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the story of a pioneer-第1部分
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The Story of a Pioneer
by Anna Howard Shaw
BY
ANNA HOWARD SHAW; D。D。; M。D。
WITH THE COLLABORATION OF
ELIZABETH JORDAN
THE STORY OF A PIONEER
TO
THE WOMEN PIONEERS
OF AMERICA
They cut a path through tangled underwood
Of old traditions; out to broader ways。
They lived to here their work called brave and good;
But oh! the thorns before the crown of bays。
The world gives lashes to its Pioneers
Until the goal is reachedthen deafening cheers。
Adapted by ANNA HOWARD SHAW。
CONTENTS
I。 FIRST MEMORIES
II。 IN THE WILDERNESS
III。 HIGH…SCHOOL AND COLLEGE DAYS
IV。 THE WOLF AT THE DOOR
V。 SHEPHERD OF A DIVIDED FLOCK
VI。 CAPE COD MEMORIES
VII。 THE GREAT CAUSE
VIII。 DRAMA IN THE LECTURE FIELD
IX。 ‘‘AUNT SUSAN''
X。 THE PASSING OF ‘‘AUNT SUSAN''
XI。 THE WIDENING SUFFRAGE STREAM
XII。 BUILDING A HOME
XIII。 PRESIDENT OF ‘‘THE NATIONAL''
XIV。 RECENT CAMPAIGNS
XV。 CONVENTION INCIDENTS
XVI。 COUNCIL EPISODES
XVII。 VALE!
THE STORY OF A PIONEER
FIRST MEMORIES
My father's ancestors were the Shaws of
Rothiemurchus; in Scotland; and the ruins
of their castle may still be seen on the island of
Loch…an…Eilan; in the northern Highlands。 It was
never the picturesque castle of song and story; this
home of the fighting Shaws; but an austere fortress;
probably built in Roman times; and even to…day
the crumbling walls which alone are left of it show
traces of the relentless assaults upon them。 Of
these the last and the most successful were made
in the seventeenth century by the Grants and
Rob Roy; and it was into the hands of the Grants
that the Shaw fortress finally fell; about 1700; after
almost a hundred years of ceaseless warfare。
It gives me no pleasure to read the grisly details
of their struggles; but I confess to a certain satisfac…
tion in the knowledge that my ancestors made a
good showing in the defense of what was theirs。
Beyond doubt they were brave fighters and strong
men。 There were other sides to their natures;
however; which the high lights of history throw up
less appealingly。 As an instance; we have in the
family chronicles the blood…stained page of Allen
Shaw; the oldest son of the last Lady Shaw who
lived in the fortress。 It appears that when the
father of this young man died; about 1560; his
mother married again; to the intense disapproval
of her son。 For some time after the marriage he
made no open revolt against the new…comer in the
domestic circle; but finally; on the pretext that
his dog had been attacked by his stepfather; he
forced a quarrel with the older man and the two
fought a duel with swords; after which the vic…
torious Allen showed a sad lack of chivalry。 He
not only killed his stepfather; but he cut off that
gentleman's head and bore it to his mother in her bed…
chamberan action which was considered; even in
that tolerant age; to be carrying filial resentment
too far。
Probably Allen regretted it。 Certainly he paid
a high penalty for it; and his clan suffered with him。
He was outlawed and fled; only to be hunted down
for months; and finally captured and executed by
one of the Grants; who; in further virtuous disap…
proval of Allen's act; seized and held the Shaw
stronghold。 The other Shaws of the clan fought
long and ably for its recovery; but though they were
helped by their kinsmen; the Mackintoshes; and
though good Scotch blood dyed the gray walls of
the fortress for many generations; the castle never
again came into the hands of the Shaws。 It still
entails certain obligations for the Grants; however;
and one of these is to give the King of England a
snowball whenever he visits Loch…an…Eilan!
