the story of a pioneer- 第51部分

in　this　room；　as　she　was　not　interested　in　suffrage。　

The　Prince　Consort；　however；　spent　much　time　in　it；

and　wanted　the　whole　suffrage　movement　explained

to　him；　which　was　done　cheerfully　and　thoroughly

by　Miss　Boissevain　and　Miss　Manus。　　The　fol…

lowing　winter；　when　the　Queen　read　her　address

from　the　throne；　she　expressed　an　interest　in　so

changing　the　Constitution　of　Holland　that　suffrage

might　possibly　be　extended　to　women。　　We　felt　that

this　change　of　heart　was　due　to　the　suffrage…room

arranged　by　our　two　young　friendsaided；　prob…

ably；　by　a　few　words　from　the　Prince　Consort！



Immediately　after　these　days　at　Amsterdam　we

started　for　Budapest　to　attend　the　International

Alliance　Convention　there；　and　incidentally　we　in…

dulged　in　a　series　of　two…day　conventions　en　route

one　at　Berlin；　one　at　Dresden；　one　at　Prague；　and

one　at　Vienna。　　At　Prague　I　disgraced　myself　by

being　in　my　hotel　room　in　a　sleep　of　utter　exhaustion

at　the　hour　when　I　was　supposed　to　be　responding

to　an　address　of　welcome　by　the　mayor；　and　the

high…light　of　the　evening　session　in　that　city　falls　on

the　intellectual　brow　of　a　Bohemian　lady　who　in…

sisted　on　making　her　address　in　the　Czech　language；

which　she　poured　forth　for　exactly　one　hour　and

fifteen　minutes。　　I　began　my　address　at　a　quarter　of

twelve　and　left　the　hall　at　midnight。　　Later　I　learned

that　the　last　speaker　began　her　remarks　at　a　quarter

past　one　in　the　morning。



It　may　be　in　order　to　add　here　that　Vienna　did

for　me　what　Berlin　had　done　for　Susan　B。　Anthony

it　gave　me　the　ovation　of　my　life。　　At　the　conclusion

of　my　speech　the　great　audience　rose　and；　still　stand…

ing；　cheered　for　many　minutes。　　I　was　immensely

surprised　and　deeply　touched　by　the　unexpected

tribute；　but　any　undue　elation　I　might　have　ex…

perienced　was　checked　by　the　memory　of　the　skepti…

cal　snort　with　which　one　of　my　auditors　had　received

me。　　He　was　very　German；　and　very；　very　frank。　

After　one　pained　look　at　me　he　rose　to　leave　the

hall。



‘‘THAT　old　woman！''　he　exclaimed。　　‘‘She　cannot

make　herself　heard。''



He　was　half…way　down　the　aisle　when　the　opening

words　of　my　address　caught　up　with　him　and　stopped

him。　　Whatever　their　meaning　may　have　been；　it

was　at　least　carried　to　the　far　ends　of　that　great　hall；

for　the　old　fellow　had　piqued　me　a　bit　and　I　had

given　my　voice　its　fullest　volume。　　He　crowded　into

an　already　over…occupied　pew　and　stared　at　me　with

goggling　eyes。



‘‘Mein　Gott！''　he　gasped。　　‘‘Mein　Gott；　she　could

be　heard　ANYWHERE。''



