the story of a pioneer-第31部分

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Miss　Anthony　was　greatly　depressed　by　the　epi…

sode；　and　she　was　not　comforted　by　a　prediction　one

man　made　after　the　meeting。



‘‘You've　lost　at　least　twenty　votes　by　that　little

affair；''　he　told　her。



‘‘Aunt　Susan''　sighed。　　‘‘Well；''　she　said；　‘‘if　those

men　knew　how　my　ankles　felt　I　would　have　won

twenty　votes　by　enduring　the　torture　as　long　as　I　did。''



The　next　day　we　had　a　second　meeting。　　Miss

Anthony　made　her　speech　early　in　the　evening；　and

by　the　time　it　was　my　turn　to　begin　all　the　children

in　the　audienceand　there　were　manywere　both

tired　and　sleepy。　　At　least　half　a　dozen　of　them

were　crying；　and　I　had　to　shout　to　make　my　voice

heard　above　their　uproar。　　Miss　Anthony　remarked

afterward　that　there　seemed　to　be　a　contest　between

me　and　the　infants　to　see　which　of　us　could　make

more　noise。　　The　audience　was　plainly　getting　rest…

less　under　the　combined　effect；　and　finally　a　man　in

the　rear　rose　and　added　his　voice　to　the　tumult。



‘‘Say；　Miss　Shaw；''　he　yelled；　‘‘don't　you　want

these　children　put　out？''



It　was　our　chance　to　remove　the　sad　impression

of　yesterday；　and　I　grasped　it。



‘‘No；　indeed；''　I　yelled　back。　　‘‘Nothing　inspires

me　like　the　voice　of　a　child！''



A　handsome　round　of　applause　from　mothers　and

fathers　greeted　this　noble　declaration；　after　which

the　blessed　babies　and　I　resumed　our　joint　vocal

efforts。　　When　the　speech　was　finished　and　we　were

alone　together；　Miss　Anthony　put　her　arm　around

my　shoulder　and　drew　me　to　her　side。



‘‘Well；　Anna；''　she　said；　gratefully；　‘‘you've　cer…

tainly　evened　us　up　on　motherhood　this　time。''



That　South　Dakota　campaign　was　one　of　the

most　difficult　we　ever　made。　　It　extended　over　nine

months；　and　it　is　impossible　to　describe　the　poverty

which　prevailed　throughout　the　whole　rural　com…

munity　of　the　State。　　There　had　been　three　con…

secutive　years　of　drought。　　The　sand　was　like　pow…

der；　so　deep　that　the　wheels　of　the　wagons　in　which

we　rode　‘‘across　country''　sank　half…way　to　the

hubs；　and　in　the　midst　of　this　dry　powder　lay　with…

ered　tangles　that　had　once　been　grass。　　Every　one

had　the　forsaken；　desperate　look　worn　by　the　pioneer

who　has　reached　the　limit　of　his　endurance；　and　the

great　stretches　of　prairie　roads　showed　innumerable

canvas…covered　wagons；　drawn　by　starved　horses；

and　followed　by　starved　cows；　on　their　way　‘‘Back

East。''　　Our　talks　with　the　despairing　drivers　of

these　wagons　are　among　my　most　tragic　memories。

They　had　lost　everything　except　what　they　had　with

them；　and　they　were　going　East　to　leave　‘‘the　wom…

an''　with　her　father　and　try　to　find　work。　　Usually；

with　a　look　of　disgust　at　his　wife；　the　man　would

say：　　‘‘I　wanted　to　leave　two　years　ago；　but　the

woman　kept　saying；　‘Hold　on　a　little　longer。'　''



Both　Miss　Anthony　and　I　gloried　in　the　spirit　of

these　pioneer　women；　and　lost　no　opportunity　to

tell　them　so；　for　we　realized　what　our　nation　owes

to　the　patience　and　courage　of　such　as　they　were。　

We　often　asked　them　what　was　the　hardest　thing　to

bear　in　their　pioneer　life；　and　we　usually　received

the　same　reply：



‘‘To　sit　in　our　little　adobe　or　sod　houses　at　night

and　listen　to　the　wolves　howl　over　the　graves　of　our

babies。　　For　the　howl　of　the　wolf　is　like　the　cry　of

a　child　from　the　grave。''



Many　days；　and　in　all　kinds　of　weather；　we　rode

forty　and　fifty　miles　in　uncovered　wagons。　　Many

nights　we　shared　a　one…room　cabin　with　all　the　mem…

bers　of　the　family。　　But　the　greatest　hardship　we

suffered　was　the　lack　of　water。　　There　was　very

little　good　water　in　the　state；　and　the　purest　water

was　so　brackish　that　we　could　hardly　drink　it。　　The

more　we　drank　the　thirstier　we　became；　and　when

the　water　was　made　into　tea　it　tasted　worse　than

when　it　was　clear。　　A　bath　was　the　rarest　of　luxuries。　

The　only　available　fuel　was　buffalo　manure；　of　which

the　odor　permeated　all　our　food。　　But　despite　these

handicaps　we　were　happy　in　our　work；　for　we　had

some　great　meetings　and　many　wonderful　experiences。



When　we　reached　the　Black　Hills　we　had　more　of

this　genuine　campaigning。　　We　traveled　over　the

mountains　in　wagons；　behind　teams　of　horses；　visit…

ing　the　mining…camps；　and　often　the　gullies　were　so

deep　that　when　our　horses　got　into　them　it　was　al…

most　impossible　to　get　them　out。　　I　recall　with

special　clearness　one　ride　from　Hill　City　to　Custer

City。　　It　was　only　a　matter　of　thirty　miles；　but　it　was

thoroughly　exhausting；　and　after　our　meeting　that

same　night　we　had　to　drive　forty　miles　farther　over

the　mountains　to　get　the　early　morning　train　from

Buffalo　Gap。　　The　trail　from　Custer　City　to　Buffalo

Gap　was　the　one　the　animals　had　originally　made　in

their　journeys　over　the　pass；　and　the　drive　in　that

wild　region；　throughout　a　cold；　piercing　October

night；　was　an　unforgetable　experience。　　Our　host　at

Custer　City　lent　Miss　Anthony　his　big　buffalo　over…

coat；　and　his　wife　lent　hers　to　me。　　They　also　heated

blocks　of　wood　for　our　feet；　and　with　these　pro…

tections　we　started。　　A　full　moon　hung　in　the　sky。　

The　trees　were　covered　with　hoar…frost；　and　the　cold；

still　air　seemed　to　sparkle　in　the　brilliant　light。　

Again　Miss　Anthony　talked　to　me　throughout　the

nightof　the　work；　always　of　the　work；　and　of　what

it　would　mean　to　the　women　who　followed　us；　and

again　she　fired　my　soul　with　the　flame　that　burned

so　steadily　in　her　own。



It　was　daylight　when　we　reached　the　little　sta…

tion　at　Buffalo　Gap　where　we　were　to　take　the

train。　　This　was　not　due；　however；　for　half　an　hour；

and　even　then　it　did　not　come。　　The　station　was

only　large　enough　to　hold　the　stove；　the　ticket…office；

and　the　inevitable　cuspidor。　　There　was　barely

room　in　which　to　walk　between　these　and　the　wall。　

Miss　Anthony　sat　down　on　the　floor。　　I　had　a　few

raisins　in　my　bag；　and　we　divided　them　for　breakfast。　

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