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the story of a pioneer-第35章

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An hour passed; and another; and still the train did

not come。  Miss Anthony; her back braced against

the wall; buried her face in her hands and dropped

into a peaceful abyss of slumber; while I walked

restlessly up and down the platform。  The train

arrived four hours late; and when eventually we had

reached our destination we learned that the min…

isters of the town had persuaded the women to give

up the suffrage meeting scheduled for that night; as

it was Sunday。



This disappointment; following our all…day and

all…night drive to keep our appointment; aroused

Miss Anthony's fighting spirit。  She sent me out to

rent the theater for the evening; and to have some

hand…bills printed and distributed; announcing that

we would speak。  At three o'clock she made the

concession to her seventy years of lying down for

an hour's rest。  I was young and vigorous; so I

trotted around town to get somebody to preside;

somebody to introduce us; somebody to take up

the collection; and somebody who would provide

musicin short; to make all our preparations for

the night meeting。



When evening came the crowd which had assem…

bled was so great that men and women sat in the

windows and on the stage; and stood in the flies。

Night attractions were rare in that Dakota town;

and here was something new。  Nobody went to

church; so the churches were forced to close。  We

had a glorious meeting。  Both Miss Anthony and I

were in excellent fighting trim; and Miss Anthony

remarked that the only thing lacking to make me

do my best was a sick headache。  The collection we

took up paid all our expenses; the church singers

sang for us; the great audience was interested; and

the whole occasion was an inspiring success。



The meeting ended about half after ten o'clock;

and I remember taking Miss Anthony to our hotel

and escorting her to her room。  I also remember

that she followed me to the door and made some

laughing remark as I left for my own room; but I

recall nothing more until the next morning when

she stood beside me telling me it was time for break…

fast。  She had found me lying on the cover of my

bed; fully clothed even to my bonnet and shoes。 

I had fallen there; utterly exhausted; when I entered

my room the night before; and I do not think I had

even moved from that time until the moment

nine hours laterwhen I heard her voice and felt

her hand on my shoulder。



After all our work; we did not win Dakota that

year; but Miss Anthony bore the disappointment

with the serenity she always showed。  To her a

failure was merely another opportunity; and I men…

tion our experience here only to show of what she

was capable in her gallant seventies。  But I should

misrepresent her if I did not show her human and

sentimental side as well。  With all her detachment

from human needs she had emotional moments; and

of these the most satisfying came when she was

listening to music。  She knew nothing whatever

about music; but was deeply moved by it; and I re…

member vividly one occasion when Nordica sang

for her; at an afternoon reception given by a Chicago

friend in ‘‘Aunt Susan's'' honor。  As it happened;

she had never heard Nordica sing until that day;

and before the music began the great artiste and the

great leader met; and in the moment of meeting

became friends。  When Nordica sang; half an hour

later; she sang directly to Miss Anthony; looking

into her eyes; and ‘‘Aunt Susan'' listened with her

own eyes full of tears。  When the last notes had been

sung she went to the singer and put both arms

around her。  The music had carried her back to her

girlhood and to the sentiment of sixteen。



‘‘Oh; Nordica;'' she sighed; ‘‘I could die listening

to such singing!''



Another example of her unquenchable youth has

also a Chicago setting。  During the World's Fair a

certain clergyman made an especially violent stand

in favor of closing the Fair grounds on Sunday。 

Miss Anthony took issue with him。



‘‘If I had charge of a young man in Chicago at this

time;'' she told the clergyman; ‘‘I would much

rather have him locked inside the Fair grounds on

Sunday or any other day than have him going

about on the outside。''



The clergyman was horrified。  ‘‘Would you like

to have a son of yours go to Buffalo Bill's Wild West

Show on Sunday?'' he demanded。



‘‘Of course I would;'' admitted Miss Anthony。 

‘‘In fact; I think he would learn more there than

from the sermons preached in some churches。''



