grateful　acknowledgment　of　indebtedness　for　friend…
  ship　and　for　help。
  XVI
  COUNCIL　EPISODES
  I　have　said　much　of　the　interest　attending　the
  international　meetings　held　in　Chicago；　London；
  Berlin；　and　Stockholm。　　That　I　have　said　less　about
  those　in　Copenhagen；　Geneva；　The　Hague；　Budapest；
  and　other　cities　does　not　mean　that　these　were　less
  important；　and　certainly　the　wonderful　women
  leaders　of　Europe　who　made　them　so　brilliant　must
  not　be　passed　over　in　silence。
  First；　however；　the　difference　between　the　Suf…
  frage　Alliance　meetings　and　the　International　Coun…
  cil　meetings　should　be　explained。　　The　Council
  meetings　are　made　up　of　societies　from　the　various
  nations　which　are　auxiliary　to　the　International
  Councilthese　societies　representing　all　lines　of
  women's　activities；　whether　educational；　industrial；
  or　social；　while　the　membership；　including　more
  than　eleven　million　women；　represents　probably　the
  largest　organization　of　women　in　the　world。　　The
  International　Suffrage　Alliance　represents　the　suf…
  frage　interest　primarily；　whereas　the　International
  Council　has　only　a　suffrage　department。　　So　popu…
  lar　did　this　International　Alliance　become　after　its
  formation　in　Berlin　by　Mrs。　Catt；　in　1904；　that　at
  the　Copenhagen　meeting；　only　three　years　later；
  more　than　sixteen　different　nations　were　represented
  by　regular　delegates。
  It　was　unfortunate；　therefore；　that　I　chose　this
  occasion　to　make　a　spectacular　personal　failure　in
  the　pulpit。　　I　had　been　invited　to　preach　the　con…
  vention　sermon；　and　for　the　first　time　in　my　life
  I　had　an　interpreter。　　Few　experiences；　I　believe；
  can　be　more　unpleasant　than　to　stand　up　in　a　pul…
  pit；　utter　a　remark；　and　then　wait　patiently　while　it
  is　repeated　in　a　tongue　one　does　not　understand；　by
  a　man　who　is　putting　its　gist　in　his　own　words　and
  quite　possibly　giving　it　his　own　interpretative　twist。
  I　was　very　unhappy；　and　I　fear　I　showed　it；　for　I
  felt；　as　I　looked　at　the　faces　of　those　friends　who
  understood　Danish；　that　they　were　not　getting　what
  I　was　giving　them。　　Nor　were　they；　for　I　afterward
  learned　that　the　interpreter；　a　good　orthodox
  brother；　had　given　the　sermon　an　ultra…orthodox
  bias　which　those　who　knew　my　creed　certainly　did
  not　recognize。　　The　whole　experience　greatly　dis…
  heartened　me；　but　no　doubt　it　was　good　for　my
  soul。
  During　the　Copenhagen　meeting　we　were　given
  a　banquet　by　the　City　Council；　and　in　the　course　of
  his　speech　of　welcome　one　of　the　city　fathers　airily
  remarked　that　he　hoped　on　our　next　visit　to　Copen…
  hagen　there　would　be　women　members　in　the　Council
  to　receive　us。　　At　the　time　this　seemed　merely　a
  pleasant　jest；　but　two　years　from　that　day　a　bill
  was　enacted　by　Parliament　granting　municipal　suf…
  frage　to　the　women　of　Denmark；　and　seven　women
  were　elected　to　the　City　Council　of　Copenhagen。
  So　rapidly　does　the　woman　suffrage　movement　grow
  in　these　inspiring　days！
  Recalling　the　International　Council　of　1899　in
  London；　one　of　my　most　vivid　pictures　has　Queen
  Victoria　for　its　central　figure。　　The　English　court
  was　in　mourning　at　the　time　and　no　public　audiences
  were　being　held；　but　we　were　invited　to　Windsor
  with　the　understanding　that；　although　the　Queen
  could　not　formally　receive　us；　she　would　pass
  through　our　lines；　receiving　Lady　Aberdeen　and
  giving　the　rest　of　us　an　opportunity　to　courtesy
  and　obtain　Her　Majesty's　recognition　of　the　Cause。
  The　Queen　arranged　with　her　chamberlain　that　we
  should　be　given　tea　and　a　collation；　but　before　this
  refreshment　was　served；　indeed　immediately　after
  our　arrival；　she　entered　her　familiar　little　pony…cart
  and　was　driven　slowly　along　lines　of　bowing　women
  who　must　have　looked　like　a　wheat…field　in　a　high
  wind。
  Among　us　was　a　group　of　Indian　women；　and
  these；　dressed　in　their　native　costumes；　contributed
  a　picturesque　bit　of　brilliant　color　to　the　scene　as
  they　deeply　salaamed。　　They　arrested　the　eye　of
  the　Queen；　who　stopped　and　spoke　a　few　cordial
  words　to　them。　　This　gave　the　rest　of　us　an　excellent
  opportunity　to　observe　her　closely；　and　I　admit　that
  my　English　blood　stirred　in　me　suddenly　and　loyally
  as　I　studied　the　plump　little　figure。　　She　was　dressed
  entirely　and　very　simply　in　black；　with　a　quaint
  flat　black　hat　and　a　black　cape。　　The　only　bit
  of　color　about　her　was　a　black…and…white　parasol
  with　a　gold　handle。　　It　was；　however；　her　face　which
