and　filling　the　hall；　and　when　the　men　realized
  what　it　all　meant；　and　recognized　their　wives；　sis…
  ters；　and　women　friends　in　the　throng；　they　sheep…
  ishly　unlocked　the　front　doors　and　left　us　in　posses…
  sion；　though　we　politely　urged　them　to　remain。　　We
  had　a　great　meeting　that　night！
  Another　reminiscence　may　not　be　out　of　place。
  We　were　working　for　a　prohibition　amendment　in
  the　state　of　Pennsylvania；　and　the　night　before
  election　I　reached　Coatesville。　　I　had　just　com…
  pleted　six　weeks　of　strenuous　campaigning；　and　that
  day　I　had　already　conducted　and　spoken　at　two　big
  outdoor　meetings。　　When　I　entered　the　town　hall
  of　Coatesville　I　found　it　filled　with　women。　　Only
  a　few　men　were　there；　the　rest　were　celebrating
  and　campaigning　in　the　streets。　　So　I　arose　and
  said：
  ‘‘I　would　like　to　ask　how　many　men　there　are　in
  the　audience　who　intend　to　vote　for　the　amendment
  to…morrow？''
  Every　man　in　the　hall　stood　up。
  ‘‘I　thought　so；''　I　said。　　‘‘Now　I　intend　to　ask
  your　indulgence。　　As　you　are　all　in　favor　of　the
  amendment；　there　is　no　use　in　my　setting　its　claims
  before　you；　and；　as　I　am　utterly　exhausted；　I
  suggest　that　we　sing　the　Doxology　and　go　home！''
  The　audience　saw　the　common　sense　of　my
  position；　so　the　people　laughed　and　sang　the　Doxol…
  ogy　and　departed。　　As　we　were　leaving　the　hall
  one　of　Coatesville's　prominent　citizens　stopped　me。
  ‘‘I　wish　you　were　a　man；''　he　said。　　‘‘The　town
  was　to　have　a　big　outdoor　meeting　to…night；　and
  the　orator　has　failed　us。　　There　are　thousands　of
  men　in　the　streets　waiting　for　the　speech；　and　the
  saloons　are　sending　them　free　drinks　to　get　them
  drunk　and　carry　the　town　to…morrow。''
  ‘‘Why；''　I　said；　‘‘I'll　talk　to　them　if　you　wish。''
  ‘‘Great　Scott！''　he　gasped。　　‘‘I'd　be　afraid　to　let
  you。　　Something　might　happen！''
  ‘‘If　anything　happens；　it　will　be　in　a　good　cause；''
  I　reminded　him。　　‘‘Let　us　go。''
  Down…town　we　found　the　streets　so　packed　with
  men　that　the　cars　could　not　get　through；　and　with
  the　greatest　difficulty　we　reached　the　stand　which
  had　been　erected　for　the　speaker。　　It　was　a　gorgeous
  affair。　　There　were　flaring　torches　all　around　it；　and
  a　‘‘bull's…eye；''　taken　from　the　head　of　a　locomotive；
  made　an　especially　brilliant　patch　of　light。　　The
  stand　had　been　erected　at　a　point　where　the　city's
  four　principal　streets　meet；　and　as　far　as　I　could
  see　there　were　solid　masses　of　citizens　extending
  into　these　streets。　　A　glee…club　was　doing　its　best
  to　help　things　along；　and　the　music　of　an　organette；
  an　instrument　much　used　at　the　time　in　campaign
  rallies；　swelled　the　joyful　tumult。　　As　I　mounted
  the　platform　the　crowd　was　singing　‘‘Vote　for　Betty
  and　the　Baby；''　and　I　took　that　song　for　my　text；
  speaking　of　the　helplessness　of　women　and　children
  in　the　face　of　intemperance；　and　telling　the　crowd
  the　only　hope　of　the　Coatesville　women　lay　in　the
  vote　cast　by　their　men　the　next　day。
