the story of a pioneer-第42章

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On　one　occasion　Miss　Anthony　had　the　doubt…

ful　pleasure　of　reading　her　own　obituary　notices；

and　her　interest　in　them　was　characteristically　naive。　

She　had　made　a　speech　at　Lakeside；　Ohio；　during

which；　for　the　first　time　in　her　long　experience；　she

fainted　on　the　platform。　　I　was　not　with　her　at　the

time；　and　in　the　excitement　following　her　collapse

it　was　rumored　that　she　had　died。　　Immediately

the　news　was　telegraphed　to　the　Associated　Press

of　New　York；　and　from　there　flashed　over　the

country。　　At　Miss　Anthony's　home　in　Rochester　a

reporter　rang　the　bell　and　abruptly　informed　her

sister；　Miss　Mary　Anthony；　who　came　to　the　door；

that　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　was　dead。　　Fortunately　Miss

Mary　had　a　cool　head。



‘‘I　think；''　she　said；　‘‘that　if　my　sister　had　died

I　would　have　heard　about　it。　　Please　have　your

editors　telegraph　to　Lakeside。''



The　reporter　departed；　but　came　back　an　hour

later　to　say　that　his　newspaper　had　sent　the　tele…

gram　and　the　reply　was　that　Susan　B。　Anthony　was

dead。



‘‘I　have　just　received　a　better　telegram　than　that；''

remarked　Mary　Anthony。　　‘‘　Mine　is　from　my

sister；　she　tells　me　that　she　fainted　to…night；　but

soon　recovered　and　will　be　home　to…morrow。''



Nevertheless；　the　next　morning　the　American

newspapers　gave　much　space　to　Miss　Anthony's

obituary　notices；　and　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　spent　some　in…

teresting　hours　reading　them。　　One　that　pleased　her

vastly　was　printed　in　the　Wichita　Eagle；　whose　editor；

Mr。　Murdock；　had　been　almost　her　bitterest　op…

ponent。　　He　had　often　exhausted　his　brilliant　vo…

cabulary　in　editorial　denunciations　of　suffrage　and

suffragists；　and　Miss　Anthony　had　been　the　special

target　of　his　scorn。　　But　the　news　of　her　death　seemed

to　be　a　bitter　blow　to　him；　and　of　all　the　tributes

the　American　press　gave　to　Susan　B。　Anthony　dead；

few　equaled　in　beauty　and　appreciation　the　one

penned　by　Mr。　Murdock　and　published　in　the　Eagle。　

He　must　have　been　amused　when；　a　few　days　later；

he　received　a　letter　from　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　herself；

thanking　him　warmly　for　his　changed　opinion　of　her

and　hoping　that　it　meant　the　conversion　of　his　soul

to　our　Cause。　　It　did　not；　and　Mr。　Murdock；　though

never　again　quite　as　bitter　as　he　had　been；　soon

resumed　the　free　editorial　expression　of　his　anti…

suffrage　sentiments。　　Times　have　changed；　however；

and　to…day　his　son；　now　a　member　of　Congress；　is

one　of　our　strongest　supporters　in　that　body。



In　1905　it　became　plain　that　Miss　Anthony's

health　was　failing。　　Her　visits　to　Germany　and

England　the　previous　year；　triumphant　though　they　

had　been；　had　also　proved　a　drain　on　her　vitality；

and　soon　after　her　return　to　America　she　entered

upon　a　task　which　helped　to　exhaust　her　remaining

strength。　　She　had　been　deeply　interested　in　se…

curing　a　fund　of　50；000　to　enable　women　to　enter

Rochester　University；　and；　one　morning；　just　after

we　had　held　a　session　of　our　executive　committee

in　her　Rochester　home；　she　read　a　newspaper　an…

nouncement　to　the　effect　that　at　four　o'clock　that

afternoon　the　opportunity　to　admit　women　to　the

university　would　expire；　as　the　full　fifty　thousand

dollars　had　not　been　raised。　　The　sum　of　eight

thousand　dollars　was　still　lacking。



With　characteristic　energy；　Miss　Anthony　under…

took　to　save　the　situation　by　raising　this　amount

within　the　time　limit。　　Rushing　to　the　telephone；

she　called　a　cab　and　prepared　to　go　forth　on　her

difficult　quest；　but　first；　while　she　was　putting　on

her　hat　and　coat；　she　insisted　that　her　sister；　Mary

Anthony；　should　start　the　fund　by　contributing　one

thousand　dollars　from　her　meager　savings；　and　this

Miss　Mary　did。　　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　made　every　second

count　that　day；　and　by　half　after　three　o'clock　she

had　secured　the　necessary　pledges。　　Several　of　the

trustees　of　the　university；　however；　had　not　seemed

especially　anxious　to　have　the　fund　raised；　and　at

the　last　moment　they　objected　to　one　pledge　for　a

thousand　dollars；　on　the　ground　that　the　man　who

had　given　it　was　very　old　and　might　die　before　the

time　set　to　pay　it；　then　his　family；　they　feared；

might　repudiate　the　obligation。　　Without　a　word

Miss　Anthony　seized　the　pledge　and　wrote　her　name

across　it　as　an　indorsement。　　‘‘I　am　good　for　it；''

she　then　said；　quietly；　‘‘if　the　gentleman　who　signed

it　is　not。''



