the story of a pioneer-第37部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


of　her　bare　feet；　of　her　incessant　cigarette…smoking；

above　all；　of　her　views。　　At　last；　one　day。｛sic｝　the　climax

of　the　discussions　came。



‘‘Annie；''　demanded　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''　‘‘why　don't

you　make　that　aura　of　yours　do　its　gallivanting　in

this　world；　looking　up　the　needs　of　the　oppressed；

and　investigating　the　causes　of　present　wrongs？

Then　you　could　reveal　to　us　workers　just　what　we

should　do　to　put　things　right；　and　we　could　be

about　it。''



Mrs。　Besant　sighed　and　said　that　life　was　short

and　aeons　were　long；　and　that　while　every　one　would

be　perfected　some　time；　it　was　useless　to　deal　with

individuals　here。



‘‘But；　Annie！''　exclaimed　Miss　Anthony；　patheti…

cally。　　‘‘We　ARE　here！　　Our　business　is　here！　　It's

our　duty　to　do　what　we　can　here。''



Mrs。　Besant　seemed　not　to　hear　her。　　She　was　in

a　trance；　gazing　into　the　aeons。



‘‘I'd　rather　have　one　year　of　your　ability；　backed

up　with　common　sense；　for　the　work　of　making　this

world　better；''　cried　the　exasperated　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''

‘‘than　a　million　aeons　in　the　hereafter！''



Mrs。　Besant　sighed　again。　　It　was　plain　that　she

could　not　bring　herself　back　from　the　other　world；

so　Miss　Anthony；　perforce；　accompanied　her　to　it。



‘‘When　your　aura　goes　visiting　in　the　other

world；''　she　asked；　curiously；　‘‘does　it　ever　meet

your　old　friend　Charles　Bradlaugh？''



‘‘Oh　yes；''　declared　Mrs。　Besant。　　‘‘Frequently。''



‘‘Wasn't　he　very　much　surprised；''　demanded　Miss

Anthony；　with　growing　interest；　‘‘to　discover　that　he

was　not　dead？''



Mrs。　Besant　did　not　seem　to　know　what　emotion

Mr。　Bradlaugh　had　experienced　when　that　revela…

tion　came。



‘‘Well；''　mused　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''　‘‘I　should　think

he　would　have　been　surprised。　　He　was　so　certain

he　was　going　to　be　dead　that　it　must　have　been

astounding　to　discover　he　wasn't。　　What　was　he

doing　in　the　other　world？''



Mrs。　Besant　heaved　a　deeper　sigh。　　‘‘I　am　very

much　discouraged　over　Mr。　Bradlaugh；''　she　ad…

mitted；　wanly。　　‘‘　He　is　hovering　too　near　this

world。　　He　cannot　seem　to　get　away　from　his　mun…

dane　interests。　　He　is　as　much　concerned　with　par…

liamentary　affairs　now　as　when　he　was　on　this

plane。''



‘‘Humph！''　said　Miss　Anthony；　‘‘that's　the　most

sensible　thing　I've　heard　yet　about　the　other　world。　

It　encourages　me。　　I've　always　felt　sure　that　if　I

entered　the　other　life　before　women　were　enfran…

chised　nothing　in　the　glories　of　heaven　would　in…

terest　me　so　much　as　the　work　for　women's　freedom

on　earth。　　Now；''　she　ended；　‘‘I　shall　be　like　Mr。

Bradlaugh。　　I　shall　hover　round　and　continue　my

work　here。''



When　Mrs。　Besant　had　left　the　room　Mrs。　Bright

felt　that　it　was　her　duty　to　admonish　‘‘Aunt　Susan''

to　be　more　careful　in　what　she　said。



‘‘You　are　making　too　light　of　her　creed；''　she　ex…

postulated。　　‘‘You　do　not　realize　the　important

position　Mrs。　Besant　holds。　　Why；　in　India；　when

she　walks　from　her　home　to　her　school　all　those　she

meets　prostrate　themselves。　　Even　the　learned　men

prostrate　themselves　and　put　their　faces　on　the

ground　as　she　goes　by。''



‘‘Aunt　Susan's''　voice；　when　she　replied；　took　on

the　tones　of　one　who　is　sorely　tried。　　‘‘But　why　in

Heaven's　name　does　any　sensible　Englishwoman

want　a　lot　of　heathen　to　prostrate　themselves　as　she

goes　up　the　street？''　she　demanded；　wearily。　　‘‘It's

the　most　foolish　thing　I　ever　heard。''



The　effort　to　win　Miss　Anthony　over　to　the　theo…

sophical　doctrine　was　abandoned。　　That　night；　after

we　had　gone　to　our　rooms；　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　summed　up

her　conclusions　on　the　interview：



‘‘It's　a　good　thing　for　the　world；''　she　declared；

‘‘that　some　of　us　don't　know　so　much。　　And　it's　a

better　thing　for　this　world　that　some　of　us　think　a

little　earthly　common　sense　is　more　valuable　than

too　much　heavenly　knowledge。''







X



THE　PASSING　OF　‘‘AUNT　SUSAN''





On　one　occasion　Miss　Anthony　had　the　doubt…

ful　pleasure　of　reading　her　own　obituary　notices；

and　her　interest　in　them　was　characteristically　naive。　

She　had　made　a　speech　at　Lakeside；　Ohio；　during

which；　for　the　first　time　in　her　long　experience；　she

fainted　on　the　platform。　　I　was　not　with　her　at　the

time；　and　in　the　excitement　following　her　collapse

it　was　rumored　that　she　had　died。　　Immediately

the　news　was　telegraphed　to　the　Associated　Press

of　New　York；　and　from　there　flashed　over　the

country。　　At　Miss　Anthony's　home　in　Rochester　a

reporter　rang　the　bell　and　abruptly　informed　her

sister；　Miss　Mary　Anthony；　who　came　to　the　door；

that　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　was　dead。　　Fortunately　Miss

Mary　had　a　cool　head。



‘‘I　think；''　she　said；　‘‘that　if　my　sister　had　died

I　would　have　heard　about　it。　　Please　have　your

editors　telegraph　to　Lakeside。''



The　reporter　departed；　but　came　back　an　hour

later　to　say　that　his　newspaper　had　sent　the　tele…

gram　and　the　reply　was　that　Susan　B。　Anthony　was

dead。



‘‘I　have　just　received　a　better　telegram　than　that；''

remarked　Mary　Anthony。　　‘‘　Mine　is　from　my

sister；　she　tells　me　that　she　fainted　to…night；　but

soon　recovered　and　will　be　home　to…morrow。''



Nevertheless；　the　next　morning　the　American

newspapers　gave　much　space　to　Miss　Anthony's

obituary　notices；　and　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　spent　some　in…

teresting　hours　reading　them。　　One　that　pleased　her

vastly　was　printed　in　the　Wichita　Eagle；　whose　editor；

Mr。　Murdock；　had　been　almost　her　bitterest　op…

ponent。　　He　had　often　exhausted　his　brilliant　vo…

cabulary　in　editorial　denunciations　of　suffrage　and

suffragists；　and　Miss　Anthony　had　been　the　special

target　of　his　scorn。　　But　the　news　of　her　death　seemed

to　be　a　bitter　blow　to　him；　and　of　all　the　tributes

the　American　press　gave　to　Susan　B。　Anthony　dead；

few　equaled　in　beauty　and　appreciation　the　one

penned　by　Mr。　Murdock　and　published　in　the　Eagle。　

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