as　well　as　a　never…to…be…forgotten　exhibition　of　folk…
  dancing。
  The　same　year；　in　June；　we　held　the　meeting　of
  the　International　Council　in　Toronto；　and；　as　Canada
  has　never　been　eagerly　interested　in　suffrage；　an　un…
  successful　effort　was　made　to　exclude　this　subject
  from　the　programme。　　I　was　asked　to　preside　at　the
  suffrage　meetings　on　the　artless　and　obvious　theory
  that　I　would　thus　be　kept　too　busy　to　say　much。
  I　had　hoped　that　the　Countess　of　Aberdeen；　who　was
  the　president　of　the　International　Council；　would　take
  the　chair；　but　she　declined　to　do　this；　or　even　to
  speak；　as　the　Earl　of　Aberdeen　had　recently　been
  appointed　Viceroy　of　Ireland；　and　she　desired　to
  spare　him　any　embarrassment　which　might　be
  caused　by　her　public　activities。　　We　recognized　the
  wisdom　of　her　decision；　but；　of　course；　regretted
  it；　and　I　was　therefore　especially　pleased　when；　on
  suffrage　night；　the　countess；　accompanied　by　her
  aides　in　their　brilliant　uniforms；　entered　the　hall。
  We　had　not　been　sure　that　she　would　be　with　us；
  but　she　entered　in　her　usual　charming　and　gra…
  cious　manner；　took　a　seat　beside　me　on　the　platform；
  and　showed　a　deep　interest　in　the　programme　and
  the　great　gathering　before　us。
  As　the　meeting　went　on　I　saw　that　she　was　grow…
  ing　more　and　more　enthusiastic；　and　toward　the
  end　of　the　evening　I　quietly　asked　her　if　she　did
  not　wish　to　say　a　few　words。　　She　said　she　would
  say　a　very　few。　　I　had　put　myself　at　the　end　of　the
  programme；　intending　to　talk　about　twenty　minutes；
  but　before　beginning　my　speech　I　introduced　the
  countess；　and　by　this　time　she　was　so　enthusiastic
  that；　to　my　great　delight；　she　used　up　my　twenty
  minutes　in　a　capital　speech　in　which　she　came　out
  vigorously　for　woman　suffrage。　　It　gave　us　the　best
  and　timeliest　help　we　could　have　had；　and　was　a
  great　impetus　to　the　movement。
  In　London；　at　the　Alliance　Council　of　1911；　we
  were　entertained　for　the　first　time　by　a　suffrage
  organization　of　men；　and　by　the　organized　actresses
  of　the　nation；　as　well　as　by　the　authors。
  In　Stockholm；　the　following　year；　we　listened　to
  several　of　the　most　interesting　women　speakers　in
  the　worldSelma　Lagerlof；　who　had　just　received
  the　Nobel　prize；　Rosica　Schwimmer　of　Hungary；
  Dr。　Augsburg　of　Munich；　and　Mrs。　Philip　Snowden
  of　England。　　Miss　Schwimmer　and　Mrs。　Snowden
  have　since　become　familiar　to　American　audiences；
  but　until　that　time　I　had　not　heard　either　of　them；
  and　I　was　immensely　impressed　by　their　ability　and
  their　different　methodsMiss　Schwimmer　being　all
  force　and　fire；　alive　from　her　feet　to　her　finger…tips；
  Mrs。　Snowden　all　quiet　reserve　and　dignity。　　Dr。
  Augsburg　wore　her　hair　short　and　dressed　in　a　most
  eccentric　manner；　but　we　forgot　her　appearance　as
  we　listened　to　her；　for　she　was　an　inspired　speaker。
  Selma　Lagerlof's　speech　made　the　great　audience
  weep。　　Men　as　well　as　women　openly　wiped　their
  eyes　as　she　described　the　sacrifice　and　suffering　of
  Swedish　women　whose　men　had　gone　to　America
  to　make　a　home　there；　and　who；　when　they　were
  left　behind；　struggled　alone；　waiting　and　hoping　for
  the　message　to　join　their　husbands；　which　too　often
  never　came。　　The　speech　made　so　great　an　impres…
  sion　that　we　had　it　translated　and　distributed　among
  the　Swedes　of　the　United　States　wherever　we　held
  meetings　in　Swedish　localities。
  Miss　Lagerlof　interested　me　extremely；　and　I　was
  delighted　by　an　invitation　to　breakfast　with　her　one
  morning。　　At　our　first　meeting　she　had　seemed
  rather　cold　and　shya　little　‘‘difficult；''　as　we　say；
  but　when　we　began　to　talk　I　found　her　frank；　cor…
  dial；　and　full　of　magnetism。　　She　is　self…conscious
  about　her　English；　but　really　speaks　our　language
  very　well。　　Her　great　interest　at　the　time　was　in
  improving　the　condition　of　the　peasants　near　her
  home。　　She　talked　of　this　work　and　of　her　books
  and　of　the　Council　programme　with　such　friendly　in…
  timacy　that　when　we　parted　I　felt　that　I　had　always
  known　her。
  At　the　Hague　Council　in　1913　I　was　the　guest　of
  Mrs。　Richard　Halter；　to　whom　I　am　also　indebted
  for　a　beautiful　and　wonderful　motor　journey　from
  end　to　end　of　Holland；　bringing　up　finally　in　Amster…
  dam　at　the　home　of　Dr。　Aletta　Jacobs。　　Here　we
  met　two　young　Holland　women；　Miss　Boissevain　and
  Rosa　Manus；　both　wealthy；　both　anxious　to　help
  their　countrywomen；　but　still　a　little　uncertain　as
  to　the　direction　of　their　efforts。　　They　came　to　Mrs。
