the story of a pioneer-第49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！



elected　Vice…President　of　the　National　Association

and　Lecturer　at　Large；　and　the　latter　office　brought

in　its　train　a　glittering　variety　of　experiences。　　On

one　occasion　an　episode　occurred　which　‘‘Aunt

Susan''　never　afterward　wearied　of　describing。　

There　was　a　wreck　somewhere　on　the　road　on　which

I　was　to　travel　to　meet　a　lecture　engagement；　and

the　trains　going　my　way　were　not　running。　　Look…

ing　up　the　track；　however；　I　saw　a　train　coming

from　the　opposite　direction。　　I　at　once　grasped　my

hand…luggage　and　started　for　it。



‘‘Wait！　　Wait！''　cried　Miss　Anthony。　　‘‘That

train's　going　the　wrong　way！''



‘‘At　least　it's　going　SOMEWHERE！''　I　replied；　tersely；

as　the　train　stopped；　and　I　climbed　the　steps。



Looking　back　when　the　train　had　started　again；

I　saw　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　standing　in　the　same　spot　on

the　platform　and　staring　after　it　with　incredulous

eyes；　but　I　was　right；　for　I　discovered　that　by　going

up　into　another　state　I　could　get　a　train　which

would　take　me　to　my　destination　in　time　for　the

lecture　that　night。　　It　was　a　fine　illustration　of　my

pet　theory　that　if　one　intends　to　get　somewhere　it

is　better　to　start；　even　in　the　wrong　direction；　than

to　stand　still。



Again　and　again　in　our　work　we　had　occasion　to

marvel　over　men's　lack　of　understanding　of　the

views　of　women；　even　of　those　nearest　and　dearest　to

them；　and　we　had　an　especially　striking　illustra…

tion　of　this　at　one　of　our　hearings　in　Washington。　

A　certain　distinguished　gentleman　（we　will　call　him

Mr。　H）　was　chairman　of　the　Judiciary；　and　after

we　had　said　what　we　wished　to　say；　he　remarked：



‘‘Your　arguments　are　logical。　　Your　cause　is　just。　

The　trouble　is　that　women　don't　want　suffrage。　

My　wife　doesn't　want　it。　　I　don't　know　a　single

woman　who　does　want　it。''



As　it　happened　for　this　unfortunate　gentleman；

his　wife　was　present　at　the　hearing　and　sitting　beside

Miss　Anthony。　　She　listened　to　his　words　with　sur…

prise；　and　then　whispered　to　‘‘Aunt　Susan''：



‘‘How　CAN　he　say　that？　　_I_　want　suffrage；　and　I've

told　him　so　a　hundred　times　in　the　last　twenty

years。''



‘‘Tell　him　again　NOW；''　urged　Miss　Anthony。　

‘‘Here's　your　chance　to　impress　it　on　his　memory。''



‘‘Here！''　gasped　the　wife。　　‘‘Oh；　I　wouldn't

dare。''



‘‘Then　may　I　tell　him？''



‘‘Whyyes！　　He　can　think　what　he　pleases；　but

he　has　no　right　to　publicly　misrepresent　me。''



The　assent；　hesitatingly　begun；　finished　on　a　sud…

den　note　of　firmness。　　Miss　Anthony　stood　up。



‘‘It　may　interest　Mr。　H；''　she　said；　‘‘to　know

that　his　wife　DOES　wish　to　vote；　and　that　for　twenty

years　she　has　wished　to　vote；　and　has　often　told　him

so；　though　he　has　evidently　forgotten　it。　　She　is

here　beside　me；　and　has　just　made　this　explana…

tion。''



Mr。　H　stammered　and　hesitated；　and　finally

decided　to　laugh。　　But　there　was　no　mirth　in　the

sound　he　made；　and　I　am　afraid　his　wife　had　a　bad

quarter　of　an　hour　when　they　met　a　little　later　in

the　privacy　of　their　home。



Among　other　duties　that　fell　to　my　lot　at　this

period　were　numerous　suffrage　debates　with　promi…

nent　opponents　of　the　Cause。　　I　have　already　re…

ferred　to　the　debate　in　Kansas　with　Senator　Ingalls。　

Equaling　this　in　importance　was　a　bout　with　Dr。

Buckley；　the　distinguished　Methodist　debater；　which

had　been　arranged　for　us　at　Chautauqua　by　Bishop

Vincent　of　the　Methodist　Church。　　The　bishop　was

not　a　believer　in　suffrage；　nor　was　he　one　of　my

admirers。　　I　had　once　aroused　his　ire　by　replying

to　a　sermon　he　had　delivered　on　‘‘God's　Women；''

