the story of a pioneer-第27节

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platform　would　be　a　direct　violation　of　the　principle

for　which　they　stoodwhich　was　the　protection　of

female　modesty！　　Recalling　this；　and　the　present

hectic　activity　of　the　anti…suffragists；　one　must　feel

that　they　have　either　abandoned　their　principle　or

widened　their　views。

For　Julia　Ward　Howe　I　had　an　immense　admira…

tion；　but；　though　from　first　to　last　I　saw　much　of

her；　I　never　felt　that　I　really　knew　her。　　She　was　a

woman　of　the　widest　culture；　interested　in　every

progressive　movement。　　With　all　her　big　heart　she

tried　to　be　a　democrat；　but　she　was　an　aristocrat　to

the　very　core　of　her；　and；　despite　her　wonderful　work

for　others；　she　lived　in　a　splendid　isolation。　　Once

when　I　called　on　her　I　found　her　resting　her　mind

by　reading　Greek；　and　she　laughingly　admitted　that

she　was　using　a　Latin　pony；　adding　that　she　was

growing　‘‘rusty。''　　She　seemed　a　little　embarrassed

by　being　caught　with　the　pony；　but　she　must　have

been　reassured　by　my　cheerful　confession　that　if

_I_　tried　to　read　either　Latin　or　Greek　I　should　need

an　English　pony。



Of　Frances　E。　Willard；　who　frequently　came　to

Boston；　I　saw　a　great　deal；　and　we　soon　became　close…

ly　associated　in　our　work。　　Early　in　our　friendship；

and　at　Miss　Willard's　suggestion；　we　made　a　com…

pact　that　once　a　week　each　of　us　would　point　out

to　the　other　her　most　serious　faults；　and　thereby

help　her　to　remedy　them；　but　we　were　both　too　sane

to　do　anything　of　the　kind；　and　the　project　soon

died　a　natural　death。　　The　nearest　I　ever　came　to

carrying　it　out　was　in　warning　Miss　Willard　that　she

was　constantly　defying　all　the　laws　of　personal

hygiene。　　She　never　rested；　rarely　seemed　to　sleep；

and　had　to　be　reminded　at　the　table　that　she　was

there　for　the　purpose　of　eating　food。　　She　was　al…

ways　absorbed　in　some　great　interest；　and　oblivious

to　anything　else；　I　never　knew　a　woman　who　could

grip　an　audience　and　carry　it　with　her　as　she　could。　

She　was　intensely　emotional；　and　swayed　others　by

their　emotions　rather　than　by　logic；　yet　she　was　the

least　conscious　of　her　physical　existence　of　any　one

I　ever　knew；　with　the　exception　of　Susan　B。　Anthony。　

Like　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''　Miss　Willard　paid　no　heed　to

