the story of a pioneer-第4章

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young　mind；　led　me　first　into　the　ministry；　next　into

medicine；　and　finally　into　suffrage…work。　　Living

next　door　to　us；　on　Prospect　Hill；　was　a　beautiful

and　mysterious　woman。　　All　we　children　knew　of

her　was　that　she　was　a　vivid　and　romantic　figure；

who　seemed　to　have　no　friends　and　of　whom　our

elders　spoke　in　whispers　or　not　at　all。　　To　me　she

was　a　princess　in　a　fairy…tale；　for　she　rode　a　white

horse　and　wore　a　blue　velvet　riding…habit　with　a

blue　velvet　hat　and　a　picturesquely　drooping　white

plume。　　I　soon　learned　at　what　hours　she　went

forth　to　ride；　and　I　used　to　hover　around　our　gate

for　the　joy　of　seeing　her　mount　and　gallop　away。　

I　realized　that　there　was　something　unusual　about

her　house；　and　I　had　an　idea　that　the　prince　was

waiting　for　her　somewhere　in　the　far　distance；　and

that　for　the　time　at　least　she　had　escaped　the　ogre

in　the　castle　she　left　behind。　　I　was　wrong　about

the　prince；　but　right　about　the　ogre。　　It　was　only

when　my　unhappy　lady　left　her　castle　that　she　was

free。



Very　soon　she　noticed　me。　　Possibly　she　saw　the

adoration　in　my　childish　eyes。　　She　began　to　nod

and　smile　at　me；　and　then　to　speak　to　me；　but　at

first　I　was　almost　afraid　to　answer　her。　　There　were

stories　now　among　the　children　that　the　house　was

haunted；　and　that　by　night　a　ghost　walked　there　and

in　the　grounds。　　I　felt　an　extraordinary　interest　in

the　ghost；　and　I　spent　hours　peering　through　our

picket　fence；　trying　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　it；　but　I

hesitated　to　be　on　terms　of　neighborly　intimacy　with

one　who　dwelt　with　ghosts。



One　day　the　mysterious　lady　bent　and　kissed　me。　

Then；　straightening　up；　she　looked　at　me　queerly

and　said：　　‘‘Go　and　tell　your　mother　I　did　that。''　

There　was　something　very　compelling　in　her　manner。　

I　knew　at　once　that　I　must　tell　my　mother　what　she

had　done；　and　I　ran　into　our　house　and　did　so。　

While　my　mother　was　considering　the　problem　the

situation　presented；　for　she　knew　the　character　of

the　house　next　door；　a　note　was　handed　in　to　her

a　very　pathetic　little　note　from　my　mysterious　lady；

asking　my　mother　to　let　me　come　and　see　her。　　Long

afterward　mother　showed　it　to　me。　　It　ended　with

the　words：　　‘‘She　will　see　no　one　but　me。　　No　harm

shall　come　to　her。　　Trust　me。''



