the story of a pioneer-第53章
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to talk about freedom for her。
When the rabbi sat down there was a shout from
the audience for me to answer him; but all I said
was that the ideal woman would be rather lonely; as
it would certainly take another thousand years to
develop an ideal man capable of being a mate for
her。 On the following night Prof。 Howard Griggs;
of Stanford University; made a speech on the modern
womana speech so admirably thought out and
delivered that we were all delighted with it。 When
he had finished the audience again called on me; and
I rose and proceeded to make what my friends frank…
ly called ‘‘the worst break'' of my experience。
Rabbi Vorsanger's ideal woman was still in my
mind; and I had been rather hard on the men in
my reply to the rabbi the night before; so now I
hastened to give this clever young man his full due。
I said that though the rabbi thought it would take
a thousand years to make an ideal woman; I believed
that; after all; it might not take as long to make the
ideal man。 We had something very near it in a
speaker who could reveal such ability; such chivalry;
and such breadth of view as Professor Griggs had
just shown that he possessed。
That night I slept the sleep of the just and the
well…meaning; and it was fortunate I did; for the
morning newspapers had a surprise for me that
called for steady nerves and a sense of humor。 Across
the front page of every one of them ran startling
head…lines to this effect:
DR。 SHAW HAS FOUND HER IDEAL MAN
The Prospects Are That She Will
Remain in California
Professor Griggs was young enough to be my son;
and he was already married and the father of two
beautiful children; but these facts were not per…
mitted to interfere with the free play of fancy in
journalistic minds。 For a week the newspapers
were filled with all sorts of articles; caricatures; and
editorials on my ideal man; which caused me much
annoyance and some amusement; while they plunged
Professor Griggs into an abysmal gloom。 In the
end; however; the experience proved an excellent
one for him; for the publicity attending his speech
made him decide to take up lecturing as a profession;
which he eventually did with great success。 But
neither of us has yet heard the last of the Ideal Man
episode。 Only a few years ago; on his return to
California after a long absence; one of the leading
Sunday newspapers of the state heralded Professor
Griggs's arrival by publishing a full…page article
bearing his photograph and mine and this flam…
boyant heading:
SHE MADE HIM
And Dr。 Shaw's Ideal Man Became the
Idol of American Women and
Earns 30;000 a Year
We had other unusual experiences in California;
and the display of affluence on every side was not
the least impressive of them。 In one town; after
a heavy rain; I remember seeing a number of little
boys scraping the dirt from the gutters; washing it;
and finding tiny nuggets of gold。 We learned that
these boys sometimes made two or three dollars a
day in this way; and that the streets of the town
I think it was Marysvillecontained so much gold
that a syndicate offered to level the whole town and
repave the streets in return for the right to wash out
the gold。 This sounds like the kind of thing Ameri…
cans tell to trustful visitors from foreign lands; but
it is quite true。
Nuggets; indeed; were so numerous that at one
of our meetings; when we were taking up a collec…
tion; I cheerfully suggested that our audience drop
a few into the box; as we had not had a nugget since
we reached the state。 There were no nuggets in the
subsequent collection; but there was a note which
read: ‘‘If Dr。 Shaw will accept a gold nugget; I will
see that she does not leave town without one。'' I
read this aloud; and added; ‘‘I have never refused
a gold nugget in my life。''
The following day brought me a pin made of a
very beautiful gold nugget; and a few days later
another Californian produced a cluster of smaller
nuggets which he had washed out of a panful of
earth and insisted on my accepting half of them。 I
was not accustomed to this sort of generosity; but
it was characteristic of the spirit of the state。 No…
where else; during our campaign experiences; were
we so royally treated in every way。 As a single
example among many; I may mention that Mrs。
Leland Stanford once happened to be on a train
with us and to meet Miss Anthony。 As a result of
this chance encounter she gave our whole party
passes on all the lines of the Southern Pacific Rail…
road; for use during the entire campaign。 Similar
generosity was shown us on every side; and the ques…
tion of finance did not burden us from the beginning
to the end of the California work。
In our Utah and Idaho campaigns we had also our
full share of new experiences; and of these perhaps
the most memorable to me was the sermon I preached
in the Mormon Tabernacle at Salt Lake City。
Before I left New York the Mormon women had sent
me the invitation to preach this sermon; and when I
reached Salt Lake City and the so…called ‘‘Gentile''
women heard of the plan; they at once invited me
to preach to the ‘‘Gentiles'' on the evening of the
same Sunday; in the Salt Lake City Opera House。
On the morning of the sermon I approached the
Mormon Tabernacle with much more trepidation
than I usually experienced before entering a pulpit。
I was not sure what particular kind of trouble I
would get into; but I had an abysmal suspicion
that trouble of some sort lay in wait for me; and I
shivered in the anticipation of it。 Fortunately; my
anxiety was not long drawn out。 I arrived only a few
moments before the hour fixed for the sermon; and
found the congregation already assembled and the
Tabernacle filled with the beautiful music of the great
organ。 On the platform; to which I was escorted
by several leading dignitaries of the church; was the
characteristic Mormon arrangement of seats。 The
first row was occupied by the deacons; and in the
center of these was the pulpit from which the deacons
preach。 Above these seats was a second row; oc…
cupied by ordained elders; and there they too had
their own pulpit。 The third row was occupied by;
the bishops and the highest dignitaries of the church;
with the pulpit from which the bishops preach; and
behind them all; an effective human frieze; was the
really wonderful Mormon choir。
As I am an ordained elder in my church; I oc…
cupied the pulpit in the middle row of seats; with the
deacons below me and the bishops just behind。
Scattered among the congregation were hundreds of
‘‘Gentiles'' ready to leap mentally upon any con…
cession I might make to the Mormon faith; while
the Mormons were equally on the alert for any
implied criticism of them and their church。 The
problem of preaching a sermon which should offer
some appeal to both classes; without offending either;
was a perplexing one; and I solved it to the best of
my ability by delivering a sermon I had once given
in my own church to my own people。 When I had
finished I was wholly uncertain of its effect; but at
the end of the services one of the bishops leaned
toward me from his place in the rear; and; to my
mingled horror and amusement; offered me this
tribute; ‘‘That is one of the best Mormon sermons
ever preached in this Tabernacle。''
I thanked him; but inwardly I was aghast。 What
had I said to give him such an impression? I racked
my brain; but could recall nothing that justified it。
I passed the day in a state of nervous apprehension;
fully expecting some frank criticism from the ‘‘Gen…
tiles'' on the score of having delivered a Mormon
sermon to ingratiate myself into the favor of the
Mormons and secure their votes for the constitu…
tional amendment。 But nothing of the kind was
said。 That evening; after the sermon to the ‘‘Gen…
tiles;'' a reception w