of　her　bare　feet；　of　her　incessant　cigarette…smoking；
  above　all；　of　her　views。　　At　last；　one　day。｛sic｝　the　climax
  of　the　discussions　came。
  ‘‘Annie；''　demanded　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''　‘‘why　don't
  you　make　that　aura　of　yours　do　its　gallivanting　in
  this　world；　looking　up　the　needs　of　the　oppressed；
  and　investigating　the　causes　of　present　wrongs？
  Then　you　could　reveal　to　us　workers　just　what　we
  should　do　to　put　things　right；　and　we　could　be
  about　it。''
  Mrs。　Besant　sighed　and　said　that　life　was　short
  and　aeons　were　long；　and　that　while　every　one　would
  be　perfected　some　time；　it　was　useless　to　deal　with
  individuals　here。
  ‘‘But；　Annie！''　exclaimed　Miss　Anthony；　patheti…
  cally。　　‘‘We　ARE　here！　　Our　business　is　here！　　It's
  our　duty　to　do　what　we　can　here。''
  Mrs。　Besant　seemed　not　to　hear　her。　　She　was　in
  a　trance；　gazing　into　the　aeons。
  ‘‘I'd　rather　have　one　year　of　your　ability；　backed
  up　with　common　sense；　for　the　work　of　making　this
  world　better；''　cried　the　exasperated　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''
  ‘‘than　a　million　aeons　in　the　hereafter！''
  Mrs。　Besant　sighed　again。　　It　was　plain　that　she
  could　not　bring　herself　back　from　the　other　world；
  so　Miss　Anthony；　perforce；　accompanied　her　to　it。
  ‘‘When　your　aura　goes　visiting　in　the　other
  world；''　she　asked；　curiously；　‘‘does　it　ever　meet
  your　old　friend　Charles　Bradlaugh？''
  ‘‘Oh　yes；''　declared　Mrs。　Besant。　　‘‘Frequently。''
  ‘‘Wasn't　he　very　much　surprised；''　demanded　Miss
  Anthony；　with　growing　interest；　‘‘to　discover　that　he
  was　not　dead？''
  Mrs。　Besant　did　not　seem　to　know　what　emotion
  Mr。　Bradlaugh　had　experienced　when　that　revela…
  tion　came。
  ‘‘Well；''　mused　‘‘Aunt　Susan；''　‘‘I　should　think
  he　would　have　been　surprised。　　He　was　so　certain
  he　was　going　to　be　dead　that　it　must　have　been
  astounding　to　discover　he　wasn't。　　What　was　he
  doing　in　the　other　world？''
  Mrs。　Besant　heaved　a　deeper　sigh。　　‘‘I　am　very
  much　discouraged　over　Mr。　Bradlaugh；''　she　ad…
  mitted；　wanly。　　‘‘　He　is　hovering　too　near　this
  world。　　He　cannot　seem　to　get　away　from　his　mun…
  dane　interests。　　He　is　as　much　concerned　with　par…
  liamentary　affairs　now　as　when　he　was　on　this
  plane。''
  ‘‘Humph！''　said　Miss　Anthony；　‘‘that's　the　most
  sensible　thing　I've　heard　yet　about　the　other　world。
  It　encourages　me。　　I've　always　felt　sure　that　if　I
  entered　the　other　life　before　women　were　enfran…
  chised　nothing　in　the　glories　of　heaven　would　in…
  terest　me　so　much　as　the　work　for　women's　freedom
  on　earth。　　Now；''　she　ended；　‘‘I　shall　be　like　Mr。
  Bradlaugh。　　I　shall　hover　round　and　continue　my
  work　here。''
  When　Mrs。　Besant　had　left　the　room　Mrs。　Bright
  felt　that　it　was　her　duty　to　admonish　‘‘Aunt　Susan''
  to　be　more　careful　in　what　she　said。
  ‘‘You　are　making　too　light　of　her　creed；''　she　ex…
  postulated。　　‘‘You　do　not　realize　the　important
  position　Mrs。　Besant　holds。　　Why；　in　India；　when
  she　walks　from　her　home　to　her　school　all　those　she
  meets　prostrate　themselves。　　Even　the　learned　men
