the story of a pioneer-第51章

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no　possible　use。



The　crown　jewel　of　the　collection　was　a　bedroom

set　I　had　picked　up　in　Philadelphia。　　Usually；

cautious　friends　accompanied　me　on　my　auction…

room　expeditions　and　restrained　my　ardor；　but　this

time　I　got　away　alone　and　found　myself　bidding

at　the　sale　of　a　solid　bog…wood　bedroom　set　which

had　been　exhibited　as　a　show…piece　at　the　World's

Fair；　and　was　now；　in　the　words　of　the　auctioneer；

‘‘going　for　a　song。''　　I　sang　the　song。　　I　offered

twenty　dollars；　thirty　dollars；　forty　dollars；　and

other　excited　voices　drowned　mine　with　higher　bids。　

It　was　very　thrilling。　　I　offered　fifty　dollars；　and

there　was　a　horrible　silence；　broken　at　last　by　the

auctioneer's　final；　‘‘Going；　going；　GONE！''　I　was　mis…

tress　of　the　bog…wood　bedroom　seta　set　wholly

out　of　harmony　with　everything　else　I　possessed；

and　so　huge　and　massive　that　two　men　were　re…

quired　to　lift　the　head…board　alone。　　Like　many　of

the　previous　treasures　I　had　acquired；　this　was　a

white　elephant；　but；　unlike　some　of　them；　it　was

worth　more　than　I　had　paid　for　it。　　I　was　offered

sixty　dollars　for　one　piece　alone；　but　I　coldly　refused

to　sell　it；　though　the　tribute　to　my　judgment　warmed

my　heart。　　I　had　not　the　faintest　idea　what　to　do

with　the　set；　however；　and　at　last　I　confided　my

dilemma　to　my　friend；　Mrs。　Ellen　Dietrick；　who

sagely　advised　me　to　build　a　house　for　it。　　The　idea

intrigued　me。　　The　bog…wood　furniture　needed　a

home；　and　so　did　I。



The　result　of　our　talk　was　that　Mrs。　Dietrick

promised　to　select　a　lot　for　me　at　Wianno；　where　she

herself　lived；　and　even　promised　to　supervise　the

building　of　my　cottage；　and　to　attend　to　all　the　other

details　connected　with　it。　　Thus　put；　the　temptation

was　irresistible。　　Besides　Mrs。　Dietrick；　many　other

delightful　friends　lived　at　Wiannothe　Garrisons；

the　Chases　of　Rhode　Island；　the　Wymans；　the　Wel…

lingtonsa　most　charming　community。　　I　gave　Mrs。

Dietrick　full　authority　to　use　her　judgment　in　every

detail　connected　with　the　undertaking；　and　the

cottage　was　built。　　Having　put　her　hand　to　this

plow　of　friendship；　Mrs。　Dietrick　did　the　work　with

characteristic　thoroughness。　　I　did　not　even　visit

Wianno　to　look　at　my　land。　　She　selected　it；　bought

it；　engaged　a　woman　architectLois　Howe　of

Bostonand　followed　the　latter's　work　from　be…

ginning　to　end。　　The　only　stipulation　I　made　was

that　the　cottage　must　be　far　up　on　the　beach；　out　of

sight　of　everybodyreally　in　the　woods；　and　this

was　easily　met；　for　along　that　coast　the　trees　came

almost　to　the　water's　edge。



The　cottage　was　a　great　success；　and　for　many

years　I　spent　my　vacations　there；　filling　the　place　with

young　people。　　From　the　time　of　my　sister　Mary's

death　I　had　had　the　general　oversight　of　her　two

daughters；　Lola　and　Grace；　as　well　as　of　Nicolas

and　Eleanor；　the　two　motherless　daughters　of　my

brother　John。　　They　were　all　with　me　every　sum…

mer　in　the　new　home；　together　with　Lucy　Anthony；

her　sister　and　brother；　Mrs。　Rachel　Foster　Avery；

and　other　friends。　　We　had　special　fishing　costumes

made；　and　wore　them　much　of　the　time。　　My　nieces

wore　knickerbockers；　and　I　found　vast　content…

ment　in　short；　heavy　skirts　over　bloomers。　　We

lived　out　of　doors；　boating；　fishing；　and　clamming

all　day　long；　and；　as　in　my　early　pioneer　days　in

Michigan；　my　part　of　the　work　was　in　the　open。　　I

chopped　all　the　wood；　kept　the　fires　going；　and

looked　after　the　grounds。



Rumors　of　our　care…free　and　unconventional　life

began　to　circulate；　and　presently　our　Eden　was　in…

vaded　by　the　only　serpent　I　have　ever　found　in　the

newspaper　worlda　girl　reporter　from　Boston。　　She

telegraphed　that　she　was　coming　to　see　us；　and

though；　when　she　came；　we　had　been　warned　of　her

propensities　and　received　her　in　conventional　attire；

formally　entertaining　her　with　tea　on　the　veranda；

she　went　away　and　gave　free　play　to　a　hectic　fancy。　

