the story of a pioneer-第28节

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in　which　the　light　was　burning。　　The　switchman

stationed　there　heard　the　cry　I　was　able　to　utter；

and　came　to　my　assistance。　　He　carried　me　up　to

his　signal…room　and　laid　me　on　the　floor　by　the　stove；

he　had　nothing　to　give　me　except　warmth　and　shel…

ter；　but　these　were　now　all　I　asked。　　I　sank　into　a

comatose　condition　shot　through　with　pain。　　Tow…

ard　two　o'clock　in　the　morning　he　waked　me　and

told　me　my　train　was　coming；　asking　if　I　felt　able

to　take　it。　　I　decided　to　make　the　effort。　　He　dared

not　leave　his　post　to　help　me；　but　he　signaled　to　the

train；　and　I　began　my　progress　back　to　the　station。　

I　never　clearly　remembered　how　I　got　there；　but

I　arrived　and　was　helped　into　a　car　by　a　brakeman。　

About　four　o'clock　in　the　morning　I　had　to　change

again；　but　this　time　I　was　left　at　the　station　of　a　town；

and　was　there　met　by　a　man　whose　wife　had　offered

me　hospitality。　　He　drove　me　to　their　home；　and

I　was　cared　for。　　What　I　had；　it　developed；　was　a

severe　case　of　ptomaine　poisoning；　and　I　soon　re…

covered；　but　even　after　all　these　years　I　do　not

like　to　recall　that　night。



To　be　‘‘snowed　in''　was　a　frequent　experience。　

Once；　in　Minnesota；　I　was　one　of　a　dozen　travelers

who　were　driven　in　an　omnibus　from　a　country　hotel

to　the　nearest　railroad　station；　about　two　miles　away。　

It　was　snowing　hard；　and　the　driver　left　us　on　the

station　platform　and　departed。　　Time　passed；　but

the　train　we　were　waiting　for　did　not　come。　　A　true

Western　blizzard；　growing　wilder　every　moment；　had

set　in；　and　we　finally　realized　that　the　train　was　not

coming；　and　that；　moreover；　it　was　now　impossible

to　get　back　to　the　hotel。　　The　only　thing　we　could

do　was　to　spend　the　night　in　the　railroad　station。　

I　was　the　only　woman　in　the　group；　and　my　fellow…

passengers　were　cattlemen　who　whiled　away　the

hours　by　smoking；　telling　stories；　and　exchanging

pocket　flasks。　　The　station　had　a　telegraph　operator

who　occupied　a　tiny　box　by　himself；　and　he　finally

invited　me　to　share　the　privacy　of　his　microscopic

quarters。　　I　entered　them　very　gratefully；　and　he

laid　a　board　on　the　floor；　covered　it　with　an　over…

coat　made　of　buffalo…skins；　and　cheerfully　invited

me　to　go　to　bed。　　I　went；　and　slept　peacefully　until

morning。　　Then　we　all　returned　to　the　hotel；　the

men　going　ahead　and　shoveling　a　path。



Again；　one　Sunday；　I　was　snowbound　in　a　train

near　Faribault；　and　this　time　also　I　was　the　only

woman　among　a　number　of　cattlemen。　　They　were

an　odoriferous　lot；　who　smoked　diligently　and　played

cards　without　ceasing；　but　in　deference　to　my　pres…

ence　they　swore　only　mildly　and　under　their　breath。　

At　last　they　wearied　of　their　game；　and　one　of　them

rose　and　came　to　me。



‘‘I　heard　you　lecture　the　other　night；''　he　said；

awkwardly；　‘‘and　I've　bin　tellin'　the　fellers　about　it。　

We'd　like　to　have　a　lecture　now。''



