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‘‘You are proud of your family； are you not？'' I
asked。 ‘‘You are proud of your great line？''
The Princess drew herself up。 ‘‘Assuredly；'' she
said。
‘‘Very well；'' I continued。 ‘‘I am proud； too。
What I have done I have done unaided； and； to be
frank with you； I rather approve of it。 My work
is my patent of nobility； and I am not willing to
associate with those from whom it would have to be
concealed or with those who would look down upon
it。''
The Princess sighed。 I was a new type to her；
too； as new as she was to me； but I had the ad…
vantage of her； for I could understand her point of
view； whereas she apparently could not follow mine。
She was very gracious to me； however； showing me
kindness and friendship in a dozen ways； giving me
an immense amount of her time and taking rather
more of my time than I could spare； but never for…
getting for a moment that her blood was among the
oldest in Europe； and that all her traditions were in
keeping with its honorable age。
After the Berlin meeting Miss Anthony and I
were invited to spend a week…end at the home of
Mrs。 Jacob Bright； that ‘‘Aunt Susan'' might re…
new her acquaintance with Annie Besant。 This
visit is among my most vivid memories。 Originally
‘‘Aunt Susan'' had greatly admired Mrs。 Besant；
and had openly lamented the latter's concentration
on theosophical interestswhen； as Miss Anthony
put it； ‘‘there are so many live problems here in this
world。'' Now she could not conceal her disapproval
of the ‘‘other…worldliness'' of Mrs。 Besant； Mrs。
Bright； and her daughter。 Some remarkable and；
to me； most amusing discussions took place among
the three； but often； during Mrs。 Besant's most sus…
tained oratorical flights； Miss Anthony's interest
would wander； and she would drop a remark that
showed she had not heard a word。 She had a great
admiration for Mrs。 Besant's intellect； but she dis…
approved of her flowing and picturesque white robes；
of her bare feet； of her incessant cigarette…smoking；
above all； of her views。 At last； one day。｛sic｝ the climax
of the discussions came。
‘‘Annie；'' demanded ‘‘Aunt Susan；'' ‘‘why don't
you make that aura of yours do its gallivanting in
this world； looking up the needs of the oppressed；
and investigating the causes of present wrongs？
Then you could reveal to us workers just what we
should do to put things right； and we could be
about it。''
Mrs。 Besant sighed and said that life was short
and aeons were long； and that while every one would
be perfected some time； it was useless to deal with
individuals here。
‘‘But； Annie！'' exclaimed Miss Anthony； patheti…
cally。 ‘‘We ARE here！ Our business is here！ It's
our duty to do what we can here。''
Mrs。 Besant seemed not to hear her。 She was in
a trance； gazing into the aeons。
‘‘I'd rather have one year of your ability； backed
up with common sense； for the work of making this
world better；'' cried the exasperated ‘‘Aunt Susan；''
‘‘than a million aeons in the hereafter！''
Mrs。 Besant sighed again。 It was plain that she
could not bring herself back from the other world；
so Miss Anthony； perforce； accompanied her to it。
‘‘When your aura goes visiting in the other
world；'' she asked； curiously； ‘‘does it ever meet
your old friend Charles Bradlaugh？''
‘‘Oh yes；'' declared Mrs。 Besant。 ‘‘Frequently。''
‘‘Wasn't he very much surprised；'' demanded Miss
Anthony； with growing interest； ‘‘to discover that he
was not dead？''
Mrs。 Besant did not seem to know what emotion
Mr。 Bradlaugh had experienced when that revela…
tion came。
‘‘Well；'' mused ‘‘Aunt Susan；'' ‘‘I should think
he would have been surprised。 He was so certain
he was going to be dead that it must have been
astounding to discover he wasn't。 What was he
doing in the other world？''
Mrs。 Besant heaved a deeper sigh。 ‘‘I am very
much discouraged over Mr。 Bradlaugh；'' she ad…
mitted； wanly。 ‘‘ He is hovering too near this
world。 He cannot seem to get away from his mun…
dane interests。 He is as much concerned with par…
liamentary affairs now as when he was on this
plane。''
‘‘Humph！'' said Miss Anthony； ‘‘that's the most
sensible thing I've heard yet about the other world。
It encourages me。 I've always felt sure that if I
entered the other life before women were enfran…
chised nothing in the glories of heaven would in…
terest me so much as the work for women's freedom
on earth。 Now；'' she ended； ‘‘I shall be like Mr。
Bradlaugh。 I shall hover round and continue my
work here。''
When Mrs。 Besant had left the room Mrs。 Bright
felt that it was her duty to admonish ‘‘Aunt Susan''
to be more careful in what she said。
‘‘You are making too light of her creed；'' she ex…
postulated。 ‘‘You do not realize the important
position Mrs。 Besant holds。 Why； in India； when
she walks from her home to her school all those she
meets prostrate themselves。 Even the learned men
prostrate themselves and put their faces on the
ground as she goes by。''
‘‘Aunt Susan's'' voice； when she replied； took on
the tones of one who is sorely tried。 ‘‘But why in
Heaven's name does any sensible Englishwoman
want a lot of heathen to prostrate themselves as she
goes up the street？'' she demanded； wearily。 ‘‘It's
the most foolish thing I ever heard。''
The effort to win Miss Anthony over to the theo…
sophical doctrine was abandoned。 That night； after
we had gone to our rooms； ‘‘Aunt Susan'' summed up
her conclusions on the interview：
‘‘It's a good thing for the world；'' she declared；
‘‘that some of us don't know so much。 And it's a
better thing for this world that some of us think a
little earthly common sense is more valuable than
too much heavenly knowledge。''
X
THE PASSING OF ‘‘AUNT SUSAN''
On one occasion Miss Anthony had the doubt…
ful pleasure of reading her own obituary notices；
and her interest in them was characteristically naive。
She had made a speech at Lakeside； Ohio； during
which； for the first time in her long experience； she
fainted on the platform。 I was not with her at the
time； and in the excitement following her collapse
it was rumored that she had died。 Immediately
the news was telegraphed to the Associated Press
of New York； and from there flashed over the
country。 At Miss Anthony's home in Rochester a
reporter rang the bell and abruptly informed her
sister； Miss Mary Anthony； who came to the door；
that ‘‘Aunt Susan'' was dead。 Fortunately Miss
Mary had a cool head。
‘‘I think；'' she said； ‘‘that if my sister had died
I would have heard about it。 Please have your
editors telegraph to Lakeside。''
The reporter departed； but came back an hour
later to say that his newspaper had sent the tele…
gram and the reply was that Susan B。 Anthony was
dead。
‘‘I have just received a better telegram than