The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-21
HER TICKLE LOVER.
Susan ID. AnthOny's Narrow Escape
from MatrimOny.

New York Tribune.
1t was during the visit of Susan B..
Anthony to the home of her ancestors in
the Berkshire Hills that house party as
sembled in the long, od-fashioned parlor
one evening, and listened to the following
interesting story. The mountain air was
sharp, and a fire had been kindled in the
big brick fireplace, and the logs cracked and
famed 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 womans progress in the
world of letters and in the lecture field.
First and best revered was Susan b.
Anthony herself, and as the conditions and
environments were ideal for a story. ro-
nance of the past contemporary with the
surroundings, Aunt Susan was importuned
to relate some of her experiences.
TELL us some of your love stories" they
all cried as one.
but L never had any worth telling" she
declared. There wasn't bit of romance
in any of my affairs 1 always said, like
the old maid, that the man / 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 so easily, and it ended in
her relating the following tale.
The room was lighted only by the flicker
ing freight, which shone on Miss Anthony s
face as she talked, silhouette-iike against
the dark shadows in the background.
Then she told how one time when she was
travelling through some Western State,
holding conventions, many years ago, when
she was not more than thirty-five years old,
man who made himself particularly agree
able 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 announced
to speak in a 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 were
nicely started he came to the point at once
with:
viii you have me?"
What for?" was Aunt Sasan's blunt re-
"Wfll you marry me?" the sutton con-
tinued. Then he proceeded to tell her of his
worldly possessions, his fine house. his
lands, etc, all of which should be at heI
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
| would 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 hard one, knocking about
| from pillar to post, and that ii would be
much easier with him to help and comfort
| 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
| it would be mighty nice to have fine home
to tn hoy, ffwnr1 ovt1 wxrffh haf
| oft-times thankless labors But she felt
| that she could not decide so momentous q
| 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 ne
Miss Anthony did not say what her de-
| cision had been, but imagine her surprise
and disgust 10 learn upon her return that
| the faithiess swain had in the meantime
| married another woman. and was even tnen
| enjoying a wedding trip with her. Yes, lie
| did not wait for the weeks probation, and
| the second bride, more wise than Miss An
/ thony had been, did not wait for his ardor
! TO cool. but accepted him on the spot, and
| often wondered since what her life would
| have been if she had done likewise.
The next story was told by Mrs. Rache
| Foster Avery. She chose as her subject Mis-.
An.hony's trip abroad. This was some ftf
| teen years ago, and Mrs. Avery, then Mis-:
Foster. of Philadelphia, accompanied Mis-:
Mrs. Avery expressed it, for Miss Anthony
/ could speak only her native tongue, and
| like many other Americans, she did no
/ see why the rest of the world did not speal
| her own language. Miss Anthony's intens.
/ Americanism was also manifested in hel
| use, or. more correctly speaking her misus'
/ of foreign titles During her travels she me
| peers and princes of the highest degree, bu
she was never for the life of her able Il
| cali them by their correct titles And t,
| make matters worse, she invariably CAV
| them a title of lower degree than thel
rank demanded For instance, a counties
she would address as madam" a primo
| or princess as count or Countess"
duke a count" and so on through th
| list. Then she never called them twice II
the same title. mixing things up in the mos
4 bewiluering manner end Usually ending ~,
calling them Mr.. and Mrs Miss Foster nsu
ally nEaXn Aunt Susan Lessons On the NE