第20章
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  InLondon,attheAllianceCouncilof1911,wewereentertainedforthefirsttimebyasuffrageorganizationofmen,andbytheorganizedactressesofthenation,aswellasbytheauthors。

  InStockholm,thefollowingyear,welistenedtoseveralofthemostinterestingwomenspeakersintheworld——SelmaLagerlof,whohadjustreceivedtheNobelprize,RosicaSchwimmerofHungary,Dr。AugsburgofMunich,andMrs。PhilipSnowdenofEngland。MissSchwimmerandMrs。SnowdenhavesincebecomefamiliartoAmericanaudiences,butuntilthattimeIhadnotheardeitherofthem,andIwasimmenselyimpressedbytheirabilityandtheirdifferentmethods——MissSchwimmerbeingallforceandfire,alivefromherfeettoherfinger—tips,Mrs。Snowdenallquietreserveanddignity。Dr。

  Augsburgworeherhairshortanddressedinamosteccentricmanner;butweforgotherappearanceaswelistenedtoher,forshewasaninspiredspeaker。

  SelmaLagerlof’sspeechmadethegreataudienceweep。MenaswellaswomenopenlywipedtheireyesasshedescribedthesacrificeandsufferingofSwedishwomenwhosemenhadgonetoAmericatomakeahomethere,andwho,whentheywereleftbehind,struggledalone,waitingandhopingforthemessagetojointheirhusbands,whichtoooftennevercame。Thespeechmadesogreatanimpres—

  sionthatwehadittranslatedanddistributedamongtheSwedesoftheUnitedStateswhereverweheldmeetingsinSwedishlocalities。

  MissLagerlofinterestedmeextremely,andIwasdelightedbyaninvitationtobreakfastwithheronemorning。Atourfirstmeetingshehadseemedrathercoldandshy——alittle``difficult,’’aswesay;

  butwhenwebegantotalkIfoundherfrank,cor—

  dial,andfullofmagnetism。Sheisself—consciousaboutherEnglish,butreallyspeaksourlanguageverywell。Hergreatinterestatthetimewasinimprovingtheconditionofthepeasantsnearherhome。ShetalkedofthisworkandofherbooksandoftheCouncilprogrammewithsuchfriendlyin—

  timacythatwhenwepartedIfeltthatIhadalwaysknownher。

  AttheHagueCouncilin1913IwastheguestofMrs。RichardHalter,towhomIamalsoindebtedforabeautifulandwonderfulmotorjourneyfromendtoendofHolland,bringingupfinallyinAmster—

  damatthehomeofDr。AlettaJacobs。HerewemettwoyoungHollandwomen,MissBoissevainandRosaManus,bothwealthy,bothanxioustohelptheircountrywomen,butstillalittleuncertainastothedirectionoftheirefforts。TheycametoMrs。

  Cattandmeandaskedouradviceastowhattheyshoulddo,withtheresultthatlatertheyorganizedandputthrough,largelyunaided,anationalex—

  positionshowingthedevelopmentofwomen’sworkfrom1813to1913。Thesuffrage—roomatthisex—

  positionshowedtheprogressofsuffrageinallpartsoftheworld;butwhentheQueenofHollandvisitedthebuildingsheexpressedawishnottobedetainedinthisroom,asshewasnotinterestedinsuffrage。

  ThePrinceConsort,however,spentmuchtimeinit,andwantedthewholesuffragemovementexplainedtohim,whichwasdonecheerfullyandthoroughlybyMissBoissevainandMissManus。Thefol—

  lowingwinter,whentheQueenreadheraddressfromthethrone,sheexpressedaninterestinsochangingtheConstitutionofHollandthatsuffragemightpossiblybeextendedtowomen。Wefeltthatthischangeofheartwasduetothesuffrage—roomarrangedbyourtwoyoungfriends——aided,prob—

  ably,byafewwordsfromthePrinceConsort!

