The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1871-09-29
MISS ANTH0NY's LECTURES OBJ
SERVAEDA.

The first night Of Miss AnthOny's lee
ture my attention was entirely taken up
with watching the speaker, for, be it
known, the first, last and only time
ever heard a woman speak in public was
in the "meetin' house" lang syne, when
Aunt TribulatiOn Fear-the-LOrd arose
and through her tears, nose and hand
kerchief told her experience
50 the first evening I had eyes and ears
only for Miss 4.
The following evening l gave her my
ears, but managed to bestOw my eyes
furtively upon her audience.
What took most interest in observing
was the countenances Of the gentlemen,
who had lain aside that evening their
important business matters and come to
Miss Anthony's lecture like lambs to
the slaughter That my attention should
have been bestowed almost exclusively
upon the gentlemen may not seem nat
ural; but when l tell you that l had
never yet beheld a set of faces so mobile
and expressive, so beaming, smiling
and scowling, with all the variable and
intense emotions of wrought-up man
hood, YOU will not wonder.
The women were as cOolly radiant as
though the Suffice had never been per-
formed They were as serene and un-
ruffled as 4 Quaker night-gown. 1t was
not their funeral.
Rut the men,
Here sat one alongside of his wife.
She had towed him in. He was a very
reluctant-looking man. 1t seemed as
though if il had not been for the name
Of it he would rather have stayed at
home. He was continually shifting
his position, meanwhile casting glances
at his wife to see the effect of everything
upon her. She looked as happy as a cat
with her first kitten.
have not yet reached that point where
/ take delight in human suffering NOV,
if the typos print those two last words
lcOHiaa suffrage, I might as well give
up. This mans apparent discontinue
made me unhappy, and 1 wanted to
speak in a voice like Mrs. Winslow's
syrup and say, "YOu shall not be hurt
ed,7 for I could fancy I saw him dodg-
ing imaginary blows; he seemed mo-
mentarily expecting that Miss Anthony
was going to box his ears.
A phlegmatic old gentleman sat be-
hind me, with his chin resting upon his
breast and his eyes closed. His play
was to be oblivious when Miss Anthony
made point. But cats and old gentle
men are not always asleep when their
eyes are closed.
Further on sat a great, benevolent
looking fellow, with his head thrown
back and his mouth open, staring as
never man stared before. This individ-
ual Interested me, and calling up all my
physiognomical and psychological facul-
ties. I essayed to read his thoughts. He
heard the truth sublime, as truth ever
is: he knew it was the truth and recog-
nized it as such but behind him sat a
set Of cynical old stoics of the old school,
and tomorrow he must go out with them
and canvass and discuss Miss Anthony's
lecture. and they will ask him what he
thinks Of such sOphistry as that, and ca,
he say that what he heard was to him
logical, forcible and conclusive? and
that he believed that glorious woman to
be devoted to the true interests Of men
and women, and laboring to institute a
reform which would make men nObler
Il 1,,t
and consequently better, and children
nearer in the image of Him whose am
bassador Is fearless and eternal Truth
Will he have the courage to say this to
those who scofr? Nay, nay. I read il
on his fine emotional face and weak in
tellect but when he meets them in sol
emn c0nclave on the street corner he
will muster the courage to say if he dies
for it, ''She is fine figure Of woman" "
Another style sat bolt upright, never
moving a muscle Of his body, contenting
himself with blinking slowly and mild.
IL at a neighboring chignOn as much a
to say: "Can these things be and no
overcome us?" etc. Considering th'
cOuIllcl lildl must nave bceu SpihB VI
in his mind felt that this behavior wa
very decorous and subdued.
But there were a goodly number o
happy men there-men who scenes
iolIv. whole-souled and willing TO &C
cept the truth.
Before me sat two of these sensibl
men, and their attention and eviden
satisfaction and appreciation won me
and when the lecture was ended SAT-
one Of them, with a gOOd-natured laugh
"Let's give her a dollar and tell her Il
send that book" referring to VALUABLE
pamphlet which Miss Anthony was en-
deavoring to circulate, and he gave ii
and made note Of it as I passed out o
Reeds Opera House, giving to an invis
ible angel who shifted by me the s'Go,
bless your that was on my lips for Mis-
Anthony.
In the afternoon following Miss An
thongs first lecture she addressed mr.;
vately, the mothers, widows. wives an,
daughters of this place.
AT the close of Miss Antbon,,,s /.
ture large proportion of these Iad;o
placed their names upon a paper. wbic
will be sent to Washington. These name
will signify that these women desire /
be allowed the right of suffrage The,
women were among the best and mo
sensible women of the city. They d