the story of a pioneer-第43章

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herself；　and　many　others。



From　beginning　to　end　the　convention　was　prob…

ably　the　most　notable　yet　held　in　our　history。　

Julia　Ward　Howe　and　her　daughter；　Florence　Howe

Hall；　were　also　guests　of　Miss　Garrett；　who；　more…

over；　entertained　all　the　speakers　of　‘‘College　Night。''

Miss　Anthony；　now　eighty…six；　arrived　in　Baltimore

quite　ill；　and　Mrs。　Howe；　who　was　ninety；　was　taken

ill　soon　after　she　reached　there。　　The　two　great

women　made　a　dramatic　exchange　on　the　programme；

for　on　the　first　night；　when　Miss　Anthony　was　un…

able　to　speak；　Mrs。　Howe　took　her　place；　and　on　the

second　night；　when　Mrs。　Howe　had　succumbed；

Miss　Anthony　had　recovered　sufficiently　to　appear

for　her。　　Clara　Barton　was　also　an　honored　figure

at　the　convention；　and　Miss　Anthony's　joy　in　the

presence　of　all　these　old　and　dear　friends　was　over…

flowing。　　With　them；　too；　were　the　younger　women；

ready　to　take　up　and　carry　on　the　work　the　old

leaders　were　laying　down；　and　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''　as

she　surveyed　them　all；　felt　like　a　general　whose

superb　army　is　passing　in　review　before　him。

At　the　close　of　the　college　programme；　when　the

final　address　had　been　made　by　Miss　Thomas；　Miss

Anthony　rose　and　in　a　few　words　expressed　her

feeling　that　her　life…work　was　done；　and　her　con…

sciousness　of　the　near　approach　of　the　end。　　After

that　night　she　was　unable　to　appear；　and　was　indeed

so　ill　that　she　was　confined　to　her　bed　in　Miss　Gar…

rett's　most　hospitable　home。　　Nothing　could　have

been　more　thoughtful　or　more　beautiful　than　the

care　Miss　Garrett　and　Miss　Thomas　bestowed　on　her。　

They　engaged　for　her　one　of　the　best　physicians　in

Baltimore；　who；　in　turn；　consulted　with　the　leading

specialists　of　Johns　Hopkins；　and　they　also　secured

a　trained　nurse。　　This　final　attention　required

special　tact；　for　Miss　Anthony's　fear　of　‘‘giving

trouble''　was　so　great　that　she　was　not　willing　to

have　a　nurse。　　The　nurse；　therefore；　wore　a　house…

maid's　uniform；　and　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　remained　wholly

unconscious　that　she　was　being　cared　for　by　one　of

the　best　nurses　in　the　famous　hospital。



Between　sessions　of　the　convention　I　used　to

sit　by　‘‘Aunt　Susan's''　bed　and　tell　her　what　was

going　on。　　She　was　triumphant　over　the　immense

success　of　the　convention；　but　it　was　clear　that

she　was　still　worrying　over　the　details　of　future

work。　　One　day　at　luncheon　Miss　Thomas　asked

me；　casually：



‘‘By　the　way；　how　do　you　raise　the　money　to

carry　on　your　work？''



When　I　told　her　the　work　was　wholly　dependent

on　voluntary　contributions　and　on　the　services　of

those　who　were　willing　to　give　themselves　gratui…

tously　to　it；　Miss　Thomas　was　greatly　surprised。　

She　and　Miss　Garrett　asked　a　number　of　practical

questions；　and　at　the　end　of　our　talk　they　looked　at

each　other。



‘‘I　don't　think；''　said　Miss　Thomas；　‘‘that　we　have

quite　done　our　duty　in　this　matter。''



The　next　day　they　invited　a　number　of　us　to

dinner；　to　again　discuss　the　situation；　and　they

admitted　that　they　had　sat　up　throughout　the

previous　night；　talking　the　matter　over　and　trying

to　find　some　way　to　help　us。　　They　had　also　dis…

cussed　the　situation　with　Miss　Anthony；　to　her　vast

content；　and　had　finally　decided　that　they　would

try　to　raise　a　fund　of　60；000；　to　be　paid　in　yearly

instalments　of　12；000　for　five　yearspart　of　these

annual　instalments　to　be　used　as　salaries　for　the

active　officers。

The　mere　mention　of　so　large　a　fund　startled　us

all。　　We　feared　that　it　could　not　possibly　be　raised。　

But　Miss　Anthony　plainly　believed　that　now　the

last　great　wish　of　her　life　had　been　granted。　　She

was　convinced　that　Miss　Thomas　and　Miss　Gar…

rett　could　accomplish　anythingeven　the　miracle

of　raising　60；000　for　the　suffrage　causeand　they

did；　though　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　was　not　here　to　glory

