the story of a pioneer-第34部分

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He　must　have　been　amused　when；　a　few　days　later；

he　received　a　letter　from　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　herself；

thanking　him　warmly　for　his　changed　opinion　of　her

and　hoping　that　it　meant　the　conversion　of　his　soul

to　our　Cause。　　It　did　not；　and　Mr。　Murdock；　though

never　again　quite　as　bitter　as　he　had　been；　soon

resumed　the　free　editorial　expression　of　his　anti…

suffrage　sentiments。　　Times　have　changed；　however；

and　to…day　his　son；　now　a　member　of　Congress；　is

one　of　our　strongest　supporters　in　that　body。



In　1905　it　became　plain　that　Miss　Anthony's

health　was　failing。　　Her　visits　to　Germany　and

England　the　previous　year；　triumphant　though　they　

had　been；　had　also　proved　a　drain　on　her　vitality；

and　soon　after　her　return　to　America　she　entered

upon　a　task　which　helped　to　exhaust　her　remaining

strength。　　She　had　been　deeply　interested　in　se…

curing　a　fund　of　50；000　to　enable　women　to　enter

Rochester　University；　and；　one　morning；　just　after

we　had　held　a　session　of　our　executive　committee

in　her　Rochester　home；　she　read　a　newspaper　an…

nouncement　to　the　effect　that　at　four　o'clock　that

afternoon　the　opportunity　to　admit　women　to　the

university　would　expire；　as　the　full　fifty　thousand

dollars　had　not　been　raised。　　The　sum　of　eight

thousand　dollars　was　still　lacking。



With　characteristic　energy；　Miss　Anthony　under…

took　to　save　the　situation　by　raising　this　amount

within　the　time　limit。　　Rushing　to　the　telephone；

she　called　a　cab　and　prepared　to　go　forth　on　her

difficult　quest；　but　first；　while　she　was　putting　on

her　hat　and　coat；　she　insisted　that　her　sister；　Mary

Anthony；　should　start　the　fund　by　contributing　one

thousand　dollars　from　her　meager　savings；　and　this

Miss　Mary　did。　　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　made　every　second

count　that　day；　and　by　half　after　three　o'clock　she

had　secured　the　necessary　pledges。　　Several　of　the

trustees　of　the　university；　however；　had　not　seemed

especially　anxious　to　have　the　fund　raised；　and　at

the　last　moment　they　objected　to　one　pledge　for　a

thousand　dollars；　on　the　ground　that　the　man　who

had　given　it　was　very　old　and　might　die　before　the

time　set　to　pay　it；　then　his　family；　they　feared；

might　repudiate　the　obligation。　　Without　a　word

Miss　Anthony　seized　the　pledge　and　wrote　her　name

across　it　as　an　indorsement。　　‘‘I　am　good　for　it；''

she　then　said；　quietly；　‘‘if　the　gentleman　who　signed

it　is　not。''



That　afternoon　she　returned　home　greatly　fa…

tigued。　　A　few　hours　later　the　girl　students　who

had　been　waiting　admission　to　the　university　came

to　serenade　her　in　recognition　of　her　successful　work

for　them；　but　she　was　too　ill　to　see　them。　　She　was

passing　through　the　first　stage　of　what　proved　to

be　her　final　breakdown。



In　1906；　when　the　date　of　the　annual　convention　of

the　National　American　Woman　Suffrage　Association

in　Baltimore　was　drawing　near；　she　became　convinced

that　it　would　be　her　last　convention。　　She　was　right。　

She　showed　a　passionate　eagerness　to　make　it　one

of　the　greatest　conventions　ever　held　in　the　history

of　the　movement；　and　we；　who　loved　her　and　saw

that　the　flame　of　her　life　was　burning　low；　also　bent

all　our　energies　to　the　task　of　realizing　her　hopes。　

In　November　preceding　the　convention　she　visited　me

and　her　niece；　Miss　Lucy　Anthony；　in　our　home　in

Mount　Airy；　Philadelphia；　and　it　was　clear　that　her

anxiety　over　the　convention　was　weighing　heavily

upon　her。　　She　visibly　lost　strength　from　day　to

day。　　One　morning　she　said　abruptly；　‘‘Anna；　let's

go　and　call　on　President　M。　Carey　Thomas；　of

Bryn　Mawr。''