  ImmediatelyafterthesedaysatAmsterdamwestartedforBudapesttoattendtheInternationalAllianceConventionthere,andincidentallywein—

  dulgedinaseriesoftwo—dayconventionsenroute——

  oneatBerlin,oneatDresden,oneatPrague,andoneatVienna。AtPragueIdisgracedmyselfbybeinginmyhotelroominasleepofutterexhaustionatthehourwhenIwassupposedtoberespondingtoanaddressofwelcomebythemayor;andthehigh—lightoftheeveningsessioninthatcityfallsontheintellectualbrowofaBohemianladywhoin—

  sistedonmakingheraddressintheCzechlanguage,whichshepouredforthforexactlyonehourandfifteenminutes。Ibeganmyaddressataquarteroftwelveandleftthehallatmidnight。LaterIlearnedthatthelastspeakerbeganherremarksataquarterpastoneinthemorning。

  ItmaybeinordertoaddherethatViennadidformewhatBerlinhaddoneforSusanB。Anthony——

  itgavemetheovationofmylife。Attheconclusionofmyspeechthegreataudienceroseand,stillstand—

  ing,cheeredformanyminutes。Iwasimmenselysurprisedanddeeplytouchedbytheunexpectedtribute;butanyundueelationImighthaveex—

  periencedwascheckedbythememoryoftheskepti—

  calsnortwithwhichoneofmyauditorshadreceivedme。HewasveryGerman,andvery,veryfrank。

  Afteronepainedlookatmeherosetoleavethehall。

  ``THAToldwoman!’’heexclaimed。``Shecannotmakeherselfheard。’’

  Hewashalf—waydowntheaislewhentheopeningwordsofmyaddresscaughtupwithhimandstoppedhim。Whatevertheirmeaningmayhavebeen,itwasatleastcarriedtothefarendsofthatgreathall,fortheoldfellowhadpiquedmeabitandIhadgivenmyvoiceitsfullestvolume。Hecrowdedintoanalreadyover—occupiedpewandstaredatmewithgogglingeyes。

  ``MeinGott!’’hegasped。``MeinGott,shecouldbeheardANYWHERE。’’

  ThemeetingatBudapestwasagreatpersonaltriumphforMrs。Catt。Noone,Iamsure,butthealmostadoredpresidentoftheInternationalSuf—

  frageAlliancecouldhavecontrolledaconventionmadeupofwomenofsomanydifferentnationalities,withsomanydifferentviewpoints,whilethecon—

  fusionoflanguagesmadeageneralunderstandingseemalmosthopeless。Butitwasagreatsuccessineveryway——andadelightfulfeatureofitwasthehospitalityofthecityofficialsand,indeed,ofthewholeHungarianpeople。AftertheconventionI

  spentaweekwiththeContessaIskaTelekiinherchateauintheTatraMountains,andafriendshipwasthereformedwhicheversincehasbeenajoytome。Togetherwewalkedmilesoverthemoun—

  tainsandalongthebanksofwonderfulstreams,whilethecountess,whoknowsallthefolk—loreofherland,toldmestoriesandansweredmyinnumerablequestions。WhenIleftforViennaItookwithmeabasketoftinyfir—treesfromthetopsoftheTatras;

  andaftercarryingthebaskettoandaroundVienna,Florence,andGenoa,Ifinallygotthetreeshomeingoodconditionandproudlyaddedthemtothe``ForestofArden’’onmyplaceatMoylan。

  XVII

  VALE!

