problem　of　preaching　a　sermon　which　should　offer
  some　appeal　to　both　classes；　without　offending　either；
  was　a　perplexing　one；　and　I　solved　it　to　the　best　of
  my　ability　by　delivering　a　sermon　I　had　once　given
  in　my　own　church　to　my　own　people。　　When　I　had
  finished　I　was　wholly　uncertain　of　its　effect；　but　at
  the　end　of　the　services　one　of　the　bishops　leaned
  toward　me　from　his　place　in　the　rear；　and；　to　my
  mingled　horror　and　amusement；　offered　me　this
  tribute；　‘‘That　is　one　of　the　best　Mormon　sermons
  ever　preached　in　this　Tabernacle。''
  I　thanked　him；　but　inwardly　I　was　aghast。　　What
  had　I　said　to　give　him　such　an　impression？　　I　racked
  my　brain；　but　could　recall　nothing　that　justified　it。
  I　passed　the　day　in　a　state　of　nervous　apprehension；
  fully　expecting　some　frank　criticism　from　the　‘‘Gen…
  tiles''　on　the　score　of　having　delivered　a　Mormon
  sermon　to　ingratiate　myself　into　the　favor　of　the
  Mormons　and　secure　their　votes　for　the　constitu…
  tional　amendment。　　But　nothing　of　the　kind　was
  said。　　That　evening；　after　the　sermon　to　the　‘‘Gen…
  tiles；''　a　reception　was　given　to　our　party；　and　I
  drew　my　first　deep　breath　when　the　wife　of　a　well…
  known　clergyman　came　to　me　and　introduced　her…
  self　in　these　words：
  ‘‘My　husband　could　not　come　here　to…night；　but
  he　heard　your　sermon　this　morning。　　He　asked　me
  to　tell　you　how　glad　he　was　that　under　such　unusual
  conditions　you　held　so　firmly　to　the　teachings　of
  Christ。''
  The　next　day　I　was　still　more　reassured。　　A　re…
  ception　was　given　us　at　the　home　of　one　of　Brigham
  Young's　daughters；　and　the　receiving…line　was
  graced　by　the　presiding　elder　of　the　Methodist
  Episcopal　Church。　　He　was　a　bluff　and　jovial　gen…
  tleman；　and　when　he　took　my　hand　he　said；　warmly；
  ‘‘Well；　Sister　Shaw；　you　certainly　gave　our　Mormon
  friends　the　biggest　dose　of　Methodism　yesterday
  that　they　ever　got　in　their　lives。''
  After　this　experience　I　reminded　myself　again
  that　what　Frances　Willard　so　frequently　said　is　true；
  All　truth　is　our　truth　when　it　has　reached　our　hearts；
  we　merely　rechristen　it　according　to　our　individual
  creeds。
  During　the　visit　I　had　an　interesting　conversation
  with　a　number　of　the　younger　Mormon　women。　　I
  was　to　leave　the　city　on　a　midnight　train；　and　about
  twenty　of　them；　including　four　daughters　of　Brig…
  ham　Young；　came　to　my　hotel　to　remain　with　me
  until　it　was　time　to　go　to　the　station。　　They　filled
  the　room；　sitting　around　in　school…girl　fashion　on　the
  floor　and　even　on　the　bed。　　It　was　an　unusual　op…
  portunity　to　learn　some　things　I　wished　to　know；　and
  I　could　not　resist　it。
  ‘‘There　are　some　questions　I　would　like　to　ask
  you；''　I　began；　‘‘and　one　or　two　of　them　may　seem
  impertinent。　　But　they　won't　be　asked　in　that
  spiritand　please　don't　answer　any　that　embarrass
  you。''
  They　exchanged　glances；　and　then　told　me　to
  ask　as　many　questions　as　I　wished。
  ‘‘First　of　all；''　I　said；　‘‘I　would　like　to　know　the
  real　attitude　toward　polygamy　of　the　present　gen…
  eration　of　Mormon　women。　　Do　you　all　believe
  in　it？''
  They　assured　me　that　they　did。
  ‘‘How　many　of　you；''　I　then　asked；　‘‘are　polyga…
  mous　wives？''
  There　was　not　one　in　the　group。
  ‘‘But；''　I　insisted；　‘‘if　you　really　believe　in　polyg…
  amy；　why　is　it　that　some　of　your　husbands　have
  not　taken　more　than　one　wife？''
  There　was　a　moment　of　silence；　while　each　woman
  looked　around　as　if　waiting　for　another　to　answer。
  At　last　one　of　them　said；　slowly：
  ‘‘In　my　case；　I　alone　was　to　blame。　　For　years　I
  could　not　force　myself　to　consent　to　my　husband's
  taking　another　wife；　though　I　tried　hard。　　By　the
  time　I　had　overcome　my　objection　the　law　was
  passed　prohibiting　polygamy。''
  A　second　member　of　the　group　hastened　to　tell
  her　story。　　She　had　had　a　similar　spiritual　struggle；
  and　just　as　she　reached　the　point　where　she　was
  willing　to　have　her　husband　take　another　wife；　he
  died。　　And　now　the　room　was　filled　with　eager
  voices。　　Four　or　five　women　were　telling　at　once
  that　they；　too；　had　been　reluctant　in　the　beginning；
  and　that　when　they　had　reached　the　point　of　consent
  this；　that；　or　another　cause　had　kept　the　husbands
  from　marrying　again。　　They　were　all　so　passion…
  ately　in　earnest　that　they　stared　at　me　in　puzzled
  wonder　when　I　broke　into　the　sudden　laughter　I
  could　not　restrain。
  ‘‘What　fortunate　women　you　all　were！''　I　ex…
  claimed；　teasingly。　　‘‘Not　one　of　you　arrived　at　the