That　night　my　parents　talked　the　matter　over　and

decided　to　let　me　go。　　Probably　they　felt　that　the

slave　next　door　was　as　much　to　be　pitied　as　the　es…

caped…negro　slaves　they　so　often　harbored　in　our

home。　　I　made　my　visit；　which　was　the　first　of　many；

and　a　strange　friendship　began　and　developed　be…

tween　the　woman　of　the　town　and　the　little　girl　she

loved。　　Some　of　those　visits　I　remember　as　vividly

as　if　I　had　made　them　yesterday。　　There　was　never

the　slightest　suggestion　during　any　of　them　of　things

I　should　not　see　or　hear；　for　while　I　was　with　her

my　hostess　became　a　child　again；　and　we　played

together　like　children。　　She　had　wonderful　toys　for

me；　and　pictures　and　books；　but　the　thing　I　loved

best　of　all　and　played　with　for　hours　was　a　little

stuffed　hen　which　she　told　me　had　been　her　dearest

treasure　when　she　was　a　child　at　home。　　She　had

also　a　stuffed　puppy；　and　she　once　mentioned　that

those　two　things　alone　were　left　of　her　life　as

a　little　girl。　　Besides　the　toys　and　books　and　pic…

tures；　she　gave　me　ice…cream　and　cake；　and　told　me

fairy…tales。　　She　had　a　wonderful　understanding　of

what　a　child　likes。　　There　were　half　a　dozen　women

in　the　house　with　her；　but　I　saw　none　of　them　nor

any　of　the　men　who　came。



Once；　when　we　had　become　very　good　friends

indeed　and　my　early　shyness　had　departed；　I

found　courage　to　ask　her　where　the　ghost　was

the　ghost　that　haunted　her　house。　　I　can　still　see

the　look　in　her　eyes　as　they　met　mine。　　She　told

me　the　ghost　lived　in　her　heart；　and　that　she　did

not　like　to　talk　about　it；　and　that　we　must　not

speak　of　it　again。　　After　that　I　never　mentioned　it；

but　I　was　more　deeply　interested　than　ever；　for　a

ghost　that　lived　in　a　heart　was　a　new　kind　of　ghost

to　me　at　that　time；　though　I　have　met　many　of

them　since　then。　　During　all　our　intercourse　my

mother　never　entered　the　house　next　door；　nor　did

my　mysterious　lady　enter　our　home；　but　she　con…

stantly　sent　my　mother　secret　gifts　for　the　poor　and

the　sick　of　the　neighborhood；　and　she　was　always

the　first　to　offer　help　for　those　who　were　in　trouble。　

Many　years　afterward　mother　told　me　she　was　the

most　generous　woman　she　had　ever　known；　and

that　she　had　a　rarely　beautiful　nature。　　Our　depart…

ure　for　Michigan　broke　up　the　friendship；　but　I　have

never　forgotten　her；　and　whenever；　in　my　later

work　as　minister；　physician；　and　suffragist；　I　have

been　able　to　help　women　of　the　class　to　which　she

belonged；　I　have　mentally　offered　that　help　for　credit

in　the　tragic　ledger　of　her　life；　in　which　the　clean　and

the　blotted　pages　were　so　strange　a　contrast。



One　more　incident　of　Lawrence　I　must　describe

before　I　leave　that　city　behind　me；　as　we　left　it　for

ever　in　1859。　　While　we　were　still　there　a　number　of

Lawrence　men　decided　to　go　West；　and　amid　great

public　excitement　they　departed　in　a　body　for　Kansas；

where　they　founded　the　town　of　Lawrence　in　that

state。　　I　recall　distinctly　the　public　interest　which

attended　their　going；　and　the　feeling　every　one

seemed　to　have　that　they　were　passing　forever　out

of　the　civilized　world。　　Their　farewells　to　their

friends　were　eternal；　no　one　expected　to　see　them

again；　and　my　small　brain　grew　dizzy　as　I　tried　to

imagine　a　place　so　remote　as　their　destination。　　It

was；　I　finally　decided；　at　the　uttermost　ends　of　the

earth；　and　it　seemed　quite　possible　that　the　brave

adventurers　who　reached　it　might　then　drop　off　into

space。　　Fifty　years　later　I　was　talking　to　a　Cali…

fornia　girl　who　complained　lightly　of　the　monotony

of　a　climate　where　the　sun　shone　and　the　flowers

bloomed　all　the　year　around。　　‘‘But　I　had　a　de…

lightful　change　last　year；''　she　added；　with　anima…

tion。　　‘‘I　went　East　for　the　winter。''



‘‘To　New　York？''　I　asked。



‘‘No；''　corrected　the　California　girl；　easily；　‘‘to

Lawrence；　Kansas。''



Nothing；　I　think；　has　ever　made　me　feel　quite　so

old　as　that　remark。　　That　in　my　life；　not　yet；　to　me

at　least；　a　long　one；　I　should　see　such　an　arc　de…

scribed　seemed　actually　oppressive　until　I　realized

that；　after　all；　the　arc　was　merely　a　rainbow　of　time

showing　how　gloriously　realized　were　the　hopes　of

the　Lawrence　pioneers。



The　move　to　Michigan　meant　a　complete　up…

heaval　in　our　lives。　　In　Lawrence　we　had　around　us

the　fine　flower　of　New　England　civilization。　　We

children　went　to　school；　our　parents；　though　they

were　in　very　humble　circumstances；　were　associated

with　the　leading　spirits　and　the　big　movements　of

the　day。　　When　we　went　to　Michigan　we　went　to

the　wilderness；　to　the　wild　pioneer　life　of　those　times；

and　we　were　all　old　enough　to　keenly　feel　the　change。



My　father　was　one　of　a　number　of　Englishmen　who

took　up　tracts　in　the　northern　forests　of　Michigan；

with　the　old　dream　of　establishing　a　colony　there。　

None　of　these　men　had　the　least　practical　knowledge

of　farming。　　They　were　city　men　or　followers　of

trades　which　had　no　connection　with　farm　life。　

They　went　straight　into　the　thick　timber…land；　in…

stead　of　going　to　the　rich　and　waiting　prairies；　and

they　crowned　this　initial　mistake　by　cutting　down

the　splendid　timber　instead　of　letting　it　stand。　

Thus　bird's…eye　maple　and　other　beautiful　woods

were　used　as　fire…wood　and　in　the　construction　of

rude　cabins；　and　the　greatest　asset　of　the　pioneers

was　ignored。



Father　preceded　us　to　the　Michigan　woods；　and

there；　with　his　oldest　son；　James；　took　up　a　claim。　

They　cleared　a　space　in　the　wilderness　just　large

enough　for　a　log　cabin；　and　put　up　the　bare　walls

of　the　cabin　itself。　　Then　father　returned　to　Law…

rence　and　his　work；　leaving　James　behind。　　A　few

months　later