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as well as a never…to…be…forgotten exhibition of folk…
dancing。
The same year； in June； we held the meeting of
the International Council in Toronto； and； as Canada
has never been eagerly interested in suffrage； an un…
successful effort was made to exclude this subject
from the programme。 I was asked to preside at the
suffrage meetings on the artless and obvious theory
that I would thus be kept too busy to say much。
I had hoped that the Countess of Aberdeen； who was
the president of the International Council； would take
the chair； but she declined to do this； or even to
speak； as the Earl of Aberdeen had recently been
appointed Viceroy of Ireland； and she desired to
spare him any embarrassment which might be
caused by her public activities。 We recognized the
wisdom of her decision； but； of course； regretted
it； and I was therefore especially pleased when； on
suffrage night； the countess； accompanied by her
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 the
work。 Our membership has grown fr