and of the boys which haunted me for months。 A
year later; while I was waiting for a train in the
station at Shelbyville; a lad about sixteen years old
passed me and hesitated; looking as if he knew me。
I saw that he wanted to speak and dared not; so
I nodded to him。
‘‘You think you know me; don't you?'' I asked;
when he came to my side。
‘‘Yes'm; I do know you;'' he told me; eagerly。
‘‘You are Miss Shaw; and you talked to us boys at
Pontiac last year。 I'm out on parole now; but I
'ain't forgot。 Us boys enjoyed you the best of any
show we ever had!''
I was touched by this artless compliment; and
anxious to know how I had won it; so I asked;
‘‘What did I say that the boys liked?''
The lad hesitated。 Then he said; slowly; ‘‘Well;
you didn't talk as if you thought we were all
bad。''
‘‘My boy;'' I told him; ‘‘I don't think you are all
bad。 I know better!''
As if I had touched a spring in him; the lad
dropped into the seat by my side; then; leaning
toward me; he said; impulsively; but almost in a
whisper:
‘‘Say; Miss Shaw; SOME OF US BOYS SAYS OUR PRAYERS!''
Rarely have I had a tribute that moved me more
than that shy confidence; and often since then; in
hours of discouragement or failure; I have reminded
myself that at least there must have been something
in me once to make a lad of that age so open up
his heart。 We had a long and intimate talk; from
which grew the abiding interest I feel in boys to…
day。
Naturally I was sometimes inconvenienced by
slight misunderstandings between local committees
and myself as to the subjects of my lectures; and the
most extreme instance of this occurred in a town
where I arrived to find myself widely advertised
as ‘‘Mrs。 Anna Shaw; who whistled before Queen
Victoria''! Transfixed; I gaped before the bill…
boards; and by reading their additional lettering
discovered the gratifying fact that at least I was
not expected to whistle now。 Instead; it appeared;
I was to lecture on ‘‘The Missing Link。''
As usual; I had arrived in town only an hour or
two before the time fixed for my lecture; there was
the briefest interval in which to clear up these pain…
ful misunderstandings。 I repeatedly tried to reach
the chairman who was to preside at the entertain…
ment; but failed。 At last I went to the hall at the
hour appointed; and found the local committee
there; graciously waiting to receive me。 Without
wasting precious minutes in preliminaries; I asked
why they had advertised me as the woman who had
‘‘whistled before Queen Victoria。''
‘‘Why; didn't you whistle before her?'' they ex…
claimed in grieved surprise。
‘‘I certainly did not;'' I explained。 ‘‘Moreover; I
was never called ‘The American Nightingale;' and
I have never lectured on ‘The Missing Link。'
Where DID you get that subject? It was not on the
list I sent you。''
The members of the committee seemed dazed。
They withdrew to a corner and consulted in whis…
pers。 Then; with clearing brow; the spokesman re…
turned。
‘‘Why;'' he said; cheerfully; ‘‘it's simple enough!
We mixed you up with a Shaw lady that whistles;
and we've been discussing the missing link in our
debating society; so our citizens want to hear your
views。''
‘‘But I don't know anything about the missing
link;'' I protested; ‘‘and I can't speak on it。''
‘‘Now; come;'' they begged。 ‘‘Why; you'll have
to! We've sold all our tickets for that lecture。
The whole town has turned out to hear it。''
Then; as I maintained a depressed silence; one
of them had a bright idea。
‘‘I'll tell you how to fix it!'' he cried。 ‘‘Speak on
any subject you please; but bring in something about
the missing link every few minutes。 That will satis…
fy 'em。''
‘‘Very well;'' I agreed; reluctantly。 ‘‘Open the
meeting with a song。 Get the audience to sing
‘America' or ‘The Star…spangled Banner。' That
will give me a few minutes to think; and I will see
what can be done。''
Led by a very nervous chairman; the big audience
began to sing; and under the inspiration of the music
the solution of our problem flashed into my mind。
‘‘It is easy;'' I told myself。 ‘‘Woman is the miss…
ing link in our government。 I'll give them a suf…
frage speech along that line。''
When the song ended I began my part of the en…
tertainment with a portion of my lecture on ‘‘The
Fate of Republics;'' tracing their growth and decay;
and pointing out that what our republic needed to
give it a stable government was the missing link
of woman suffrage。 I got along admirably; for every
five minutes I mentioned ‘‘the missing link;'' and
the audience sat content and apparently interested;
while the members of the committee burst into
bloom on the platform。
VIII
DRAMA IN THE LECTURE…FIELD
My most dramatic experience occurred in a
city in Michigan; where I was making a
temperance campaign。 It was an important lum…