I　wrote　a　note　to　Miss　Thomas；　telling　her　of　Miss

Anthony's　desire　to　see　her；　and　received　an　im…

mediate　reply　inviting　us　to　luncheon　the　following

day。　　We　found　Miss　Thomas　deep　in　the　work

connected　with　her　new　college　buildings；　over　which

she　showed　us　with　much　pride。　　Miss　Anthony；　of

course；　gloried　in　the　splendid　results　Miss　Thomas

had　achieved；　but　she　was；　for　her；　strangely　silent

and　preoccupied。　　At　luncheon　she　said：



‘‘Miss　Thomas；　your　buildings　are　beautiful；

your　new　library　is　a　marvel；　but　they　are　not　the

cause　of　our　presence　here。''



‘‘No；''　Miss　Thomas　said；　‘‘I　know　you　have

something　on　your　mind。　　I　am　waiting　for　you　to

tell　me　what　it　is。''



‘‘We　want　your　co…operation；　and　that　of　Miss

Garrett；''　began　Miss　Anthony；　promptly；　‘‘to　make

our　Baltimore　Convention　a　success。　　We　want　you

to　persuade　the　Arundel　Club　of　Baltimore；　the

most　fashionable　club　in　the　city；　to　give　a　recep…

tion　to　the　delegates；　and　we　want　you　to　arrange

a　college　night　on　the　programmea　great　college

night；　with　the　best　college　speakers　ever　brought

together。''



These　were　large　commissions　for　two　extremely

busy　women；　but　both　Miss　Thomas　and　Miss

Garrettrealizing　Miss　Anthony's　intense　earnest…

nesspromised　to　think　over　the　suggestions　and

see　what　they　could　do。　　The　next　morning　we　re…

ceived　a　telegram　from　them　stating　that　Miss

Thomas　would　arrange　the　college　evening；　and　that

Miss　Garrett　would　reopen　her　Baltimore　home；

which　she　had　closed；　during　the　convention。　　She

also　invited　Miss　Anthony　and　me　to　be　her　guests　

there；　and　added　that　she　would　try　to　arrange　the

reception　by　the　Arundel　Club。



‘‘Aunt　Susan''　was　overjoyed。　　I　have　never　seen

her　happier　than　she　was　over　the　receipt　of　that

telegram。　　She　knew　that　whatever　Miss　Thomas

and　Miss　Garrett　undertook　would　be　accomplished；

and　she　rightly　regarded　the　success　of　the　conven…

tion　as　already　assured。　　Her　expectations　were

more　than　realized。　　The　college　evening　was　un…

doubtedly　the　most　brilliant　occasion　of　its　kind

ever　arranged　for　a　convention。　　President　Ira

Remsen　of　Johns　Hopkins　University　presided；　and

addresses　were　made　by　President　Mary　E。　Woolley

of　Mount　Holyoke；　Professor　Lucy　Salmon　of　Vassar；

Professor　Mary　Jordan　of　Smith；　President　Thomas

herself；　and　many　others。



From　beginning　to　end　the　convention　was　prob…

ably　the　most　notable　yet　held　in　our　history。　

Julia　Ward　Howe　and　her　daughter；　Florence　Howe

Hall；　were　also　guests　of　Miss　Garrett；　who；　more…

over；　entertained　all　the　speakers　of　‘‘College　Night。''