  prostrate　themselves　and　put　their　faces　on　the
  ground　as　she　goes　by。''
  ‘‘Aunt　Susan's''　voice；　when　she　replied；　took　on
  the　tones　of　one　who　is　sorely　tried。　　‘‘But　why　in
  Heaven's　name　does　any　sensible　Englishwoman
  want　a　lot　of　heathen　to　prostrate　themselves　as　she
  goes　up　the　street？''　she　demanded；　wearily。　　‘‘It's
  the　most　foolish　thing　I　ever　heard。''
  The　effort　to　win　Miss　Anthony　over　to　the　theo…
  sophical　doctrine　was　abandoned。　　That　night；　after
  we　had　gone　to　our　rooms；　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　summed　up
  her　conclusions　on　the　interview：
  ‘‘It's　a　good　thing　for　the　world；''　she　declared；
  ‘‘that　some　of　us　don't　know　so　much。　　And　it's　a
  better　thing　for　this　world　that　some　of　us　think　a
  little　earthly　common　sense　is　more　valuable　than
  too　much　heavenly　knowledge。''
  X
  THE　PASSING　OF　‘‘AUNT　SUSAN''
  On　one　occasion　Miss　Anthony　had　the　doubt…
  ful　pleasure　of　reading　her　own　obituary　notices；
  and　her　interest　in　them　was　characteristically　naive。
  She　had　made　a　speech　at　Lakeside；　Ohio；　during
  which；　for　the　first　time　in　her　long　experience；　she
  fainted　on　the　platform。　　I　was　not　with　her　at　the
  time；　and　in　the　excitement　following　her　collapse
  it　was　rumored　that　she　had　died。　　Immediately
  the　news　was　telegraphed　to　the　Associated　Press
  of　New　York；　and　from　there　flashed　over　the
  country。　　At　Miss　Anthony's　home　in　Rochester　a
  reporter　rang　the　bell　and　abruptly　informed　her
  sister；　Miss　Mary　Anthony；　who　came　to　the　door；
  that　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　was　dead。　　Fortunately　Miss
  Mary　had　a　cool　head。
  ‘‘I　think；''　she　said；　‘‘that　if　my　sister　had　died
  I　would　have　heard　about　it。　　Please　have　your
  editors　telegraph　to　Lakeside。''
  The　reporter　departed；　but　came　back　an　hour
  later　to　say　that　his　newspaper　had　sent　the　tele…
  gram　and　the　reply　was　that　Susan　B。　Anthony　was
  dead。
  ‘‘I　have　just　received　a　better　telegram　than　that；''
  remarked　Mary　Anthony。　　‘‘　Mine　is　from　my
  sister；　she　tells　me　that　she　fainted　to…night；　but
  soon　recovered　and　will　be　home　to…morrow。''
  Nevertheless；　the　next　morning　the　American
  newspapers　gave　much　space　to　Miss　Anthony's
  obituary　notices；　and　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　spent　some　in…
  teresting　hours　reading　them。　　One　that　pleased　her
  vastly　was　printed　in　the　Wichita　Eagle；　whose　editor；
  Mr。　Murdock；　had　been　almost　her　bitterest　op…
  ponent。　　He　had　often　exhausted　his　brilliant　vo…
  cabulary　in　editorial　denunciations　of　suffrage　and
  suffragists；　and　Miss　Anthony　had　been　the　special
  target　of　his　scorn。　　But　the　news　of　her　death　seemed
  to　be　a　bitter　blow　to　him；　and　of　all　the　tributes
  the　American　press　gave　to　Susan　B。　Anthony　dead；
  few　equaled　in　beauty　and　appreciation　the　one
  penned　by　Mr。　Murdock　and　published　in　the　Eagle。
  He　must　have　been　amused　when；　a　few　days　later；
  he　received　a　letter　from　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　herself；