ber and shipping center; and it harbored much
intemperance。 The editor of the leading news…
paper was with the temperance…workers in our
fight there; and he had warned me that the liquor
people threatened to ‘‘burn the building over my
head'' if I attempted to lecture。 We were used to
similar threats; so I proceeded with my preparations
and held the meeting in the town skating…rink
a huge; bare; wooden structure。
Lectures were rare in that city; and rumors of
some special excitement on this occasion had been
circulated; every seat in the rink was filled; and
several hundred persons stood in the aisles and at
the back of the building。 Just opposite the speak…
er's platform was a small gallery; and above that; in
the ceiling; was a trap…door。 Before I had been
speaking ten minutes I saw a man drop through this
trap…door to the balcony and climb from there to
the main floor。 As he reached the floor he shouted
‘‘Fire!'' and rushed out into the street。 The next
instant every person in the rink was up and a panic
had started。 I was very sure there was no fire;
but I knew that many might be killed in the
rush which was beginning。 So I sprang on a chair
and shouted to the people with the full strength of
my lungs:
‘‘There is no fire! It's only a trick! Sit down!
Sit down!''
The cooler persons in the crowd at once began to
help in this calming process。
‘‘Sit down!'' they repeated。 ‘‘It's all right!
There's no fire! Sit down!''
It looked as if we had the situation in hand; for
the people hesitated; and most of them grew quiet;
but just then a few words were hissed up to me that
made my heart stop beating。 A member of our local
committee was standing beside my chair; speaking
in a terrified whisper:
‘‘There IS a fire; Miss Shaw;'' he said。 ‘‘For God's
sake get the people outQUICKLY!''
The shock was so unexpected that my knees al…
most gave way。 The people were still standing;
wavering; looking uncertainly toward us。 I raised
my voice again; and if it sounded unnatural my
hearers probably thought it was because I was speak…
ing so loudly。
‘‘As we are already standing;'' I cried; ‘‘and are
all nervous; a little exercise will do us good。 So
march out; singing。 Keep time to the music!
Later you can come back and take your seats!''
The man who had whispered the warning jumped
into the aisle and struck up ‘‘Jesus; Lover of My
Soul。'' Then he led the march down to the door;
while the big audience swung into line and followed
him; joining in the song。 I remained on the chair;
beating time and talking to the people as they went;
but when the last of them had left the building I
almost collapsed; for the flames had begun to eat
through the wooden walls and the clang of the fire…
engines was heard outside。
As soon as I was sure every one was safe; however;
I experienced the most intense anger I had yet known。
My indignation against the men who had risked
hundreds of lives by setting fire to a crowded building
made me ‘‘see red''; it was clear that they must be
taught a lesson then and there。 As soon as I was
outside the rink I called a meeting; and the Congre…
gational minister; who was in the crowd; lent us his
church and led the way to it。 Most of the audience
followed us; and we had a wonderful meeting; dur…
ing which we were able at last to make clear to
the people of that town the character of the liquor
interests we were fighting。 That episode did the
temperance cause more good than a hundred ordinary
meetings。 Men who had been indifferent before
became our friends and supporters; and at the fol…
lowing election we carried the town for prohibition
by a big majority。
There have been other occasions when our op…
ponents have not fought us fairly。 Once; in an
Ohio town; a group of politicians; hearing that I was
to lecture on temperance in the court…house on a
certain night; took possession of the building early
in the evening; on the pretense of holding a meeting;
and held it against us。 When; escorted by a com…
mittee of leading women; I reached the building and
tried to enter; we found that the men had locked
us out。 Our audience was gathering and filling the
street; and we finally sent a courteous message to the
men; assuming that they had forgotten us and re…
minding them of our position。 The messenger re…
ported that the men would leave ‘‘about eight;''
but that the room was ‘‘black with smoke and filthy
with tobacco…juice。 ‘‘We waited patiently until eight
o'clock; holding little outside meetings in groups;
as our audience waited with us。 At eight we again
sent our messenger into the hall; and he brought
back word that the men were ‘‘not through; didn't
know when they would be through; and had told
the women not to wait。''
Naturally; the waiting townswomen
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