the story of a pioneer-第50部分

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a　picturesque　bit　of　brilliant　color　to　the　scene　as

they　deeply　salaamed。　　They　arrested　the　eye　of

the　Queen；　who　stopped　and　spoke　a　few　cordial

words　to　them。　　This　gave　the　rest　of　us　an　excellent

opportunity　to　observe　her　closely；　and　I　admit　that

my　English　blood　stirred　in　me　suddenly　and　loyally

as　I　studied　the　plump　little　figure。　　She　was　dressed

entirely　and　very　simply　in　black；　with　a　quaint

flat　black　hat　and　a　black　cape。　　The　only　bit

of　color　about　her　was　a　black…and…white　parasol

with　a　gold　handle。　　It　was；　however；　her　face　which

held　me；　for　it　gave　me　a　wholly　different　impression

of　the　Queen　from　those　I　had　received　from　her

photographs。　　Her　pictured　eyes　were　always　rather

cold；　and　her　pictured　face　rather　haughty；　but　there

was　a　very　sweet　and　winning　softness　in　the　eyes

she　turned　upon　the　Indian　women；　and　her　whole

expression　was　unexpectedly　gentle　and　benignant。　

Behind　her；　as　a　personal　attendant；　strode　an

enormous　East…Indian　in　full　native　costume；　and

closely　surrounding　her　were　gentlemen　of　her　house…

hold；　each　in　uniform。



By　this　time　my　thoughts　were　on　my　courtesy；

which　I　desired　to　make　conventional　if　not　grace…

ful；　but　nature　has　not　made　it　easy　for　me　to

double　to　the　earth　as　Lady　Aberdeen　and　the　In…

dian　women　were　doing；　and　I　fear　I　accomplished

little　save　an　exhibition　of　good　intentions。　　The

Queen；　however；　was　getting　into　the　spirit　of　the

occasion。　　She　stopped　to　speak　to　a　Canadian

representative；　and　she　would；　I　think；　have　ended

by　talking　to　many　others；　but；　just　at　the　psycho…

logical　moment；　a　woman　rushed　out　of　the　line；

seized　Her　Majesty's　hand　and　kissed　itand　Vic…

toria；　startled　and　possibly　fearing　a　general　on…

slaught；　hurriedly　passed　on。



Another　picture　I　recall　was　made　by　the　Duchess

of　Sutherland；　the　Countess　of　Aberdeen；　and　the

Countess　of　Warwick　standing　together　to　receive

us　at　the　foot　of　the　marble　stairway　in　Sutherland

House。　　All　of　them　literally　blazed　with　jewels；　and

the　Countess　of　Aberdeen　wore　the　famous　Aber…

deen　emerald。　　At　Lady　Battersea's　reception　I　had

my　first　memorial　meeting　with　Mary　Anderson

Navarro；　and　was　able　to　thank　her　for　the　pleasure

she　had　given　me　in　Boston　so　long　ago。　　Then　I

reproached　her　mildly　for　taking　herself　away　from

us；　pointing　out　that　a　great　gift　had　been　given

her　which　she　should　have　continued　to　share　with

the　world。



‘‘Come　and　see　my　baby；''　laughed　Madame

Navarro。　　‘‘That's　the　best　argument　I　can　offer

to　refute　yours。''



At　the　same　reception　I　had　an　interesting　talk

with　James　Bryce。　　He　had　recently　written　his

American　Commonwealth；　and　I　had　just　read　it。　

It　was；　therefore；　the　first　subject　I　introduced　in

our　conversation。　　Mr。　Bryce's　comment　amused

me。　　He　told　me　he　had　quite　changed　his　opinion

toward　the　suffrage　aspirations　of　women；　because

so　many　women　had　read　his　book　that　he　really

believed　they　were　intelligent；　and　he　had　come　to

feel　much　more　kindly　toward　them。　　These　were

not　his　exact　words；　but　his　meaning　was　unmistak…

able　and　his　mental　attitude　artlessly　sincere。　　And；

on　reflection；　I　agree　with　him　that　the　American

Commonwealth　is　something　of　an　intellectual　hurdle

for　the　average　human　mind。



In　1908　the　International　Council　was　held　in

Geneva；　and　here；　for　the　first　time；　we　were　shown；

as　entertainment；　the　dances　of　a　countrythe

scene　being　an　especially　brilliant　one；　as　all　the

dancers　wore　their　native　costumes。　　Also；　for　the

first　time　in　the　history　of　Geneva；　the　buildings　of

Parliament　were　opened　to　women　and　a　woman's

organization　was　given　the　key　to　the　city。　　At


that　time　the　Swiss　women　were　making　their　fight

for　a　vote　in　church　matters；　and　we　helped　their

cause　as　much　as　we　could。　　To…day　many　Swiss

women　are　permitted　to　exercise　this　rightthe

first　political　privilege　free　Switzerland　has　given

them。



The　International　Alliance　meeting　in　Amster…

dam　in　1909　was　the　largest　held　up　to　that　time；

and　much　of　its　success　was　due　to　Dr。　Aletta　Jacobs；

the　president　of　the　National　Suffrage　Association

of　Holland。　　Dr。　Jacobs　had　some　wonderful　helpers

among　the　women　of　her　country；　and　she　herself

was　an　ideal　leaderpatient；　enthusiastic；　and　tire…

less。　　That　year　the　governments　of　Australia；　Nor…

way；　and　Finland　paid　the　expenses　of　the　delegates

from　those　countriesa　heartening　innovation。　　One

of　the　interesting　features　of　the　meeting　was　a

cantata　composed　for　the　occasion　and　given　by

the　Queen's　Royal　Band；　under　the　direction　of　a

womanCatharine　van　Rennes；　one　of　the　most

distinguished　composers　and　teachers　in　Holland。　

She　wrote　both　words　and　music　of　her　cantata　and

directed　it　admirably；　and　the　musicians　of　the

Queen's　Band　entered　fully　into　its　spirit　and　played

like　men　inspired。　　That　night　we　had　more　music；

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；