She　wrote　a　sensational　full…page　article　for　a　Sun…

day　newspaper；　illustrated　with　pictures　showing　us

all　in　knickerbockers。　　In　this　striking　work　of　art

I　carried　a　fish　net　and　pole　and　wore　a　handkerchief

tied　over　my　head。　　The　article；　which　was　headed

THE　ADAMLESS　EDEN；　was　almost　libelous；　and　I

admit　that　for　a　long　time　it　dimmed　our　enjoy…

ment　of　our　beloved　retreat。　　Then；　gradually；　my

old　friends　died；　Mrs。　Dietrick　among　the　first；

others　moved　away；　and　the　character　of　the　entire

region　changed。　　It　became　fashionable；　privacy

was　no　longer　to　be　found　there；　and　we　ceased　to

visit　it。　　For　five　years　I　have　not　even　seen　the

cottage。



In　1908　I　built　the　house　I　now　occupy　（in　Moylan；

Pennsylvania）；　which　is　the　realization　of　a　desire

I　have　always　hadto　build　on　a　tract　which　had　a

stream；　a　grove　of　trees；　great　boulders　and　rocks；

and　a　hill　site　for　the　house　with　a　broad　outlook；

and　a　railroad　station　conveniently　near。　　The

friend　who　finally　found　the　place　for　me　had　begun

his　quest　with　the　pessimistic　remark　that　I　would

better　wait　for　it　until　I　got　to　Paradise；　but　two

years　later　he　telegraphed　me　that　he　had　discovered

it　on　this　planet；　and　he　was　right。　　I　have　only

eight　acres　of　land；　but　no　one　could　ask　a　more　ideal

site　for　a　cottage；　and　on　the　place　is　my　beloved

forest；　including　a　grove　of　three　hundred　firs。　

From　every　country　I　have　visited　I　have　brought

back　a　tiny　tree　for　this　little　forest；　and　now　it

is　as　full　of　memories　as　of　beauty。



To　the　surprise　of　my　neighbors；　I　built　my　house

with　its　back　toward　the　public　road；　facing　the

valley　and　the　stream。　　‘‘But　you　will　never　see

anybody　go　by；''　they　protested。　　I　answered　that

the　one　person　in　the　house　who　was　necessarily　in…

terested　in　passers…by　was　my　maid；　and　she　could　see

them　perfectly　from　the　kitchen；　which　faced　the

road。　　I　enjoy　my　views　from　the　broad　veranda

that　overlooks　the　valley；　the　stream；　and　the

country　for　miles　around。



Every　suffragist　I　have　ever　met　has　been　a

lover　of　home；　and　only　the　conviction　that　she　is

fighting　for　her　home；　her　children；　for　other　women；

or　for　all　of　these；　has　sustained　her　in　her　public

work。　　Looking　back　on　many　campaign　experi…

ences；　I　am　forced　to　admit　that　it　is　not　always　the

privations　we　endure　which　make　us　think　most

tenderly　of　home。　　Often　we　are　more　overcome

by　the　attentions　of　well…meaning　friends。　　As　an

example　of　this　I　recall　an　incident　of　one　Oregon

campaign。　　I　was　to　speak　in　a　small　city　in　the

southern　part　of　the　state；　and　on　reaching　the

station；　hot；　tired；　and　covered　with　the　grime

of　a　midsummer　journey；　I　found　awaiting　me　a

delegation　of　citizens；　a　brass…band；　and　a　white

carriage　drawn　by　a　pair　of　beautiful　white　horses。　

In　this　carriage；　and　devotedly　escorted　by　the　citi…

zens　and　the　band；　the　latter　playing　its　hardest；　I

was　driven　to　the　City　Hall　and　there　met　by　the

mayor；　who　delivered　an　address；　after　which　I　was

crowned　with　a　laurel　wreath。　　Subsequently；　with

this　wreath　still　resting　upon　my　perspiring　brow；　I

was　again　driven　through　the　streets　of　the　city；

and　if　ever　a　woman　felt　that　her　place　was　in　the

home　and　longed　to　be　in　her　place；　I　felt　it　that　day。



An　almost　equally　trying　occasion　had　San　Fran…

cisco　for　its　setting。　　The　city　had　arranged　a　Fourth

of　July　celebration；　at　which　Miss　Anthony　and　I

were　to　speak。　　Here　we　rode　in　a　carriage　deco…

rated　with　flowersyellow　roseswhile　just　in　front

of　us　was　the　mayor　in　a　carriage　gorgeously　fes…

tooned　with　purple　blossoms。　　Behind　us；　for　more

than　a　mile；　stretched　a　procession　of　uniformed

policemen；　soldiers；　and　citizens；　while　the　sidewalks

were　lined　with　men　and　women　whose　enthusiastic

greetings　came　to　Miss　Anthony　from　every　side。　

She　was　enchanted　over　the　whole　experience；　for

to　her　it　meant；　as　always；　not　a　personal　tribute；

but　a　triumph　of　the　Cause。　　But　I　sat　by　her　sid