  point　of　consenting　to　the　presence　of　a　second　wife
  in　your　home　until　it　was　impossible　for　your　hus…
  band　to　take　her。''
  They　flushed　a　little　at　that；　and　then　laughed
  with　me；　but　they　did　not　defend　themselves　against
  the　tacit　charge；　and　I　turned　the　conversation　into
  less　personal　channels。　　I　learned　that　many　of　the
  Mormon　young　men　were　marrying　girls　outside　of
  the　Church；　and　that　two　sons　of　a　leading　Mormon
  elder　had　married　and　were　living　very　happily　with
  Catholic　girls。
  At　this　time　the　Mormon　candidate　for　Congress
  （a　man　named　Roberts）　was　a　bitter　opponent　of
  woman　suffrage。　　The　Mormon　women　begged　me
  to　challenge　him　to　a　debate　on　the　subject；　which
  I　did；　but　Mr。　Roberts　declined　the　challenge。　　The
  ground　of　his　refusal；　which　he　made　public　through
  the　newspapers；　was　chastening　to　my　spirit。　　He
  explained　that　he　would　not　debate　with　me　because
  he　was　not　willing　to　lower　himself　to　the　intellectual
  plane　of　a　woman。
  XIII
  PRESIDENT　OF　‘‘THE　NATIONAL''
  In　1900　Miss　Anthony；　then　over　eighty；　decided
  that　she　must　resign　the　presidency　of　our　Nation…
  al　Association；　and　the　question　of　the　successor　she
  would　choose　became　an　important　one。　　It　was
  conceded　that　there　were　only　two　candidates　in
  her　mindMrs。　Carrie　Chapman　Catt　and　myself
  and　for　several　months　we　gave　the　suffrage　world
  the　unusual　spectacle　of　rivals　vigorously　pushing
  each　other's　claims。　　Miss　Anthony　was　devoted
  to　us　both；　and　I　think　the　choice　was　a　hard　one
  for　her　to　make。　　On　the　one　hand；　I　had　been
  vice…president　at　large　and　her　almost　constant
  companion　for　twelve　years；　and　she　had　grown　ac…
  customed　to　think　of　me　as　her　successor。　　On　the
  other　hand；　Mrs。　Catt　had　been　chairman　of　the
  organization　committee；　and　through　her　splendid
  executive　ability　had　built　up　our　organization　in
  many　states。　　From　Miss　Anthony　down；　we　all
  recognized　her　steadily　growing　powers；　she　had；
  moreover；　abundant　means；　which　I　had　not。
  In　my　mind　there　was　no　question　of　her　superior
  qualification　for　the　presidency。　　She　seemed　to　me
  the　logical　and　indeed　the　only　possible　successor
  to　Miss　Anthony；　and　I　told　‘‘Aunt　Susan''　so　with
  all　the　eloquence　I　could　command；　while　simul…
  taneously　Mrs。　Catt　was　pouring　into　Miss　Anthony's
  other　ear　a　series　of　impassioned　tributes　to　me。　　It
  was　an　unusual　situation　and　a　very　pleasant　one；
  and　it　had　two　excellent　results：　it　simplified　‘‘Aunt
  Susan's''　problem　by　eliminating　the　element　of　per…
  sonal　ambition；　and　it　led　to　her　eventual　choice
  of　Mrs。　Catt　as　her　successor。
  I　will　admit　here　for　the　first　time　that　in　urging
  Mrs。　Catt's　fitness　for　the　office　I　made　the　greatest
  sacrifice　of　my　life。　　My　highest　ambition　had　been
  to　succeed　Miss　Anthony；　for　no　one　who　knew　her
  as　I　did　could　underestimate　the　honor　of　being
  chosen　by　her　to　carry　on　her　work。
  At　the　convention　in　Washington　that　year　she
  formally　refused　the　nomination　for　re…election；　as
  we　had　all　expected；　and　then；　on　being　urged　to
  choose　her　own　successor；　she　stepped　forward　to
  do　so。　　It　was　a　difficult　hour；　for　her　fiery　soul　re…
  sented　the　limitations　imposed　by　her　worn…out
  body；　and　to　such　a　worker　the　most　poignant　ex…
  perience　in　life　is　to　be　forced　to　lay　down　one's
  work　at　the　command　of　old　age。　　On　this　she
  touched　briefly；　but　in　a　trembling　voice；　and　then；
  in　furtherance　of　the　understanding　between　the
  three　of　us；　she　presented　the　name　of　Mrs。　Catt　to
  the　convention　with　all　the　pride　and　hope　a　mother
  could　feel　in　the　presentation　of　a　daughter。
  Her　faith　was　fully　justified。　　Mrs。　Catt　made
  an　admirable　president；　and　during　every　moment
  of　the　four　years　she　held　the　office　she　had　Miss
  Anthony's　whole…hearted　and　enthusiastic　support；
  while　I；　too；　in　my　continued　office　of　vice…president；
  did　my　utmost　to　help　her　in　every　way。　　In　1904；
  however；　Mrs。　Catt　was　elected　president　of　the
  International　Suffrage　Alliance；　as　I　have　mentioned
  before；　and　that　same　year　she　resigned　the　presi…
  dency　of　our　National　Association；　as　her　health
  was　not　equal　to　the　strain　of　carrying　the　two
  offices。
  Miss　Anthony　immediately　urged　me　to　accept
  the　presidency　of　the　National　Association；　which
  I　was　now　most　unwilling　to　do；　I　had　lost　my
  ambition　to　be　president；　and　there　were　other　rea…
  sons；　into　which　I　need　not　go　again