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第53章

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

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