Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-08-20
H Err FlCKLE YER
Susan B. Anthony's Narrow Escape From
Matrimony.
Romance of a Western Tour-The Suf-
fRagist's Amusing Experience
With European Nobility.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
I 1t was during the visit of Susan B. An
| thony to the home of her ancestors in the
1 Berkshire Hills that a house party assem-
4 bled in the long, old-fashioned parlor one
evening. and listened to the following in
| terestirg story. The mountain air was
| sharp. and fire had been kindled in the
1 big brick fireplace, and the logs cracked
| and f1t med on the cleaning brass andirons.
| Chairs were arranged in a semi-circle
| around the cheerful hearth, and seated
| therein were women OF renown, living rep
| resentatives Of women's progress in the
| world of letters and in the lecture field.
| First and best revered was Susan B. An
| thony herself, and, as the conditions and
environments were ideal for a story, a
| romance of the past contemporary with
| the surroundings. Aunt Susan was impor-
| tuned 10 relate some of her experiences.
| Tell us some Of your love stories,' they
| all cried one.
But l never had any worth telling" she
| declared. There wasn't bit of romance
in any of my affairs L always said. like
| the old maid, that the l wanted
| wouldn't have me, and those that wanted
| me were so bad that the devil himself
wouldn't have them" But Miss Anthony
wasn't to escape SC easily. and it ended in
| her relating the following tale:
| The room lighted only by the flicker
ing freight, which shone on Miss An
/
| against the dark shadows in the back
ground.
Then she told how one time when she
was travelling throl gh some western state,
| holding conventions, many years ago. when
she was not more than thirty-five years
old she was entertained at the house of
young man who made himself particularly
agreeable to her. He had a spanking team
| of grays, and whenever Miss Anthony had
| to go to town this young man and his
grays were at her disposal. She was an
nounced to speak in town some miles
| distant, while there, and when they were
all ready to start this devoted young man
had arranged 1t SO that Miss Anthony was
to ride with him alone in his fine turnout.
| After they We're nicely started he came to
| the point at once with:
VIII you have me?"
What for?" was Aunt Susan's blunt re-
"Wil you marry me?' the sutton contin-
ued. Then he proceeded to tell her of his
worldly possessions, his fine house, his
lsnds etc, all OF which should be at her
command, If she would only take him along
with them He promised Aunt Susan that
he would never stand in the way of her
chosen work, but that, on the contrary, he
" ould help her in any way in his power
to further the suffrage movement. He
pointed out to her, with all the persuasive
art which man so well knows how to use
that her life was d hard one, knocking
about from pillar to post, and that it would
be much easier with MIN to help and COM
fort her.
Miss Anthony listened, as women have
since the first woman was tempted by the
serpent. and she concluded that her life
was rather a hard and lonely one and that
1t would be mighty nice to have fine home
to 90 to when tired and weary with her
oft-times thankless labors. But she felt
that she could not decide so nlomer Gus a
question with SO little time for serious con-
sideration. and so she told the amorous
sutton. She was to be gone a week at the
convention. and she asked him to wait for
her answer until her return, which he
agreed TO DO.
Miss Anthony did not say what her de-
cislon had been, but imagine her surprise
and disgust to learn upon her return that
the faithess swain had in the meantime
married another woman, and was even
then enjoying q wedding trip with her
Yes he did not wait for the weeks probs-
| ton, and the second bride more wise than
Miss Anthony had been did not wait for
his ardor to cool, but accepted him on the
| spot and married him at once Miss An
thony has often wondered since what her
life would have been if she had done like
wise.
Foster Avery. She chose as her subject
Miss Anthony's trip abroad. This was some
n1teen years ago. and Mrs. Avery, then
Miss Foster of PHILADELPHIA accommodated
Miss Anthony to be her "ears and tongue"
as Mrs. Avery expressed it, for Miss An
thony could speak only her native tongue
ana IKE many other Americans, she did
not see why the rest of the world did not
speak her own language. Miss Antheny's
intense Americanism was also manifested
In her use, or. more correctly speaking. her
misuse, of foreign titles. During her tray-
els she met peers and princes of the high
est degree. but she was never for the life
or her able to call them by their correct
titles. And, to make matters worse, she in
Variably gave them title of lower degree
than their rank demanded. For instance
a countess she would address as madam
a prince or princess as count" or count
ess. duke as count and so on through
Inc lSt linen she never called than, tvy;p
by the same title, mixing things up in the
most bev ilderiDg manner and usually end
tEg by calling them Mr. and Mrs Miss
Foster usually gave Aunt Susan lessons on
the use of titles before each Of their visits.
but 1t made no difference; before she left
the result was always the same.