Their　card…playing　had　seemed　to　me　a　sinful

thing　（I　was　stricter　in　my　views　then　than　I　am

to…day）；　and　I　was　glad　to　create　a　diversion。　　I

agreed　to　give　them　a　lecture；　and　they　went　through

the　train；　which　consisted　of　two　day　coaches；　and

brought　in　the　remaining　passengers。　　A　few　of

them　could　sing；　and　we　began　with　a　Moody　and

Sankey　hymn　or　two　and　the　appealing　ditty；

‘‘Where　is　my　wandering　boy　to…night？''　in　which

they　all　joined　with　special　zest。　　Then　I　delivered

the　lecture；　and　they　listened　attentively。　　When　I

had　finished　they　seemed　to　think　that　some　slight

return　was　in　order；　so　they　proceeded　to　make　a

bed　for　me。　　They　took　the　bottoms　out　of　two　seats；

arranged　them　crosswise；　and　one　man　folded　his

overcoat　into　a　pillow。　　Inspired　by　this；　two　others

immediately　donated　their　fur　overcoats　for　upper

and　lower　coverings。　　When　the　bed　was　ready　they

waved　me　toward　it　with　a　most　hospitable　air；　and

I　crept　in　between　the　overcoats　and　slumbered

sweetly　until　I　was　aroused　the　next　morning　by　the

welcome　music　of　a　snow…plow　which　had　been

sent　from　St。　Paul　to　our　rescue。

To　drive　fifty　or　sixty　miles　in　a　day　to　meet　a

lecture　engagement　was　a　frequent　experience。　　I

have　been　driven　across　the　prairies　in　June　when

they　were　like　a　mammoth　flower…bed；　and　in　Jan…

uary　when　they　seemed　one　huge　snow…covered

gravemy　grave；　I　thought；　at　times。　　Once　during　a

thirty…mile　drive；　when　the　thermometer　was　twenty

degrees　below　zero；　I　suddenly　realized　that　my　face

was　freezing。　　I　opened　my　satchel；　took　out　the

tissue…paper　that　protected　my　best　gown；　and　put

the　paper　over　my　face　as　a　veil；　tucking　it　inside

of　my　bonnet。　　When　I　reached　my　destination　the

tissue　was　a　perfect　mask；　frozen　stiff；　and　I

had　to　be　lifted　from　the　sleigh。　　I　was　due　on　the

lecture　platform　in　half　an　hour；　so　I　drank　a　huge

bowl　of　boiling　ginger　tea　and　appeared　on　time。　

That　night　I　went　to　bed　expecting　an　attack　of

pneumonia　as　a　result　of　the　exposure；　but　I　awoke

next　morning　in　superb　condition。　　I　possess　what

is　called　‘‘an　iron　constitution；''　and　in　those　days

I　needed　it。



That　same　winter；　in　Kansas；　I　was　chased　by

wolves；　and　though　I　had　been　more　or　less　inti…

mately　associated　with　wolves　in　my　pioneer　life

in　the　Michigan　woods；　I　found　the　occasion　extreme…

ly　unpleasant。　　During　the　long　winters　of　my　girl…

hood　wolves　had　frequently　slunk　around　our　log

cabin；　and　at　times　in　the　lumber…camps　we　had

even　heard　them　prowling　on　the　roofs。　　But　those

were　very　different　creatures　from　the　two　huge；

starving；　tireless　animals　that　hour　after　hour　loped

behind　the　cutter　in　which　I　sat　with　another　woman；

who；　throughout　the　whole　experience；　never　lost

her　head　nor　her　control　of　our　frantic　horses。　　They

were　mad　with　terror；　for；　try　as　they　would；　they

could　not　outrun　the　grim　things　that　trailed　us；

seemingly　not　trying　to　gain　on　us；　but　keeping　al…

ways　at　the　same　distance；　with　a　patience　that　was

horrible。　　From　time　to　time　I　turned　to　look　at

them；　and　the　picture　they　made　as　they　came　on

and　on　is　one　I　shall　never　forget。　　They　were　so　near

that　I　could　see　their　eyes　and　slavering　jaws；　and

they　were　as　noiseless　as　things　in　a　dream。　　At

last；　little　by　little；　they　began　to　gain　on　us；　and

they　were　almost　within　striking　distance　of　the

whip；　which　was　our　only　weapon；　when　we　reached

the　welcome　outskirts　of　a　town　and　they　fell　back。



Some　of　the　memories　of　those　days　have　to　do

with　personal　encounters；　brief　but　poignant。　　Once

when　I　was　giving　a　series　of　Chautauqua　lectures；

I　spoke　at　the　Chautauqua　in　Pontiac；　Illinois。　

The　State　Reformatory　for　Boys　was　situated　in

that　town；　and；　after　the　lecture　the　superintendent

of　the　Reformatory　invited　me　to　visit　it　and　say

a　few　words　to　the　inmates。　　I　went　and　spoke　for

half　an　hour；　carrying　away　a　memory　of　the　place

and　of　the　boys　which　haunted　me　for　months。　　A

year　later；　while　I　was　waiting　for　a　train　in　the

station　at　Shelbyville；　a　lad　about　sixteen　years　old

passed　me　and　hesitated；　looking　as　if　he　knew　me。　

I　saw　that　he　wanted　to　speak　and　dared　not；　so

I　nodded　to　him。



‘‘You　think　you　know　me；　don't　you？''　I　asked；

when　he　came　to　my　side。



‘‘Yes'm；　I　do　know　you；''　he　told　me；　eagerly。　

‘‘You　are　Miss　Shaw；　and　you　talked　to　us　boys　at

Pontiac　last　year。　　I'm　out　on　parole　now；　but　I

'ain't　forgot。　　Us　boys　enjoyed　you　the　best　of　any

show　we　ever　had！''



I　was　touched　by　this　artless　compliment；　and

anxious　to　know　how　I　had　won　it；　so　I　asked；

‘‘What　did　I　say　that　the　boys　liked？''



The　lad　hesitated。　　Then　he　said；　slowly；　‘‘Well；

you　didn't　talk　as　if　you　thought　we　were　all

bad。''



‘‘My　boy；''　I　told　him；　‘‘I　don't　think　you　are　all

bad。　　I　know　better！''



As　if　I　had　touched　a　spring　in　him；　the　lad

dropped　into　the　seat　by　my　side；　then；　leaning

toward　me；　he　said；　impulsively；　but　almost　in　a

whisper：



‘‘Say；　Miss　Shaw；　SOME　OF　US　BOYS　SAYS　OUR　PRAYERS！''



Rarely　have　I　had　a　tribute　that　moved　me　more

than　that　shy　confidence；　and　often　since　then；　in

hours　of　discouragement　or　failure；　I　have　reminded

myself　that　at　least　there　must　have　been　something

in　me　once　to　make　a　lad　of　that　age　so　open　up

his　heart。　　We　had　a　long　and　intimate　talk；　from

which　grew　the　abiding　interest　I　feel　in　boys　to…

day。



Naturally　I　was　sometimes　inconvenienced　by

slight　misunderstandings　between　local　committees

and　myself　as　to　the　subjects　of　my　lectures；　and　the

most　extreme　instance　of　this　occurred　in　a　town

where　I　arrived　to　find　myself　widely　advertised

as　‘‘Mrs。　Anna　Shaw；　who　whistled　before　Queen

Victoria''！　　Transfixed；　I　gaped　before　the　bill…

boards；　and　by　reading　their　additional　lettering

discovered　the　gratifying　fact　that　at　least　I　was

not　expected　to　whistle　now。　　Instead；　it　appeared；

I　was　to　lecture　on　‘‘The　Missing　Link。''



As　usual；　I　had　arriv