Miss　Anthony；　now　eighty…six；　arrived　in　Baltimore

quite　ill；　and　Mrs。　Howe；　who　was　ninety；　was　taken

ill　soon　after　she　reached　there。　　The　two　great

women　made　a　dramatic　exchange　on　the　programme；

for　on　the　first　night；　when　Miss　Anthony　was　un…

able　to　speak；　Mrs。　Howe　took　her　place；　and　on　the

second　night；　when　Mrs。　Howe　had　succumbed；

Miss　Anthony　had　recovered　sufficiently　to　appear

for　her。　　Clara　Barton　was　also　an　honored　figure

at　the　convention；　and　Miss　Anthony's　joy　in　the

presence　of　all　these　old　and　dear　friends　was　over…

flowing。　　With　them；　too；　were　the　younger　women；

ready　to　take　up　and　carry　on　the　work　the　old

leaders　were　laying　down；　and　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''　as

she　surveyed　them　all；　felt　like　a　general　whose

superb　army　is　passing　in　review　before　him。

At　the　close　of　the　college　programme；　when　the

final　address　had　been　made　by　Miss　Thomas；　Miss

Anthony　rose　and　in　a　few　words　expressed　her

feeling　that　her　life…work　was　done；　and　her　con…

sciousness　of　the　near　approach　of　the　end。　　After

that　night　she　was　unable　to　appear；　and　was　indeed

so　ill　that　she　was　confined　to　her　bed　in　Miss　Gar…

rett's　most　hospitable　home。　　Nothing　could　have

been　more　thoughtful　or　more　beautiful　than　the

care　Miss　Garrett　and　Miss　Thomas　bestowed　on　her。　

They　engaged　for　her　one　of　the　best　physicians　in

Baltimore；　who；　in　turn；　consulted　with　the　leading

specialists　of　Johns　Hopkins；　and　they　also　secured

a　trained　nurse。　　This　final　attention　required

special　tact；　for　Miss　Anthony's　fear　of　‘‘giving

trouble''　was　so　great　that　she　was　not　willing　to

have　a　nurse。　　The　nurse；　therefore；　wore　a　house…

maid's　uniform；　and　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　remained　wholly

unconscious　that　she　was　being　cared　for　by　one　of

the　best　nurses　in　the　famous　hospital。



Between　sessions　of　the　convention　I　used　to

sit　by　‘‘Aunt　Susan's''　bed　and　tell　her　what　was

going　on。　　She　was　triumphant　over　the　immense

success　of　the　convention；　but　it　was　clear　that

she　was　still　worrying　over　the　details　of　future

work。　　One　day　at　luncheon　Miss　Thomas　asked

me；　casually：



‘‘By　the　way；　how　do　you　raise　the　money　to

carry　on　your　work？''



When　I　told　her　the　work　was　wholly　dependent

on　voluntary　contributions　and　on　the　services　of

those　who　were　willing　to　give　themselves　gratui…

tously　to　it；　Miss　Thomas　was　greatly　surprised。　

She　and　Miss　Garrett　asked　a　number　of　practical

questions；　and　at　the　end　of　our　talk　they　looked　at

each　other。



‘‘I　don't　think；''　said　Miss　Thomas；　‘‘that　we　have

quite　done　our　duty　in　this　matter。''



The　next　day　they　invited　a　number　of　us　to

dinner；　to　again　discuss　the　situation；　and　they

admitted　that　they　had　sat　up　throughout　the

previous　night；　talking　the　matter　over　and　trying

to　find　some　way　to　help　us。　　They　had　also　dis…

cussed　the　situation　with　Miss　Anthony；　to　her　vast

content；　and　had　finally　decided　that　they　would

try　to　raise　a　fund　of　60；000；　to　be　paid　in　yearly

instalments　of　12；000　for　five　yearspart　of　these

annual　instalments　to　be　used　as　salaries　for　the

active　officers。

The　mere　mention　of　so　large　a　fund　startled　us

all。　　We　feared　that　it　could　not　possibly　be　raised。　

But　Miss　Anthony　plainly　believed　that　now　the

last　great　wish　of　her　life　had　been　granted。　　She

was　convinced　that　Miss　Thomas　and　Miss　Gar…

rett　could　accomplish　anythingeven　the　miracle

of　raising　60；000　for　the　suffrage　causeand　they

did；　though　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　was　not　here　to　glory

over　the　result　when　they　had　achieved　it。



On　the　15th　of　February　we　left　Baltimore　for

Washington；　where　Miss　Anthony　was　to　cele…

brate　her　eig