Like most great leaders, she took one's best work
for granted, and was chary with her praise; and even
when praise was given it usually came by indirect
routes. I recall with amusement that the highest
compliment she ever paid me in public involved her
in a tangle from which, later, only her quick wit
extricated her. We were lecturing in an especially
pious town which I shall call B----, and just before
I went on the platform Miss Anthony remarked,
peacefully:
``These people have always claimed that I am ir-
religious. They will not accept the fact that I am
a Quaker--or, rather, they seem to think a Quaker
is an infidel. I am glad you are a Methodist, for
now they cannot claim that we are not orthodox.''
She was still enveloped in the comfort of this re-
flection when she introduced me to our audience,
and to impress my qualifications upon my hearers
she made her introduction in these words:
``It is a pleasure to introduce Miss Shaw, who
is a Methodist minister. And she is not only ortho-
dox of the orthodox, but she is also my right bower!''
There was a gasp from the pious audience, and
then a roar of laughter from irreverent men, in
which, I must confess, I light-heartedly joined. For
once in her life Miss Anthony lost her presence of
mind; she did not know how to meet the situation,
for she had no idea what had caused the laughter.
It bubbled forth again and again during the eve-
ning, and each time Miss Anthony received the dem-
onstration with the same air of puzzled surprise.
Pages:
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207