The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2): Including Public Addresses, Her Own Letters and Many From Her Contemporaries During Fifty YearsHarper, Ida Husted
History
The Life and Work of Susan B. Anthony (Volume 1 of 2): Including Public Addresses, Her Own Letters and Many From Her Contemporaries During Fifty Years
Harper, Ida Husted
Anthony, Susan B. (Susan Brownell), 1820-1906
Then in her desperation she took the child and fled from the house,
finding refuge with a Quaker family, where she stayed until she learned
that her hiding-place was discovered, and now as a last resort she came
to these women. They assured the unhappy mother that they would help
her and, upon making careful inquiry among her friends, found that,
while all believed her sane, no one was willing to take her part
because of the prominence of her brothers and husband. Finally it was
decided that Miss Anthony should go with the mother and child to New
York and put them in a safe place, so they were directed to disguise
themselves and be at the train on Christmas afternoon. Miss Anthony
went on board and soon saw a woman in an old shawl, dilapidated bonnet
and green goggles, accompanied by a poorly dressed child, and she knew
that so far all was well, but she found the woman in a terrible state
of nervousness. She had met her brother coming out of another car where
he had just placed his young son to return to boarding-school, after a
happy vacation at home, while his sister with her child was fleeing
like a criminal; but fortunately he had not recognized her.
Miss Anthony and her charges reached New York at 10 o'clock at night
and went through snow and slush to a hotel but were refused admittance
because it did not take women "unaccompanied by a gentleman." They made
their weary way to another, only to be met with a similar refusal.
Finally she thought of an acquaintance who had had a wretched
experience with a bad husband and was now divorced, and she felt that
sympathy would certainly impel this woman to give them shelter. When
they reached the house they found her keeping boarders and she said all
would leave if they learned she was "harboring a runaway wife." It was
then midnight. They went in the cold arid darkness to a hotel on
Broadway, but here the excuse was made that the house was full. Miss
Anthony's patience had reached its limit and she declared: "I know that
is not so. You can give us a place to sleep or we will sit in this
office all night." The clerk threatened to call the police. "Very
well," was the reply, "we will sit here till they come and take us to
the station." At last he gave them a room without a fire, and there,
cold, wet and exhausted, they remained till morning. Then they started
out again on foot, as they had not enough money left to hire a
carriage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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