Later this remark was repeated to Colonel Cody

(‘‘Buffalo Bill''); who; of course; was delighted with

it。  He at once wrote to Miss Anthony; thanking

her for the breadth of her views; and offering her a

box for his ‘‘Show。''  She had no strong desire

to see the performance; but some of us urged her to

accept the invitation and to take us with her。  She

was always ready to do anything that would give

us pleasure; so she promised that we should go the

next afternoon。  Others heard of the jaunt and

begged to go also; and Miss Anthony blithely took

every applicant under her wing; with the result that

when we arrived at the box…office the next day

there were twelve of us in the group。  When she

presented her note and asked for a box; the local

manager looked doubtfully at the delegation。



‘‘A box only holds six;'' he objected; logically。

Miss Anthony; who had given no thought to that

slight detail; looked us over and smiled her seraphic

smile。



‘‘Why; in that case;'' she said; cheerfully; ‘‘you'll

have to give us two boxes; won't you?''



The amused manager decided that he would; and

handed her the tickets; and she led her band to

their places in triumph。  When the performance be…

gan Colonel Cody; as was his custom; entered the

arena from the far end of the building; riding his

wonderful horse and bathed; of course; in the efful…

gence of his faithful spot…light。  He rode directly

to our boxes; reined his horse in front of Miss An…

thony; rose in his stirrups; and with his characteris…

tic gesture swept his slouch…hat to his saddle…bow in

salutation。  ‘‘Aunt Susan'' immediately rose; bowed

in her turn and; for the moment as enthusiastic as a

girl; waved her handkerchief at him; while the big

audience; catching the spirit of the scene; wildly

applauded。  It was a striking picture this meeting

of the pioneer man and woman; and; poor as I am;

I would give a hundred dollars for a snapshot of it。



On many occasions I saw instances of Miss An…

thony's prescienceand one of these was connected

with the death of Frances E。 Willard。  ‘‘Aunt

Susan'' had called on Miss Willard; and; coming to

me from the sick…room; had walked the floor; beating

her hands together as she talked of the visit。



‘‘Frances Willard is dying;'' she exclaimed; pas…

sionately。  ‘‘She is dying; and she doesn't know it;

and no one around her realizes it。  She is lying there;

seeing into two worlds; and making more plans than

a thousand women could carry out in ten years。 

Her brain is wonderful。  She has the most extraor…

dinary clearness of vision。  There should be a stenog…

rapher in that room; and every word she utters

should be taken down; for every word is golden。 

But they don't understand。  They can't realize that

she is going。  I told Anna Gordon the truth; but she

won't believe it。''



Miss Willard died a few days later; with a sudden…

ness which seemed to be a terrible shock to those

around her。



Of ‘‘Aunt Susan's'' really remarkable lack of self…

consciousness we who worked close to her had a

thousand extraordinary examples。  Once; I remem…

ber; at the New Orleans Convention; she reached

the hall a little late; and as she entered the great

audience already assembled gave her a tremendous

reception。  The exercises of the day had not yet

begun; and Miss Anthony stopped short and looked

around for an explanation of the outburst。  It never

for a moment occurred to her that the tribute was

to her。



‘‘What has happened; Anna?'' she asked at last。



‘‘You happened; Aunt Susan;'' I had to explain。



Again; on the great ‘‘College Night'' of the Balti…

more Convention; when President M。 Carey Thomas

of Bryn Mawr College had finished her wonderful

tribute to Miss Anthony; the audience; carried away

by the speech and also by the presence of the vener…

able leader on the platform; broke into a whirlwind

of applause。  In this ‘‘Aunt Susan'' artlessly joined;

clapping her hands as hard as she could。  ‘‘This is

all for you; Aunt Susan;'' I whispered; ‘‘so it isn't

your time to applaud。''



‘‘Aunt Susan'' continued to clap。  ‘‘Nonsense;''

she said; briskly。  ‘‘It's not for me。  It's for the

Causethe Cause!''



Miss Anthony told me in 1904 that she regarded

her reception in Berlin; during the meeting of the

International Council of Women that year; as the

climax of her career。
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