cold　or　heat　or　hunger；　to　privation　or　fatigue。　　In

their　relations　to　such　trifles　both　women　were　dis…

embodied　spirits。



Another　woman　doing　wonderful　work　at　this　time

was　Mrs。　Quincy　Shaw；　who　had　recently　started　her

day　nurseries　for　the　care　of　tenement　children　whose

mothers　labored　by　the　day。　　These　nurseries　were

new　in　Boston；　as　was　the　kindergarten　system　she

also　established。　　I　saw　the　effect　of　her　work　in　the

lives　of　the　people；　and　it　strengthened　my　growing

conviction　that　little　could　be　done　for　the　poor　in　a

spiritual　or　educational　way　until　they　were　given

a　certain　amount　of　physical　comfort；　and　until　more

time　was　devoted　to　the　problem　of　prevention。　

Indeed；　the　more　I　studied　economic　issues；　the　more

strongly　I　felt　that　the　position　of　most　philan…

thropists　is　that　of　men　who　stand　at　the　bottom

of　a　precipice　gathering　up　and　trying　to　heal　those

who　fall　into　it；　instead　of　guarding　the　top　and　pre…

venting　them　from　going　over。



Of　course　I　had　to　earn　my　living；　but；　though　I

had　taken　my　medical　degree　only　a　few　months

before　leaving　Cape　Cod；　I　had　no　intention　of　prac…

tising　medicine。　　I　had　merely　wished　to　add　a

certain　amount　of　medical　knowledge　to　my　mental

equipment。　　The　Massachusetts　Woman　Suffrage

Association；　of　which　Lucy　Stone　was　president；　had

frequently　employed　me　as　a　lecturer　during　the

last　two　years　of　my　pastorate。　　Now　it　offered　me

a　salary　of　one　hundred　dollars　a　month　as　a　lecturer

and　organizer。　　Though　I　may　not　have　seemed　so

in　these　reminiscences；　in　which　I　have　written　as

freely　of　my　small　victories　as　of　my　struggles　and

failures；　I　was　a　modest　young　person。　　The　amount

seemed　too　large；　and　I　told　Mrs。　Stone　as　much；

after　which　I　humbly　fixed　my　salary　at　fifty　dollars

a　month。　　At　the　end　of　a　year　of　work　I　felt　that

I　had　‘‘made　good''；　then　I　asked　for　and　received

the　one　hundred　dollars　a　month　originally　offered

me。



During　my　second　year　Miss　Cora　Scott　Pond　and

I　organized　and　carried　through　in　Boston　a　great

suffrage　bazaar；　clearing　six　thousand　dollars　for

the　associationa　large　amount　in　those　days。　

Elated　by　my　share　in　this　success；　I　asked　that　my

salary　should　be　increased　to　one　hundred　and

twenty…five　dollars　a　monthbut　this　was　not　done。　

Instead；　I　received　a　valuable　lesson。　　It　was　freely

admitted　that　my　work　was　worth　one　hundred　and

twenty…five　dollars；　but　I　was　told　that　one　hundred

was　the　limit　which　could　be　paid；　and　I　was　re…

minded　that　this　was　a　good　salary　for　a　woman。



The　time　seemed　to　have　come　to　make　a　practical

stand　in　defense　of　my　principles；　and　I　did　so　by

resigning　and　arranging　an　independent　lecture　tour。　

The　first　month　after　my　resignation　I　earned　three

hundred　dollars。　　Later　I　frequently　earned　more

than　that；　and　very　rarely　less。　　Eventually　I　lec…

tured　under　the　direction　of　the　Slaton　Lecture

Bureau　of　Chicago；　and　later　still　for　the　Redpath

Bureau　of　Boston。　　My　experience　with　the　Red…

path　people　was　especially　gratifying。　　Mrs。　Liver…

more；　who　was　their　only　woman　lecturer；　was　grow…

ing　old　and　anxious　to　resign　her　work。　　She　saw

in　me　a　possible　successor；　and　asked　them　to　take

me　on　their　list。　　They　promptly　refused；　explain…

ing　that　I　must　‘‘make　a　reputation''　before　they

could　even　consider　me。　　A　year　later　they　wrote

me；　making　a　very　good　offer；　which　I　accepted。　　It

may　be　worth　while　to　mention　here　that　through

my　lecture…work　at　this　period　I　earned　all　the　money

I　have　ever　saved。　　I　lectured　night　after　night；　week

after　week；　month　after　month；　in　‘‘Chautauquas''

in　the　summer；　all　over　the　country　in　the　winter；

earning　a　large　income　and　putting　aside　at　that

time　the　small　surplus　I　still　hold　in　preparation　for

the　‘‘rainy　day''　every　working…woman　inwardly

fears。



I　gave　the　public　at　least　a　fair　equivalent　for

what　it　gave　me；　for　I　put　into　my　lectures　all　my

vitality；　and　I　rarely　missed　an　engagement；　though

again　and　again　I　risked　my　life　to　keep　one。　　My

special　subjects；　of　course；　were　the　two　I　had　most

at　heart…suffrage　and　temperance。　　For　Frances

Willard；　then　President　of　the　Woman's　Christian

Temperance　Union；　had　persuaded　me　to　head　the

Franchise　Department　of　that　organization；　suc…

ceeding　Ziralda　Wallace；　the　mother　of　Gen。　Lew

Wallace；　and　Miss　Susan　B。　Anthony；　who　was　be…

ginning　to　study　me　closely；　soon　swung　me　into

active　work　with　her；　of　which；　later；　I　shall　have

much　to　say。　　But　before　taking　up　a　subject　as

absorbing　to　me　as　my　friendship　for　and　association

with　the　most　wonderful　woman　I　have　ever　known；

it　may　be　interesting　to　record　a　few　of　my　pioneer

experiences　in　the　lecture…field。



In　those　daysthirty　years　agothe　lecture　bu…

reaus　were　wholly　regardless　of　the　comfort　of　their

lecturers。　　They　arranged　a　schedule　of　engagements

with　exactly　one　idea　in　mindto　get　the　lecturer

from　one　lecture…point　to　the　next；　utterly　regardless

of　whether　she　had　time　between　for　rest　or　food　or

sleep。　　So　it　happened　that　all…night　journeys　in

freight…cars；　engines；　and　cabooses　were　casual　com…

monplaces；　while　thirty　and　forty　mile　drives　across

the　country　in　blizzards　and　bitter　cold　were　equally

inevitable。　　Usually　these　things　did　not　trouble

me。　　They　were　high　adventures　which　I　enjoyed　at

the　time　and　afterward　loved　to　recall。　　But　there

was　an　occasional　hiatus　in　my　optimism。



One　night；　for　example；　after　lecturing　in　a　town

in　Ohio；　it　was　necessary　to　drive　eight　miles　across

country　to　a　tiny　railroad　station　at　which　a　train；

passing　about　two　o'clock　in　the　morning；　was　to　be

flagged　for　me。　　When　we　reached　the　station　it　was

closed；　but　my　driver　deposited　me　on　the　platform

and　drove　away；　leaving　me　alone。　　The　night　was

cold　and　very　dark。　　All　day　I　had　been　feeling　ill

and　in　the　evening　had　suffered　so　much　pain　that

I　had　finished　my　lecture　with　great　difficulty。　　Now

toward　midnight；　in　this　desolate　spot；　miles　from

any　house；　I　grew　alarmingly　worse。　　I　am　not

easily　frightened；　but　that　time　I　was　sure　I　was

going　to　die。　　Off　in　the　darkness；　very　far　away；　as

it　seemed；　I　saw　a　faint　light；　and　with　infinite　effort

I　dragged　myself　toward　it。　　To　walk；　even　to　stand；

was　impossible；　I　crawled　along　the　railroad　track；

collapsing；　resting；　going　on　again；　whipping　my

will　power　to　the　task　of　keeping　my　brain　clear；

until　after　a　nightmare　that　seemed　to　last　through

centuries　I　lay　across　the　door　of　the　switch…tower

in　which　the　light　was　burning。　　The　switchman

stationed　there　heard　the　cry　I　was　able　to　utter；

and