  Inlookingbackoverthetenyearsofmyadminis—

  trationaspresidentoftheNationalAmericanWomanSuffrageAssociation,therecanbenofeelingbutgratitudeandelationoverthegrowthofthework。Ourmembershiphasgrownfrom17,000

  womentomorethan200,000,andthenumberofauxiliarysocietieshasincreasedinpropor—

  tion。

  Insteadoftheold—timeexperienceofonecampaignintenyears,wenowhavefromfivetotencampaignseachyear。Fromanoriginalyearlyexpenditureof$14,000or$15,000inourcampaignwork,wenowexpendfrom$40,000to$50,000。InNewYork,in1915,wehavealreadyreceivedpledgesof$150,000

  fortheNewYorkStatecampaignalone,whilePennsylvania,Massachusetts,andNewJerseyhavemadepledgesinproportion。

  In1906fullsuffrageprevailedinfourstates;

  wenowhaveitintwelve。Ourmovementhasadvancedfromitsacademicstageuntilithasbecomeavitalpoliticalfactor;noreforminthecountryismoreheraldedbythepressorreceivesmoreattentionfromthepublic。Ithasbecomeanissuewhichengagestheattentionoftheentirenation——andtowardthisresulteverywomanwork—

  ingfortheCausehascontributedtoaninspiringdegree。Splendidteam—work,andthatalone,hasmadeourpresentsuccesspossibleandoureventualtriumphineverystateinevitable。Everyofficerinourorganization,everyleaderinourcampaigns,everyspeaker,everyworkerintheranks,howeverhumble,hasdonehershare。

  IdonotclaimanythingsofantasticandUtopianasuniversalharmonyamongus。Wehavehadourtroublesandourdifferences。Ihavehadmine。

  AteveryannualconventionsincetheoneatWash—

  ingtonin1910therehasbeenanefforttodeposemefromthepresidency。Therehavebeensomesplendidfightersamongmyopponents——fineandhigh—mindedwomenwhosincerelybelievethatatsixty—eightIamgettingtoooldformybigjob。

  PossiblyIam。CertainlyIshallresignitwithalacritywhenthemajorityofwomenintheorganiza—

  tionwishmetodoso。Atpresentalargemajorityprovesannuallythatitstillhasfaithinmyleader—

  ship,andwiththisassuranceIamcontenttoworkon。

  Lookingbackovertheperiodcoveredbythesereminiscences,IrealizethatthereistruthinthegravechargethatIamnolongeryoung;andthistruthwasoncevoicedbyoneofmylittleniecesinawaythatbroughtitstronglyhometome。Sheandhersmallsisterofsixhaddeclaredthemselvessuffragettes,andasthefirstresultoftheirconver—

  siontotheCausebothhadbeenlaughedatbytheirschoolmates。Theyoungerchildcamehomeafterthistragicexperience,weepingbitterlyanddeclar—

  ingthatshedidnotwishtobeasuffragetteanymore——anexhibitionofapostasyforwhichherwisesisterofeighttookherroundlytotask。

  ``Aren’tyouashamedofyourself,’’shedemanded,``tostopjustbecauseyouhavebeenlaughedatonce?LookatAuntAnna!SHEhasbeenlaughedatforhundredsofyears!’’

  Isometimesfeelthatithasindeedbeenhundredsofyearssincemyworkbegan;andthenagainitseemssobriefatimethat,bylisteningforamoment,IfancyIcanheartheechoofmychild—

  ish—voicepreachingtothetreesintheMichiganwoods。

  Butlongorshort,theonesurethingisthat,takingitallinall,thestruggles,thediscouragements,thefailures,andthelittlevictories,thefighthasbeen,asSusanB。Anthonysaidinherlasthours,``worthwhile。’’NothingbiggercancometoahumanbeingthantoloveagreatCausemorethanlifeitself,andtohavetheprivilegethroughoutlifeofworkingforthatCause。

  Asforlife’sothergifts,Ihavehadsomeofthem,too。Ihavemademanyfriendships;Ihavelookeduponthebeautyofmanylands;Ihavetheassur—

  anceoftherespectandaffectionofthousandsofmenandwomenIhaveneverevenmet。ThoughI

  havegivenallIhad,IhavereceivedathousandtimesmorethanIhavegiven。NeithertheworldnormyCauseisindebtedtomebutfromthedepthsofafullandverygratefulheartIacknowledgemylastingindebtednesstothemboth。

  THEEND

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