the story of a pioneer-第63章

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aides　in　their　brilliant　uniforms；　entered　the　hall。　

We　had　not　been　sure　that　she　would　be　with　us；

but　she　entered　in　her　usual　charming　and　gra…

cious　manner；　took　a　seat　beside　me　on　the　platform；

and　showed　a　deep　interest　in　the　programme　and

the　great　gathering　before　us。



As　the　meeting　went　on　I　saw　that　she　was　grow…

ing　more　and　more　enthusiastic；　and　toward　the

end　of　the　evening　I　quietly　asked　her　if　she　did

not　wish　to　say　a　few　words。　　She　said　she　would

say　a　very　few。　　I　had　put　myself　at　the　end　of　the

programme；　intending　to　talk　about　twenty　minutes；

but　before　beginning　my　speech　I　introduced　the

countess；　and　by　this　time　she　was　so　enthusiastic

that；　to　my　great　delight；　she　used　up　my　twenty

minutes　in　a　capital　speech　in　which　she　came　out

vigorously　for　woman　suffrage。　　It　gave　us　the　best

and　timeliest　help　we　could　have　had；　and　was　a

great　impetus　to　the　movement。



In　London；　at　the　Alliance　Council　of　1911；　we

were　entertained　for　the　first　time　by　a　suffrage

organization　of　men；　and　by　the　organized　actresses

of　the　nation；　as　well　as　by　the　authors。



In　Stockholm；　the　following　year；　we　listened　to

several　of　the　most　interesting　women　speakers　in

the　worldSelma　Lagerlof；　who　had　just　received

the　Nobel　prize；　Rosica　Schwimmer　of　Hungary；

Dr。　Augsburg　of　Munich；　and　Mrs。　Philip　Snowden

of　England。　　Miss　Schwimmer　and　Mrs。　Snowden

have　since　become　familiar　to　American　audiences；

but　until　that　time　I　had　not　heard　either　of　them；

and　I　was　immensely　impressed　by　their　ability　and

their　different　methodsMiss　Schwimmer　being　all

force　and　fire；　alive　from　her　feet　to　her　finger…tips；

Mrs。　Snowden　all　quiet　reserve　and　dignity。　　Dr。

Augsburg　wore　her　hair　short　and　dressed　in　a　most

eccentric　manner；　but　we　forgot　her　appearance　as

we　listened　to　her；　for　she　was　an　inspired　speaker。



Selma　Lagerlof's　speech　made　the　great　audience

weep。　　Men　as　well　as　women　openly　wiped　their

eyes　as　she　described　the　sacrifice　and　suffering　of

Swedish　women　whose　men　had　gone　to　America

to　make　a　home　there；　and　who；　when　they　were

left　behind；　struggled　alone；　waiting　and　hoping　for

the　message　to　join　their　husbands；　which　too　often

never　came。　　The　speech　made　so　great　an　impres…

sion　that　we　had　it　translated　and　distributed　among

the　Swedes　of　the　United　States　wherever　we　held

meetings　in　Swedish　localities。



Miss　Lagerlof　interested　me　extremely；　and　I　was

delighted　by　an　invitation　to　breakfast　with　her　one

morning。　　At　our　first　meeting　she　had　seemed

rather　cold　and　shya　little　‘‘difficult；''　as　we　say；

but　when　we　began　to　talk　I　found　her　frank；　cor…

dial；　and　full　of　magnetism。　　She　is　self…conscious

about　her　English；　but　really　speaks　our　language

very　well。　　Her　great　interest　at　the　time　was　in

improving　the　condition　of　the　peasants　near　her

home。　　She　talked　of　this　work　and　of　her　books

and　of　the　Council　programme　with　such　friendly　in…

timacy　that　when　we　parted　I　felt　that　I　had　always

known　her。



At　the　Hague　Council　in　1913　I　was　the　guest　of

Mrs。　Richard　Halter；　to　whom　I　am　also　indebted

for　a　beautiful　and　wonderful　motor　journey　from

end　to　end　of　Holland；　bringing　up　finally　in　Amster…

dam　at　the　home　of　Dr。　Aletta　Jacobs。　　Here　we

met　two　young　Holland　women；　Miss　Boissevain　and

Rosa　Manus；　both　wealthy；　both　anxious　to　help

their　countrywomen；　but　still　a　little　uncertain　as

to　the　direction　of　their　efforts。　　They　came　to　Mrs。

Catt　and　me　and　asked　our　advice　as　to　what　they

should　do；　with　the　result　that　later　they　organized

and　put　through；　largely　unaided；　a　national　ex…

position　showing　the　development　of　women's　work

from　1813　to　1913。　　The　suffrage…room　at　this　ex…

position　showed　the　progress　of　suffrage　in　all　parts

of　the　world；　but　when　the　Queen　of　Holland　visited

the　building　she　expressed　a　wish　not　to　be　detained