As the years passed the Shaw clan scattered。
Many Shaws are still to be found in the Mackintosh
country and throughout southern Scotland。 Others
went to England; and it was from this latter branch
that my father sprang。 His name was Thomas
Shaw; and he was the younger son of a gentlemana
word which in those days seemed to define a man
who devoted his time largely to gambling and horse…
racing。 My grandfather; like his father before him;
was true to the traditions of his time and class。
Quite naturally and simply he squandered all he had;
and died abruptly; leaving his wife and two sons
penniless。 They were not; however; a helpless band。
They; too; had their traditions; handed down by
the fighting Shaws。 Peter; the older son; became a
soldier; and died bravely in the Crimean War。 My
father; through some outside influence; turned his
attention to trade; learning to stain and emboss wall…
paper by hand; and developing this work until he
became the recognized expert in his field。 Indeed;
he progressed until he himself checked his rise by
inventing a machine that made his handwork un…
necessary。 His employer at once claimed and
utilized this invention; to which; by the laws of
those days; he was entitled; and thus the corner…
stone on which my father had expected to build a
fortune proved the rock on which his career was
wrecked。 But that was years later; in America; and
many other things had happened first。
For one; he had temporarily dropped his trade
and gone into the flour…and…grain business; and;
for another; he had married my mother。 She was
the daughter of a Scotch couple who had come to
England and settled in Alnwick; in Northumberland
County。 Her father; James Stott; was the driver
of the royal…mail stage between Alnwick and New…
castle; and his accidental death while he was still a
young man left my grandmother and her eight
children almost destitute。 She was immediately
given a position in the castle of the Duke of Nor…
thumberland; and her sons were educated in the
duke's school; while her daughters were entered in
the school of the duchess。
My thoughts dwell lovingly on this grandmother;
Nicolas Grant Stott; for she was a remarkable
woman; with a dauntless soul and progressive ideas
far in advance of her time。 She was one of the first
Unitarians in England; and years before any thought
of woman suffrage entered the minds of her country…
women she refused to pay tithes to the support of
the Church of Englandan action which precipitated
a long…drawn…out conflict between her and the law。
In those days it was customary to assess tithes on
every pane of glass in a window; and a portion of the
money thus collected went to the support of the
Church。 Year after year my intrepid grandmother
refused to pay these assessments; and year after
year she sat pensively upon her door…step; watching
articles of her furniture being sold for money to pay
her tithes。 It must have been an impressive picture;
and it was one with which the community became
thoroughly familiar; as the determined old lady
never won her fight and never abandoned it。 She
had at least the comfort of public sympathy; for she
was by far the most popular woman in the country…
side。 Her neighbors admired her courage; perhaps
they appreciated still more what she did for them;
for she spent all her leisure in the homes of the very
poor; mending their clothing and teaching them to
sew。 Also; she left behind her a path of cleanliness
as definite as the line of foam that follows a ship;
for it soon became known among her protegees that
Nicolas Stott was as much opposed to dirt as she
was to the payment of tithes。
She kept her children in the schools of the duke and
duchess until they had completed the entire course
open to them。 A hundred times; and among many
new scenes and strange people; I have heard my
mother describe her own experiences as a pupil。
All the children of the dependents of the castle were
expected to leave school at fourteen years of age。
During their course they were not allowed to study
geography; because; in the sage opinion of their elders;
knowledge of foreign lands might make them dis…
contented and inclined to wander。 Neither was com…
position encouragedthat might lead to the writing
of love…notes! But they were permitted to absorb
all the reading and arithmetic their little brains
could hold; while the art of sewing was not only
encouraged; but proficiency in it was stimulated by
the award of prizes。 My mother; being a rather pre…
cocious young person; graduated at thirteen and
carried off the first prize。 The garment she made
was a linen chemise for the duchess; and the little
needlewoman had embroidered on it; with her own
hair; the august lady's coat of arms。 The offering
must have been appreciated; for my mother's story
always ended with the same wo
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