  held　me；　for　it　gave　me　a　wholly　different　impression
  of　the　Queen　from　those　I　had　received　from　her
  photographs。　　Her　pictured　eyes　were　always　rather
  cold；　and　her　pictured　face　rather　haughty；　but　there
  was　a　very　sweet　and　winning　softness　in　the　eyes
  she　turned　upon　the　Indian　women；　and　her　whole
  expression　was　unexpectedly　gentle　and　benignant。
  Behind　her；　as　a　personal　attendant；　strode　an
  enormous　East…Indian　in　full　native　costume；　and
  closely　surrounding　her　were　gentlemen　of　her　house…
  hold；　each　in　uniform。
  By　this　time　my　thoughts　were　on　my　courtesy；
  which　I　desired　to　make　conventional　if　not　grace…
  ful；　but　nature　has　not　made　it　easy　for　me　to
  double　to　the　earth　as　Lady　Aberdeen　and　the　In…
  dian　women　were　doing；　and　I　fear　I　accomplished
  little　save　an　exhibition　of　good　intentions。　　The
  Queen；　however；　was　getting　into　the　spirit　of　the
  occasion。　　She　stopped　to　speak　to　a　Canadian
  representative；　and　she　would；　I　think；　have　ended
  by　talking　to　many　others；　but；　just　at　the　psycho…
  logical　moment；　a　woman　rushed　out　of　the　line；
  seized　Her　Majesty's　hand　and　kissed　itand　Vic…
  toria；　startled　and　possibly　fearing　a　general　on…
  slaught；　hurriedly　passed　on。
  Another　picture　I　recall　was　made　by　the　Duchess
  of　Sutherland；　the　Countess　of　Aberdeen；　and　the
  Countess　of　Warwick　standing　together　to　receive
  us　at　the　foot　of　the　marble　stairway　in　Sutherland
  House。　　All　of　them　literally　blazed　with　jewels；　and
  the　Countess　of　Aberdeen　wore　the　famous　Aber…
  deen　emerald。　　At　Lady　Battersea's　reception　I　had
  my　first　memorial　meeting　with　Mary　Anderson
  Navarro；　and　was　able　to　thank　her　for　the　pleasure
  she　had　given　me　in　Boston　so　long　ago。　　Then　I
  reproached　her　mildly　for　taking　herself　away　from
  us；　pointing　out　that　a　great　gift　had　been　given
  her　which　she　should　have　continued　to　share　with
  the　world。
  ‘‘Come　and　see　my　baby；''　laughed　Madame
  Navarro。　　‘‘That's　the　best　argument　I　can　offer
  to　refute　yours。''
  At　the　same　reception　I　had　an　interesting　talk
  with　James　Bryce。　　He　had　recently　written　his
  American　Commonwealth；　and　I　had　just　read　it。
  It　was；　therefore；　the　first　subject　I　introduced　in
  our　conversation。　　Mr。　Bryce's　comment　amused
  me。　　He　told　me　he　had　quite　changed　his　opinion
  toward　the　suffrage　aspirations　of　women；　because
  so　many　women　had　read　his　book　that　he　really
  believed　they　were　intelligent；　and　he　had　come　to
  feel　much　more　kindly　toward　them。　　These　were
  not　his　exact　words；　but　his　meaning　was　unmistak…
  able　and　his　mental　attitude　artlessly　sincere。　　And；
  on　reflection；　I　agree　with　him　that　the　American
  Commonwealth　is　something　of　an　intellectual　hurdle
  for　the　average　human　mind。
  In　1908　the　International　Council　was　held　in
  Geneva；　and　here；　for　the　first　time；　we　were　shown；
  as　entertainment；　the　dances　of　a　countrythe
  scene　being　an　especially　brilliant　one；　as　all　the
  dancers　wore　their　native　costumes。　　Also；　for　the
  first　time　in　the　history　of　Geneva；　the　buildings　of
  Parliament　were　opened　to　women　and　a　woman's
  organization　was　given　the　key　to　the　city。　　At
  that　time　the　Swiss　women　were　making　their　fight
  for　a　vote　in　church　matters；　and　we　helped　their
  cause　as　much　as　we　could。　　To…day　many　Swiss
  women　are　permitted　to　exercise　this　rightthe
  first　political　privilege　free　Switzerland　has　given
  them。
  The　International　Alliance　meeting　in　Amster…
  dam　in　1909　was　the　largest　held　up　to　that　time；
  and　much　of　its　success　was　due　to　Dr。　Aletta　Jacobs；
  the　president　of　the　National　Suffrage　Association
  of　Holland。　　Dr。　Jacobs　had　some　wonderful　helpers
  among　the　women　of　her　country；　and　she　herself
  was　an　ideal　leaderpatient；　enthusiastic；　and　tire…
  less。　　That　year　the　governments　of　Australia；　Nor…
  way；　and　Finland　paid　the　expenses　of　the　delegates
  from　those　countriesa　heartening　innovation。　　One
  of　the　interesting　features　of　the　meeting　was　a
  cantata　composed　for　the　occasion　and　given　by
  the　Queen's　Royal　Band；　under　the　direction　of　a
  womanCatharine　van　Rennes；　one　of　the　most
  distinguished　composers　and　teachers　in　Holland。
  She　wrote　both　words　and　music　of　her　cantata　and
  directed　it　admirably；　and　the　musicians　of　the
  Queen's　Band　entered　fully　into　its　spirit　and　played
  like　men　inspired。　　That　night　we　had　more　music；
  as　well　as　a　never…to…be…forgotten　exhibition　of　folk…
  dancing。
  The　same　year；　in