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but I found full compensation for every effort in
the glory of working with her for the Cause that was
first in both our hearts； and in the happiness of being
her friend。 Later I shall describe in more detail the
suffrage campaigns and the National and Inter…
national councils in which we took part； now it is
of her I wish to writeof her bigness； her many…
sidedness； her humor； her courage； her quickness；
her sympathy； her understanding； her force； her
supreme common…sense； her selflessness； in short； of
the rare beauty of her nature as I learned to know it。
Like most great leaders； she took one's best work
for granted； and was chary with her praise； and even
when praise was given it usually came by indirect
routes。 I recall with amusement that the highest
compliment she ever paid me in public involved her
in a tangle from which； later； only her quick wit
extricated her。 We were lecturing in an especially
pious town which I shall call B； and just before
I went on the platform Miss Anthony remarked；
peacefully：
‘‘These people have always claimed that I am ir…
religious。 They will not accept the fact that I am
a Quakeror； rather； they seem to think a Quaker
is an infidel。 I am glad you are a Methodist； for
now they cannot claim that we are not orthodox。''
She was still enveloped in the comfort of this re…
flection when she introduced me to our audience；
and to impress my qualifications upon my hearers
she made her introduction in these words：
‘‘It is a pleasure to introduce Miss Shaw； who
is a Methodist minister。 And she is not only ortho…
dox of the orthodox； but she is also my right bower！''
There was a gasp from the pious audience； and
then a roar of laughter from irreverent men； in
which； I must confess； I light…heartedly joined。 For
once in her life Miss Anthony lost her presence of
mind； she did not know how to meet the situation；
for she had no idea what had caused the laughter。
It bubbled forth again and again during the eve…
ning； and each time Miss Anthony received the dem…
onstration with the same air of puzzled surprise。
When we had returned to our hotel rooms I explained
the matter to her。 I do not remember now where
I had acquired my own sinful knowledge； but that
night I faced ‘‘Aunt Susan'' from the pedestal of a
sophisticated worldling。
‘‘Don't you know what a right bower is？'' I de…
manded； sternly。
‘‘Of course I do；'' insisted ‘‘Aunt Susan。'' ‘‘It's
a right…hand manthe kind one can't do without。''
‘‘It is a card；'' I told her； firmly‘‘a leading card
in a game called euchre。''
‘‘Aunt Susan'' was dazed。 ‘‘I didn't know it had
anything to do with cards；'' she mused； mournfully。
‘‘What must they think of me？''
What they thought became quite evident。 The
newspapers made countless jokes at our expense；
and there were significant smiles on the faces in the
audience that awaited us the next night。 When
Miss Anthony walked upon the platform she at
once proceeded to clear herself of the tacit charge
against her。
‘‘When I came to your town；'' she began； cheer…
fully； ‘‘I had been warned that you were a very
religious lot of people。 I wanted to impress upon
you the fact that Miss Shaw and I are religious； too。
But I admit that when I told you she was my right
bower I did not know what a right bower was。 I
have learned that； since last night。''
She waited until the happy chortles of her hearers
had subsided； and then went on。
‘‘It interests me very much； however；'' she con…
cluded； ‘‘to realize that every one of you seemed to
know all about a right bower； and that I had to come
to your good； orthodox town to get the informa…
tion。''
That time the joke was on the audience。
Miss Anthony's home was in Rochester； New
York； and it was said by our friends that on the
rare occasions when we were not together； and I was
lecturing independently； ‘‘all return roads led
through Rochester。'' I invariably found some ex…
cuse to go there and report to her。 Together we
must have worn out many Rochester pavements；
for ‘‘Aunt Susan's'' pet recreation was walking； and
she used to walk me round and round the city
squares； far into the night； and at a pace that made
policemen gape at us as we flew by。 Some dis…
respectful youth once remarked that on these oc…
casions we suggested a race between a ruler and a
rubber ballfor she was very tall and thin； while
I am short and plump。 To keep up with her I
literally bounded at her side。
A certain amount of independent lecturing was
necessary for me； for I had to earn my living。 The
National American Woman Suffrage Association
has never paid salaries to its officers； so； when I be…
came vice…president and eventually； in 1904； presi…
dent of the association； I continued to work gratui…
tously for the Cause in these positions。 Even Miss
Anthony received not one penny of salary for all
her years of unceasing labor； and she was so poor
that she did not have a home of her own until she
was seventy…five。 Then it was a very simple one；
and she lived with the utmost economy。 I decided
that I could earn my bare expenses by making one
brief lecture tour each year； and I made an arrange…
ment with the Redpath Bureau which left me
fully two…thirds of my time for the suffrage work
I loved。
This was one result of my all…night talk with Miss
Anthony in Chicago； and it enabled me to carry
out her plan that I should accompany her in most
of the campaigns in which she sought to arouse the
West to the need of suffrage for women。 From that
time on we traveled and lectured together so con…
stantly that each of us developed an almost uncanny
knowledge of the other's mental processes。 At any
point of either's lecture the other could pick it up
and carry it ona fortunate condition； as it some…
times became necessary to do this。 Miss Anthony
was subject to contractions of the throat； which for
the moment caused a slight strangulation。 On such
occasionsof which there were severalshe would
turn to me and indicate her helplessness。 Then I
would repeat her last sentence； complete her speech；
and afterward make my own。
The first time this happened we were in Washing…
ton； and ‘‘Aunt Susan'' stopped in the middle of a
word。 She could not speak； she merely motioned
to me to continue for her； and left the stage。 At the
end of the evening a prominent Washington man
who had been in our audience remarked to me； con…
fidentially：
‘‘That was a nice little play you and Miss An…
thony made to…nightvery effective indeed。''
For an instant I did not catch his meaning； nor
the implication in his knowing smile。
‘‘Very clever； that strangling bit； and your going
on with the speech；'' he repeated。 ‘‘It hit the au…
dience hard。''
‘‘Surely；'' I protested； ‘‘you don't think it was a
deliberate thingthat we planned or rehearsed it。''
He stared at me incredulously。 ‘‘Are you going
to pretend；'' he demanded； ‘‘that it wasn't a put…up
job？''
I told him he had paid us a high compliment； and
that we must really have done very well if we had
conveyed that impression； and I finally convinced
him that we not only had not rehearsed the episode；
but that neither of us had known what the other
meant to say。 We never wrote out our speeches；
but our subject was always suffrage or some ramifica…
tion of suffrage； and； naturally； we had thoroughly
digested each other's views。
It is said by my friends that I write my speeches
on the tips of my fingersfor I always make my
points on my fingers and have my fingers named for
points。 When I plan a speech I decide how many
points I wish to make and what those points shall
be。 My mental preparation follows。 Miss An…
thony's method was much the same； but very fre…
quently both of us threw over all our plans at the last
moment and spoke extemporaneously on some theme
suggested by the atmosphere of the gathering or by
the words of another speaker。
From Miss Anthony； more than from any one else；
I learned to keep cool in the face of interruptions
and of the small annoyances and disasters inevitable
in campaigning。 Often we were able to help each
other out of embarrassing situations； and one incident
of this kind occurred during our campaign in South
Dakota。 We were holding a meeting on the hottest
Sunday of the hottest month in the yearAugust
and hundreds of the natives had driven twenty；
thirty； and even forty miles across the country to
hear us。 We were to speak in a sod church； but it
was discovered that the structure would not hold half
the people who were trying to enter it； so we decided
that Miss Anthony should speak from the door； in
order that those both inside and outside might hear
her。 To elevate her above her audience； she was
given an empty dry…