The　meeting　at　Budapest　was　a　great　personal

triumph　for　Mrs。　Catt。　　No　one；　I　am　sure；　but　the

almost　adored　president　of　the　International　Suf…

frage　Alliance　could　have　controlled　a　convention

made　up　of　women　of　so　many　different　nationalities；

with　so　many　different　viewpoints；　while　the　con…

fusion　of　languages　made　a　general　understanding

seem　almost　hopeless。　　But　it　was　a　great　success　in

every　wayand　a　delightful　feature　of　it　was　the

hospitality　of　the　city　officials　and；　indeed；　of　the

whole　Hungarian　people。　　After　the　convention　I

spent　a　week　with　the　Contessa　Iska　Teleki　in　her

chateau　in　the　Tatra　Mountains；　and　a　friendship

was　there　formed　which　ever　since　has　been　a　joy

to　me。　　Together　we　walked　miles　over　the　moun…

tains　and　along　the　banks　of　wonderful　streams；　while

the　countess；　who　knows　all　the　folk…lore　of　her

land；　told　me　stories　and　answered　my　innumerable

questions。　　When　I　left　for　Vienna　I　took　with　me

a　basket　of　tiny　fir…trees　from　the　tops　of　the　Tatras；

and　after　carrying　the　basket　to　and　around　Vienna；

Florence；　and　Genoa；　I　finally　got　the　trees　home　in

good　condition　and　proudly　added　them　to　the

‘‘Forest　of　Arden''　on　my　place　at　Moylan。









XVII



VALE！



In　looking　back　over　the　ten　years　of　my　adminis…

tration　as　president　of　the　National　American

Woman　Suffrage　Association；　there　can　be　no　feeling

but　gratitude　and　elation　over　the　growth　of　the

work。　　Our　membership　has　grown　from　17；000

women　to　more　than　200；000；　and　the　number

of　auxiliary　societies　has　increased　in　propor…

tion。



Instead　of　the　old…time　experience　of　one　campaign

in　ten　years；　we　now　have　from　five　to　ten　campaigns

each　year。　　From　an　original　yearly　expenditure　of

14；000　or　15；000　in　our　campaign　work；　we　now

expend　from　40；000　to　50；000。　　In　New　York；　in

1915；　we　have　already　received　pledges　of　150；000

for　the　New　York　State　campaign　alone；　while

Pennsylvania；　Massachusetts；　and　New　Jersey　have

made　pledges　in　proportion。



In　1906　full　suffrage　prevailed　in　four　states；

we　now　have　it　in　twelve。　　Our　movement　has

advanced　from　its　academic　stage　until　it　has

become　a　vital　political　factor；　no　reform　in　the

country　is　more　heralded　by　the　press　or　receives

more　attention　from　the　public。　　It　has　become

an　issue　which　engages　the　attention　of　the　entire

nationand　toward　this　result　every　woman　work…

ing　for　the　Cause　has　contributed　to　an　inspiring

degree。　　Splendid　team…work；　and　that　alone；　has

made　our　present　success　possible　and　our　eventual

triumph　in　every　state　inevitable。　　Every　officer

in　our　organization；　every　leader　in　our　campaigns；

every　speaker；　every　worker　in　the　ranks；　however

humble；　has　done　her　share。



I　do　not　claim　anything　so　fantastic　and　Utopian

as　universal　harmony　among　us。　　We　have　had　our

troubles　and　our　differences。　　I　have　had　mine。　

At　every　annual　convention　since　the　one　at　Wash…

ington　in　1910　there　has　been　an　effort　to　depose

me　from　the　presidency。　　There　have　been　some

splendid　fighters　among　my　opponentsfine　and

high…minded　women　who　sincerely　believe　that　at

sixty…eight　I　am　getting　too　old　for　my　big　job。　

Possibly　I　am。　　Certainly　I　shall　resign　it　with

alacrity　when　the　majority　of　women　in　the　organiza…

tion　wish　me　to　do　so。　　At　present　a　large　majority

proves　annually　that　it　still　has　faith　in　my　leader…

ship；　and　with　this　assurance　I　am　content　to

work　on。



Looking　back　over　the　period　covered　by　these

reminiscences；　I　realize　that　there　is　truth　in　the

grave　charge　that　I　am　no　longer　young；　and　this

truth　was　once　voiced　by　one　of　my　little　nieces　in

a　way　that　brought　it　strongly　home　to　me。　　She

and　her　small　sister　of　six　had　declared　themselves

suffragettes；　and　as　the　first　result　of　their　conver…

sion　to　the　Cause　both　had　been　laughed　at　by　their

schoolmates。　　The　younger　child　came　home　after

this　tragic　experience；　weeping　bitterly　and　declar…

ing　that　she　did　not　wish　to　be　a　suffragette　any

morean　exhibition　of　apostasy　for　which　her　wise

sister　of　eight　took　her　roundly　to　task。



‘‘Aren't　you　ashamed　of　yourself；''　she　demanded；

‘‘to　stop　just　because　you　have　been　laughed　at

once？　　Look　at　Aunt　Anna！　　SHE　has　been　laughed

at　for　hundreds　of　years！''



I　sometimes　feel　that　it　has　indeed　been　hundreds

of　years　since　my　work　began；　and　then　again　it

seems　so　brief　a　time　that；　by　listening　for　a

moment；　I　fancy　I　can　hear　the　echo　of　my　child…

ish…voice　preaching　to　the　trees　in　the　Michigan

woods。



But　long　or　short；　the　one　sure　thing　is　that；　taking

it　all　in　all；　the　struggles；　the　discouragements；　the

failures；　and　the　little　victories；　the　fight　has　been；

as　Susan　B。　Anthony　said　in　her　last　hours；　‘‘worth

while。''　　Nothing　bigger　can　come　to　a　human　being

than　to　love　a　great　Cause　more　than　life　itself；　and

to　have　the　privilege　throughout　life　of　working　for

that　Cause。



As　for　life's　other　gifts；　I　have　had　some　of　them；

too。　　I　have　made　many　friendships；　I　have　looked

upon　the　beauty　of　many　lands；　I　have　the　assur…

ance　of　the　respect　and　affection　of　thousands　of

men　and　women　I　have　never　even　met。　　Though　I

have　given　all　I　had；　I　have　received　a　thousand

times　more　than　I　have　given。　　Neither　the　world

nor　my　Cause　is　indebted　to　me　but　from　the　depths

of　a　full　and　very　grateful　heart　I　acknowledge　my

lasting　indebtedness　to　them　both。








THE　END