  Directly　in　front　of　me　stood　a　huge　and　ex…
  traordinarily　repellent…looking　negro。　　A　glance　at
  him　almost　made　one　shudder；　but　before　I　had
  finished　my　first　sentence　he　raised　his　right　arm
  straight　above　him　and　shouted；　in　a　deep　and
  wonderfully　rich　bass　voice；　‘‘Hallelujah　to　the
  Lamb！''　　From　that　point　on　he　punctuated　my
  speech　every　few　moments　with　good；　old…fashioned
  exclamations　of　salvation　which　helped　to　inspire
  the　crowd。　　I　spoke　for　almost　an　hour。　　Three
  times　in　my　life；　and　only　three　times；　I　have　made
  speeches　that　have　satisfied　me　to　the　degree；　that
  is；　of　making　me　feel　that　at　least　I　was　giving　the
  best　that　was　in　me。　　The　speech　at　Coatesville　was
  one　of　those　three。　　At　the　end　of　it　the　good…natured
  crowd　cheered　for　ten　minutes。　　The　next　day
  Coatesville　voted　for　prohibition；　and；　rightly　or
  wrongly；　I　have　always　believed　that　I　helped　to　win
  that　victory。
  Here；　by　the　way；　I　may　add　that　of　the　two　other
  speeches　which　satisfied　me　one　was　made　in　Chicago；
  during　the　World's　Fair；　in　1893；　and　the　other　in
  Stockholm；　Sweden；　in　1912。　　The　International
  Council　of　Women；　it　will　be　remembered；　met　in
  Chicago　during　the　Fair；　and　I　was　invited　to　preach
  the　sermon　at　the　Sunday…morning　session。　　The
  occasion　was　a　very　important　one；　bringing　to…
  gether　at　least　five　thousand　persons；　including
  representative　women　from　almost　every　country
  in　Europe；　and　a　large　number　of　women　ministers。
  These　made　an　impressive　group；　as　they　all　wore
  their　ministerial　robes；　and　for　the　first　time　I
  preached　in　a　ministerial　robe；　ordered　especially
  for　that　day。　　It　was　made　of　black　crepe　de　Chine；
  with　great　double　flowing　sleeves；　white　silk　under…
  sleeves；　and　a　wide　white　silk　underfold　down　the
  front；　and　I　may　mention　casually　that　it　looked
  very　much　better　than　I　felt；　for　I　was　very　nervous。
  My　father　had　come　on　to　Chicago　especially　to
  hear　my　sermon；　and　had　been　invited　to　sit　on　the
  platform。　　Even　yet　he　was　not　wholly　reconciled
  to　my　public　work；　but　he　was　beginning　to　take　a
  deep　interest　in　it。　　I　greatly　desired　to　please　him
  and　to　satisfy　Miss　Anthony；　who　was　extremely
  anxious　that　on　that　day　of　all　days　I　should　do　my
  best。
  I　gave　an　unusual　amount　of　time　and　thought　to
  that　sermon；　and　at　last　evolved　what　I　modestly
  believed　to　be　a　good　one。　　I　never　write　out　a
  sermon　in　advance；　but　I　did　it　this　time；　laboriously；
  and　then　memorized　the　effort。　　The　night　before
  the　sermon　was　to　be　delivered　Miss　Anthony　asked
  me　about　it；　and　when　I　realized　how　deeply　in…
  terested　she　was　I　delivered　it　to　her　then　and　there
  as　a　rehearsal。　　It　was　very　late；　and　I　knew　we
  would　not　be　interrupted。　　As　she　listened　her
  face　grew　longer　and　longer　and　her　lips　drooped
  at　the　corners。　　Her　disappointment　was　so　obvious
  that　I　had　difficulty　in　finishing　my　recitation；　but
  I　finally　got　through　it；　though　rather　weakly　toward