over　the　result　when　they　had　achieved　it。



On　the　15th　of　February　we　left　Baltimore　for

Washington；　where　Miss　Anthony　was　to　cele…

brate　her　eighty…sixth　birthday。　　For　many　years

the　National　American　Woman　Suffrage　Associa…

tion　had　celebrated　our　birthdays　together；　as　hers

came　on　the　15th　of　the　month　and　mine　on　the

14th。　　There　had　been　an　especially　festive　banquet

when　she　was　seventy…four　and　I　was　forty…seven；

and　our　friends　had　decorated　the　table　with　floral

‘‘4's''　and　‘‘7's''the　centerpiece　representing　‘‘74''

during　the　first　half　of　the　banquet；　and　‘‘47''　the

latter　half。　　This　time　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　should　not

have　attempted　the　Washington　celebration；　for　she

was　still　ill　and　exhausted　by　the　strain　of　the　con…

vention。　　But　notwithstanding　her　sufferings　and

the　warnings　of　her　physicians；　she　insisted　on　being

present；　so　Miss　Garrett　sent　the　trained　nurse　to

Washington　with　her；　and　we　all　tried　to　make　the　jour…

ney　the　least　possible　strain　on　the　patient's　vitality。



On　our　arrival　in　Washington　we　went　to　the

Shoreham；　where；　as　always；　the　proprietor　took　pains

to　give　Miss　Anthony　a　room　with　a　view　of　the

Washington　monument；　which　she　greatly　admired。　

When　I　entered　her　room　a　little　later　I　found　her

standing　at　a　window；　holding　herself　up　with　hands

braced　against　the　casement　on　either　side；　and　so

absorbed　in　the　view　that　she　did　not　hear　my　ap…

proach。　　When　I　spoke　to　her　she　answered　with…

out　turning　her　head。



‘‘That；''　she　said；　softly；　‘‘is　the　most　beautiful

monument　in　the　world。''



I　stood　by　her　side；　and　together　we　looked　at　it

in　silence　I　realizing　with　a　sick　heart　that　‘‘Aunt

Susan''　knew　she　was　seeing　it　for　the　last　time。



The　birthday　celebration　that　followed　our　exec…

utive　meeting　was　an　impressive　one。　　It　was　held

in　the　Church　of　Our　Father；　whose　pastor；　the　Rev。

John　Van　Schaick；　had　always　been　exceedingly　kind

to　Miss　Anthony。　　Many　prominent　men　spoke。　

President　Roosevelt　and　other　statesmen　sent　most

friendly　letters；　and　William　H。　Taft　had　promised　to

be　present。　　He　did　not　come；　nor　did　he；　then　or

later；　send　any　excuse　for　not　comingan　omission

that　greatly　disappointed　Miss　Anthony；　who　had

always　admired　him。　　I　presided　at　the　meeting；

and　though　we　all　did　our　best　to　make　it　gay；　a

strange　hush　hung　over　the　assemblage　a　solemn

stillness；　such　as　one　feels　in　the　presence　of　death。　

We　became　more　and　more　conscious　that　Miss

Anthony　was　suffering；　and　we　hastened　the　exer…

cises　all　we　could。　　When　I　read　President　Roose…

velt's　long　tribute　to　her；　Miss　Anthony　rose　to

comment　on　it。



‘‘One　word　from　President　Roosevelt　in　his　mes…

sage　to　Congress；''　she　said；　a　little　wearily；　‘‘would

be　worth　a　thousand　eulogies　of　Susan　B。　Anthony。　

When　will　men　learn　that　what　we　ask　is　not　praise；

but　justice？''



At　the　close　of　the　meeting；　realizing　how　weak

she　was；　I　begged　her　to　let　me　speak　for　her。　　But

she　again　rose；　rested　her　hand　on　my　shoulder；

and；　standing　by　my　side；　uttered　the　last　words

she　ever　spoke　in　public；　pleading　with　women　to

consecrate　themselves　to　the　Cause；　assuring　them

that　no　power　could　prevent　its　ultimate　success；

but　reminding　them　also　that　the　time　of　its　coming

would　depend　wholly　on　their　work　and　their　loyalty。　

She　ended　with　three　wordsvery　fitting　words

from　her　lips；　expressing　as　they　did　the　spirit　of　her

life…work‘‘FAILURE　IS　IMPOSSIBLE。''



The　next　morning　she　was　taken　to　her　home　in

Rochester；　and　one　month　from　that　day　we　con…

ducted　her　funeral　services。　　The　nurse　who　had

accompanied　her　from　Baltimore　remained　with

her　until　two　others　had　been　secured　to　take　her

place；　and　every　care　that　love　or　medical　science

could　suggest　was　lavished　on　the　patient。　　But

from　the　first　it　was　plain　that；　as　she　herself　had

foretold；　‘‘Aunt　Susan's''　soul　was　merely　waiting

for　the　hour　of　its　passing。



One　of　her　characteristic　traits　was　a　dislike　to

being　seen；　even　by　those　nearest　to　her；　when　she

was　not　well。　　During　t