  Catt　and　me　and　asked　our　advice　as　to　what　they
  should　do；　with　the　result　that　later　they　organized
  and　put　through；　largely　unaided；　a　national　ex…
  position　showing　the　development　of　women's　work
  from　1813　to　1913。　　The　suffrage…room　at　this　ex…
  position　showed　the　progress　of　suffrage　in　all　parts
  of　the　world；　but　when　the　Queen　of　Holland　visited
  the　building　she　expressed　a　wish　not　to　be　detained
  in　this　room；　as　she　was　not　interested　in　suffrage。
  The　Prince　Consort；　however；　spent　much　time　in　it；
  and　wanted　the　whole　suffrage　movement　explained
  to　him；　which　was　done　cheerfully　and　thoroughly
  by　Miss　Boissevain　and　Miss　Manus。　　The　fol…
  lowing　winter；　when　the　Queen　read　her　address
  from　the　throne；　she　expressed　an　interest　in　so
  changing　the　Constitution　of　Holland　that　suffrage
  might　possibly　be　extended　to　women。　　We　felt　that
  this　change　of　heart　was　due　to　the　suffrage…room
  arranged　by　our　two　young　friendsaided；　prob…
  ably；　by　a　few　words　from　the　Prince　Consort！
  Immediately　after　these　days　at　Amsterdam　we
  started　for　Budapest　to　attend　the　International
  Alliance　Convention　there；　and　incidentally　we　in…
  dulged　in　a　series　of　two…day　conventions　en　route
  one　at　Berlin；　one　at　Dresden；　one　at　Prague；　and
  one　at　Vienna。　　At　Prague　I　disgraced　myself　by
  being　in　my　hotel　room　in　a　sleep　of　utter　exhaustion
  at　the　hour　when　I　was　supposed　to　be　responding
  to　an　address　of　welcome　by　the　mayor；　and　the
  high…light　of　the　evening　session　in　that　city　falls　on
  the　intellectual　brow　of　a　Bohemian　lady　who　in…
  sisted　on　making　her　address　in　the　Czech　language；
  which　she　poured　forth　for　exactly　one　hour　and
  fifteen　minutes。　　I　began　my　address　at　a　quarter　of
  twelve　and　left　the　hall　at　midnight。　　Later　I　learned
  that　the　last　speaker　began　her　remarks　at　a　quarter
  past　one　in　the　morning。
  It　may　be　in　order　to　add　here　that　Vienna　did
  for　me　what　Berlin　had　done　for　Susan　B。　Anthony
  it　gave　me　the　ovation　of　my　life。　　At　the　conclusion
  of　my　speech　the　great　audience　rose　and；　still　stand…
  ing；　cheered　for　many　minutes。　　I　was　immensely
  surprised　and　deeply　touched　by　the　unexpected
  tribute；　but　any　undue　elation　I　might　have　ex…
  perienced　was　checked　by　the　memory　of　the　skepti…
  cal　snort　with　which　one　of　my　auditors　had　received
  me。　　He　was　very　German；　and　very；　very　frank。
  After　one　pained　look　at　me　he　rose　to　leave　the
  hall。
  ‘‘THAT　old　woman！''　he　exclaimed。　　‘‘She　cannot
  make　herself　heard。''
  He　was　half…way　down　the　aisle　when　the　opening
  words　of　my　address　caught　up　with　him　and　stopped
  him。　　Whatever　their　meaning　may　have　been；　it
  was　at　least　carried　to　the　far　ends　of　that　great　hall；
  for　the　old　fellow　had　piqued　me　a　bit　and　I　had
  given　my　voice　its　fullest　volume。　　He　crowded　into
  an　already　over…occupied　pew　and　stared　at　me　with
  goggling　eyes。
  ‘‘Mein　Gott！''　he　gasped。　　‘‘Mein　Gott；　she　could
  be　heard　ANYWHERE。''
  The　meeting　at　Budapest　was　a　great　personal
  triumph　for　Mrs。　Catt。　　No　one；　I　am　sure；　but　the
  almost　adored　president　of　the　International　Suf…
  frage　Alliance　could　have　controlled　a　convention
  made　up　of　women　of　so　many　different　nationalities；
  with　so　many　different　viewpoints；　while　the　con…
  fusion　of　languages　made　a　general　understanding
  seem　almost　hopeless。　　But　it　was　a　great　success　in
  every　wayand　a　delightful　feature　of　it　was　the
  hospitality　of　the　city　officials　and；　indeed；　of　the
  whole　Hungarian　people。　　After　the　convention　I
  spent　a　week　with　the　Contessa　Iska　Teleki　in　her
  chateau　in　the　Tatra　Mountains；　and　a　friendship
  was　there　formed　which　ever　since　has　been　a　joy
  to　me。　　Together　we　walked　miles　over　the　moun…
  tains　and　along　the　banks　of　wonderful　streams；　while
  the　countess；　who　knows　all　the　folk…lore　of　her
  land；　told　me　stories　and　answered　my　innumerable
  questions。　　When　I　left　for　Vienna　I　took　with　me
  a　basket　of　tiny　fir…trees　from　the　tops　of　the　Tatras；
  and　after　carrying　the　basket　to　and　around　Vienna；
  Florence；　and　Genoa；　I　finally　got　the　trees　home　in
  good　condition　and　proudly　added　them　to　the
  ‘‘Forest　of　Arden''　on　my　place　at　Moylan。
  XVII
  VALE！
  In　looking　back　over　the　ten　years　of　my　adminis…
  tration　as　president　of　the　National　American
  Woman　Suffrage　Association；　there　can　be　no　feeling
  but　gratitude　and　elation　over　the　growth　of　the
  work。　　Our　membership　has　grown　fr