and　by　proving；　to　my　own　satisfaction　at　least；

that　the　women　he　thought　were　God's　women　had

done　very　little；　whereas　the　work　of　the　world　had

been　done　by　those　he　believed　were　not　‘‘God's

Women。''　　There　was　considerable　interest；　there…

fore；　in　the　Buckley…Shaw　debate　he　had　arranged；

we　all　knew　he　expected　Dr。　Buckley　to　wipe　out

that　old　score；　and　I　was　determined　to　make　it　as

difficult　as　possible　for　the　distinguished　gentleman

to　do　so。　　We　held　the　debate　on　two　succeeding

days；　I　speaking　one　afternoon　and　Dr。　Buckley

replying　the　following　day。　　On　the　evening　before

I　spoke；　however；　Dr。　Buckley　made　an　indiscreet

remark；　which；　blown　about　Chautauqua　on　the

light　breeze　of　gossip；　was　generally　regarded　as　both

unchivalrous　and　unfair。



As　the　hall　in　which　we　were　to　speak　was　enor…

mous；　he　declared　that　one　of　two　things　would　cer…

tainly　happen。　　Either　I　would　scream　in　order　to

be　heard　by　my　great　audience；　or　I　would　be　un…

able　to　make　myself　heard　at　all。　　If　I　screamed　it

would　be　a　powerful　argument　against　women　as

public　speakers；　if　I　could　not　be　heard；　it　would　be

an　even　better　argument。　　In　either　case；　he　sum…

med　up；　I　was　doomed　to　failure。　　Following　out

this　theory；　he　posted　men　in　the　extreme　rear　of

the　great　hall　on　the　day　of　my　lecture；　to　report　to

him　whether　my　words　reached　them；　while　he　him…

self　graciously　occupied　a　front　seat。　　Bishop　Vin…

cent's　antagonistic　feeling　was　so　strong；　however；

that　though；　as　the　presiding　officer　of　the　occasion；

he　introduced　me　to　the　audience；　he　did　not　wait

to　hear　my　speech；　but　immediately　left　the　hall

and　this　little　slight　added　to　the　public's　interest

in　the　debate。　　It　was　felt　that　the　two　gentlemen

were　not　quite　‘‘playing　fair；''　and　the　champions

of　the　Cause　were　especially　enthusiastic　in　their

efforts　to　make　up　for　these　failures　in　courtesy。　

My　friends　turned　out　in　force　to　hear　the　lecture；

and　on　the　breast　of　every　one　of　them　flamed　the

yellow　bow　that　stood　for　suffrage；　giving　to　the

vast　hall　something　of　the　effect　of　a　field　of　yellow

tulips　in　full　bloom。



When　Dr。　Buckley　rose　to　reply　the　next　day

these　friends　were　again　awaiting　him　with　an　equal…

ly　jocund　display　of　the　suffrage　color；　and　this　did

not　add　to　his　serenity。　　During　his　remarks　he

made　the　serious　mistake　of　losing　his　temper；　and；

unfortunately　for　him；　he　directed　his　wrath　toward

a　very　old　man　who　had　thoughtlessly　applauded　by

pounding　on　the　floor　with　his　cane　when　Dr。

Buckley　quoted　a　point　I　had　made。　　The　doctor

leaned　forward　and　shook　his　fist　at　him。



‘‘Think　she's　right；　do　you？''　he　asked。



‘‘Yes；''　admitted　the　venerable　citizen；　briskly；

though　a　little　startled　by　the　manner　of　the　ques…

tion。



‘‘Old　man；''　shouted　Dr。　Buckley；　‘‘I'll　make　you

take　that　back　if　you've　got　a　grain　of　sense　in　your

head！''



The　insult　cost　him　his　audience。　　When　he

realized　this　he　lost　all　his　self…possession；　and；　as

the　Buffalo　Courier　put　it　the　next　day；　‘‘went　up

and　down　the　platform　raving　like　a　Billingsgate

fishwife。''　　He　lost　the　debate；　and　the　supply　of

yellow　ribbon　left　in　the　surrounding　counties　was

purchased　that　night　to　be　used　in　the　suffrage

celebration　that　followed。　　My　friends　still　refer　to

the　occasion　as　‘‘the　day　we　wiped　up　the　earth

with　Dr。　Buckley''；　but　I　do　not　deserve　the　im…

plied　tribute；　for　Dr。　Buckley　would　have　lost　his

case　without　a　word　from　me。　　What　really　gave

me　some　satisfaction；　however；　was　the　respective

degree　of　freshness　with　which　he　and　I　emerged

from　our　combat。　　After　my　speech　Miss　Anthony

and　I　were　given　a　reception；　and　stood　for　hours

shaking　hands　with　hundreds　of　men　and　women。　

Later　in　the　evening　we　had　a　dinner　and　another

reception；　which；　lasting；　as　they　did；　until　midnight；

kept　us　from　our　repose。　　Dr。　Buckley；　poor　gentle…

man；　had　to　be　taken　to　his　hotel　immediately　after

his　speech；　given　a　hot　bath；　rubbed　down；　and　put

tenderly　to　bed；　and　not　even　the　sympathetic

heart　of　Susan　B。　Anthony　yearned　over　him　when

she　heard　of　his　exhaustion。



It　was　also　at　Chautauqua；　by　the　way；　though　a

number　of　years　earlier；　that　I　had　my　much　mis…

quoted　encounter　with　the　minister　who　deplored

the　fashion　I　followed　in　those