  thanking　him　warmly　for　his　changed　opinion　of　her
  and　hoping　that　it　meant　the　conversion　of　his　soul
  to　our　Cause。　　It　did　not；　and　Mr。　Murdock；　though
  never　again　quite　as　bitter　as　he　had　been；　soon
  resumed　the　free　editorial　expression　of　his　anti…
  suffrage　sentiments。　　Times　have　changed；　however；
  and　to…day　his　son；　now　a　member　of　Congress；　is
  one　of　our　strongest　supporters　in　that　body。
  In　1905　it　became　plain　that　Miss　Anthony's
  health　was　failing。　　Her　visits　to　Germany　and
  England　the　previous　year；　triumphant　though　they
  had　been；　had　also　proved　a　drain　on　her　vitality；
  and　soon　after　her　return　to　America　she　entered
  upon　a　task　which　helped　to　exhaust　her　remaining
  strength。　　She　had　been　deeply　interested　in　se…
  curing　a　fund　of　50；000　to　enable　women　to　enter
  Rochester　University；　and；　one　morning；　just　after
  we　had　held　a　session　of　our　executive　committee
  in　her　Rochester　home；　she　read　a　newspaper　an…
  nouncement　to　the　effect　that　at　four　o'clock　that
  afternoon　the　opportunity　to　admit　women　to　the
  university　would　expire；　as　the　full　fifty　thousand
  dollars　had　not　been　raised。　　The　sum　of　eight
  thousand　dollars　was　still　lacking。
  With　characteristic　energy；　Miss　Anthony　under…
  took　to　save　the　situation　by　raising　this　amount
  within　the　time　limit。　　Rushing　to　the　telephone；
  she　called　a　cab　and　prepared　to　go　forth　on　her
  difficult　quest；　but　first；　while　she　was　putting　on
  her　hat　and　coat；　she　insisted　that　her　sister；　Mary
  Anthony；　should　start　the　fund　by　contributing　one
  thousand　dollars　from　her　meager　savings；　and　this
  Miss　Mary　did。　　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　made　every　second
  count　that　day；　and　by　half　after　three　o'clock　she
  had　secured　the　necessary　pledges。　　Several　of　the
  trustees　of　the　university；　however；　had　not　seemed
  especially　anxious　to　have　the　fund　raised；　and　at
  the　last　moment　they　objected　to　one　pledge　for　a
  thousand　dollars；　on　the　ground　that　the　man　who
  had　given　it　was　very　old　and　might　die　before　the
  time　set　to　pay　it；　then　his　family；　they　feared；
  might　repudiate　the　obligation。　　Without　a　word
  Miss　Anthony　seized　the　pledge　and　wrote　her　name
  across　it　as　an　indorsement。　　‘‘I　am　good　for　it；''
  she　then　said；　quietly；　‘‘if　the　gentleman　who　signed
  it　is　not。''
  That　afternoon　she　returned　home　greatly　fa…
  tigued。　　A　few　hours　later　the　girl　students　who
  had　been　waiting　admission　to　the　university　came
  to　serenade　her　in　recognition　of　her　successful　work
  for　them；　but　she　was　too　ill　to　see　them。　　She　was
  passing　through　the　first　stage　of　what　proved　to
  be　her　final　breakdown。
  In　1906；　when　the　date　of　the　annual　convention　of
  the　National　American　Woman　Suffrage　Association
  in　Baltimore　was　drawing　near；　she　became　convinced
  that　it　would　be　her　last　convention。　　She　was　right。
  She　showed　a　passionate　eagerness　to　make　it　one
  of　the　greatest　conventions　ever　held　in　the　history
  of　the　movement；　and　we；　who　loved