright

felt　that　it　was　her　duty　to　admonish　‘‘Aunt　Susan''

to　be　more　careful　in　what　she　said。



‘‘You　are　making　too　light　of　her　creed；''　she　ex…

postulated。　　‘‘You　do　not　realize　the　important

position　Mrs。　Besant　holds。　　Why；　in　India；　when

she　walks　from　her　home　to　her　school　all　those　she

meets　prostrate　themselves。　　Even　the　learned　men

prostrate　themselves　and　put　their　faces　on　the

ground　as　she　goes　by。''



‘‘Aunt　Susan's''　voice；　when　she　replied；　took　on

the　tones　of　one　who　is　sorely　tried。　　‘‘But　why　in

Heaven's　name　does　any　sensible　Englishwoman

want　a　lot　of　heathen　to　prostrate　themselves　as　she

goes　up　the　street？''　she　demanded；　wearily。　　‘‘It's

the　most　foolish　thing　I　ever　heard。''



The　effort　to　win　Miss　Anthony　over　to　the　theo…

sophical　doctrine　was　abandoned。　　That　night；　after

we　had　gone　to　our　rooms；　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　summed　up

her　conclusions　on　the　interview：



‘‘It's　a　good　thing　for　the　world；''　she　declared；

‘‘that　some　of　us　don't　know　so　much。　　And　it's　a

better　thing　for　this　world　that　some　of　us　think　a

little　earthly　common　sense　is　more　valuable　than

too　much　heavenly　knowledge。''







X



THE　PASSING　OF　‘‘AUNT　SUSAN''





On　one　occasion　Miss　Anthony　had　the　doubt…

ful　pleasure　of　reading　her　own　obituary　notices；

and　her　interest