That　afternoon　she　returned　home　greatly　fa…

tigued。　　A　few　hours　later　the　girl　students　who

had　been　waiting　admission　to　the　university　came

to　serenade　her　in　recognition　of　her　successful　work

for　them；　but　she　was　too　ill　to　see　them。　　She　was

passing　through　the　first　stage　of　what　proved　to

be　her　final　breakdown。



In　1906；　when　the　date　of　the　annual　convention　of

the　National　American　Woman　Suffrage　Association

in　Baltimore　was　drawing　near；　she　became　convinced

that　it　would　be　her　last　convention。　　She　was　right。　

She　showed　a　passionate　eagerness　to　make　it　one

of　the　greatest　conventions　ever　held　in　the　history

of　the　movement；　and　we；　who　loved　her　and　saw

that　the　flame　of　her　life　was　burning　low；　also　bent

all　our　energies　to　the　task　of　realizing　her　hopes。　

In　November　preceding　the　convention　she　visited　me

and　her　niece；　Miss　Lucy　Anthony；　in　our　home　in

Mount　Airy；　Philadelphia；　and　it　was　clear　that　her

anxiety　over　the　convention　was　weighing　heavily

upon　her。　　She　visibly　lost　strength　from　day　to

day。　　One　morning　she　said　abruptly；　‘‘Anna；　let's

go　and　call　on　President　M。　Carey　Thomas；　of

Bryn　Mawr。''



I　wrote　a　note　to　Miss　Thomas；　telling　her　of　Miss

Anthony's　desire　to　see　her；　and　received　an　im…

mediate　reply　inviting　us　to　luncheon　the　following

day。　　We　found　Miss　Thomas　deep　in　the　work

connected　with　her　new　college　buildings；　over　which

she　showed　us　with　much　pride。　　Miss　Anthony；　of

course；　gloried　in　the　splendid　results　Miss　Thomas

had　achieved；　but　she　was；　for　her；　strangely　silent

and　preoccupied。　　At　luncheon　she　said：



‘‘Miss　Thomas；　your　buildings　are　beautiful；

your　new　library　is　a　marvel；　but　they　are　not　the

cause　of　our　presence　here。''



‘‘No；''　Miss　Thomas　said；　‘‘I　know　you　have

something　on　your　mind。　　I　am　waiting　for　you　to

tell　me　what　it　is。''



‘‘We　want　your　co…operation；　and　that　of　Miss

Garrett；''　began　Miss　Anthony；　promptly；　‘‘to　make

our　Baltimore　Convention　a　success。　　We　want　you

to　persuade　the　Arundel　Club　of　Baltimore；　the

most　fashionable　club　in　the　city；　to　give　a　recep…

tion　to　the　delegates；　and　we　want　you　to　arrange

a　college　night　on　the　programmea　great　college

night；　with　the　best　college　speakers　ever　brought

together。''



These　were　large　commissions　for　two　extremely

busy　women；　but　both　Miss　Thomas　and　Miss

Garrettrealizing　Miss　Anthony's　intense　earnest…

nesspromised　to　think　over　the　suggestions　and

see　what　they　could　do。　　The　next　morning　we　re…

ceived　a　telegram　from　them　stating　that　Miss

Thomas　would　arrange　the　college　evening；　and　that

Miss　Garrett　would　reopen　her　Baltimore　home；

which　she　had　closed；　during　the　convention。　　She

also　invited　Miss　Anthony　and　me　to　be　her　guests　

there；　and　added　that　she　would　try　to　arrange　the

reception　by　the　Arundel　Club。



‘‘Aunt　Susan''　was　overjoyed。　　I　have　never　seen

her　happier　than　she　was　over　the　receipt　of　that

telegram。　　She　knew　that　whatever　Miss　Thomas

and　Miss　Garrett　undertook　would　be　accomplished；

and　she　rightly　regarded　the　success　of　the　conven…

tion　as　already　assured。　　Her　expectations　were

more　than　realized。　　The　college　evening　was　un…

doubtedly　the　most　brilliant　occasion　of　its　kind

ever　arranged　for　a　convention。　　President　Ira

Remsen　of　Johns　Hopkins　University　presided；　and

addresses　were　made　by　President　Mary　E。　Woolley

of　Mount　Holyoke；　Professor　Lucy　Salmon　of　Vassar；

Professor　Mary　Jordan　of　Smith；　President　Thomas

herself；　and　many　others。



From　beginning　to　end　the　conven