in　this　room；　as　she　was　not　interested　in　suffrage。　

The　Prince　Consort；　however；　spent　much　time　in　it；

and　wanted　the　whole　suffrage　movement　explained

to　him；　which　was　done　cheerfully　and　thoroughly

by　Miss　Boissevain　and　Miss　Manus。　　The　fol…

lowing　winter；　when　the　Queen　read　her　address

from　the　throne；　she　expressed　an　interest　in　so

changing　the　Constitution　of　Holland　that　suffrage

might　possibly　be　extended　to　women。　　We　felt　that

this　change　of　heart　was　due　to　the　suffrage…room

arranged　by　our　two　young　friendsaided；　prob…

ably；　by　a　few　words　from　the　Prince　Consort！



Immediately　after　these　days　at　Amsterdam　we

started　for　Budapest　to　attend　the　International

Alliance　Convention　there；　and　incidentally　we　in…

dulged　in　a　series　of　two…day　conventions　en　route

one　at　Berlin；　one　at　Dresden；　one　at　Prague；　and

one　at　Vienna。　　At　Prague　I　disgraced　myself　by

being　in　my　hotel　room　in　a　sleep　of　utter　exhaustion

at　the　hour　when　I　was　supposed　to　be　responding

to　an　address　of　welcome　by　the　mayor；　and　the

high…light　of　the　evening　session　in　that　city　falls　on

the　intellectual　brow　of　a　Bohemian　lady　who　in…

sisted　on　making　her　address　in　the　Czech　language；

which　she　poured　forth　for　exactly　one　hour　and

fifteen　minutes。　　I　began　my　address　at　a　quarter　of

twelve　and　left　the　hall　at　midnight。　　Later　I　learned

that　the　last　speaker　began　her　remarks　at　a　quarter

past　one　in　the　morning。



It　may　be　in　order　to　add　here　that　Vienna　did

for　me　what　Berlin　had　done　for　Susan　B。　Anthony

it　gave　me　the　ovation　of　my　life。　　At　the　conclusion

of　my　speech　the　great　audience　rose　and；　still　stand…

ing；　cheered　for　many　minutes。　　I　was　immensely

surprised　and　deeply　touched　by　the　unexpected

tribute；　but　any　undue　elation　I　might　have　ex…

perienced　was　checked　by　the　memory　of　the　skepti…

cal　snort　with　which　one　of　my　auditors　had　received

me。　　He　was　very　German；　and　very；　very　frank。　

After　one　pained　look　at　me　he　rose　to　leave　the

hall。



‘‘THAT　old　woman！''　he　exclaimed。　　‘‘She　cannot

make　herself　heard。''



He　was　half…way　down　the　aisle　when　the　opening

words　of　my　address　caught　up　with　him　and　stopped

him。　　Whatever　their　meaning　may　have　been；　it

was　at　least　carried　to　the　far　ends　of　that　great　hall；

for　the　old　fellow　had　piqued　me　a　bit　and　I　had

given　my　voice　its　fullest　volume。　　He　crowded　into

an　already　over…occupied　pew　and　stared　at　me　with

goggling　eyes。



‘‘Mein　Gott！''　he　gasped。　　‘‘Mein　Gott；　she　could

be　heard　ANYWHERE。''



The　meeting　at　Budapest　was　a　great　personal

triumph　for　Mrs。　Catt。　　No　one；　I　am　sure；　but　the

almost　adored　president　of　the　International　Suf…

frage　Alliance　could　have　controlled　a　convention

made　up　of　women　of　so　many　different　nationalities；

with　so　many　different　viewpoints；　while　the　con…

fusion　of　languages　made　a　general　understanding

seem　almost　hopeless。　　But　it　was　a　great　success　in

every　wayand　a　delightful　feature　of　it　was　the

hospitality　of　the　city　officials　and；　indeed；　of　the

whole　Hungarian　people。　　After　the　convention　I

spent　a　week　with　the　Contessa　Iska　Teleki　in　her

chateau　in　the　Tatra　Mountains；　and　a　friendship

was　there　formed　which　ever　since　has　been　a　joy

to　me。　　Together　we　walked　miles　over　the　moun…

tains　and　along　the　banks　of　wonderful　streams；　while

the　countess；　who　knows　all　the　folk…lore　of　her

land；　told　me　stories　and　answered　my　innumerable

questions。　　When　I　left　for　Vienna　I　took　with　me

a　basket　of　tiny　fir…trees　from　the　tops　of　the　Tatras；

and　after　carrying　the　basket　to　and　around　Vienna；

Florence；　and　Genoa；　I　finally　got　the　trees　home　in

good　condition　and　proudly　added　them　to　the

‘‘Forest　of　Arden''　on　my　place　at　Moylan。









XVII



VALE！



In　looking　back　over　the　ten　years　of　my　adminis…

tration　as　president　of　the　National　American

Woman　Suffrage　Association；　there　can　be　no　feeling

but　gratitude　and　elation　over　the　growth　of