  the　end；　and　waited　to　hear　what　she　would　say；
  hoping　against　hope　that　she　had　liked　it　better
  than　she　seemed　to。　　But　Susan　B。　Anthony　was
  the　frankest　as　well　as　the　kindest　of　women。　　Reso…
  lutely　she　shook　her　head。
  ‘‘It's　no　good；　Anna；''　she　said；　firmly。　　‘‘You'll
  have　to　do　better。　　You've　polished　and　repolished
  that　sermon　until　there's　no　life　left　in　it。　　It's　dead。
  Besides；　I　don't　care　for　your　text。''
  ‘‘Then　give　me　a　text；''　I　demanded；　gloomily。
  ‘‘I　can't；''　said　Aunt　Susan。
  I　was　tired　and　bitterly　disappointed；　and　both
  conditions　showed　in　my　reply。
  ‘‘Well；''　I　asked；　somberly；　‘‘if　you　can't　even
  supply　a　text；　how　do　you　suppose　I'm　going　to
  deliver　a　brand…new　sermon　at　ten　o'clock　to…morrow
  morning？''
  ‘‘Oh；''　declared　Aunt　Susan；　blithely；　‘‘you'll　find
  a　text。''
  I　suggested　several；　but　she　did　not　like　them。
  At　last　I　said；　‘‘I　have　it‘Let　no　man　take　thy
  crown。'　''
  ‘‘That's　it！''　exclaimed　Miss　Anthony。　　‘‘Give　us
  a　good　sermon　on　that　text。''
  She　went　to　her　room　to　sleep　the　sleep　of　the
  just　and　the　untroubled；　but　I　tossed　in　my　bed　the
  rest　of　the　night；　planning　the　points　of　the　new
  sermon。　　After　I　had　delivered　it　the　next　morning
  I　went　to　my　father　to　assist　him　from　the　platform。
  He　was　trembling；　and　his　eyes　were　full　of　tears。
  He　seized　my　arm　and　pressed　it。
  ‘‘Now　I　am　ready　to　die；''　was　all　he　said。
  I　was　so　tired　that　I　felt　ready　to　die；　too；　but
  his　satisfaction　and　a　glance　at　Aunt　Susan's　con…
  tented　face　gave　me　the　tonic　I　needed。　　Father
  died　two　years　later；　and　as　I　was　campaigning　in
  California　I　was　not　with　him　at　the　end。　　It　was
  a　comfort　to　remember；　however；　that　in　the　twilight
  of　his　life　he　had　learned　to　understand　his　most
  difficult　daughter；　and　to　give　her　credit　for　earnest…
  ness　of　purpose；　at　least；　in　following　the　life　that　had
  led　her　away　from　him。　　After　his　death；　and　imme…
  diately　upon　my　return　from　California；　I　visited
  my　mother；　and　it　was　well　indeed　that　I　did；　for
  within　a　few　months　she　followed　father　into　the
  other　world　for　which　all　of　her　unselfish　life　had
  been　a　preparation。
  Our　last　days　together　were　perfect。　　Her　attitude
  was　one　of　serene　and　cheerful　expectancy；　and　I
  always　think　of　her　as　sitting　among　the　primroses
  and　bluebells　she　loved；　which　seemed　to　bloom
  unceasingly　in　the　windows　of　her　room。　　I　recall；
  too；　with　gratitude；　a　trifle　which　gave　her　a　pleasure
  out　of　all　proportion　to　what　I　had　dreamed　it　would
  do。　　She　had　expressed　a　longing　for　some　English
  heather；　‘‘not　the　hot…house　variety；　but　the　kind　that
  blooms　on　the　hills；''　and　I　had　succeeded　in　getting
  a　bunch　for　her　by　writing　to　an　English　friend。
  Its　possession　filled　her　with　joy；　and　from　the
  time　it　came　until　the　day　her　eyes　closed　in　their
  last　sleep　it　was　rarely　beyond　reach　of　her　hand。
  At　her　request；　when　she　was　buried