When Anna Shaw was four years old, her mother left Scotland with her
family of small children and started for America to join her husband.
After a few days' sail, a fearful storm arose and the ship returned
with great difficulty to Queenstown. This was the first impressive
experience of Anna's life, and she was destined to live through many
exciting ones. Finally, another ship started on the long voyage across
the Atlantic and this time the family reached the shores of our
country and met the husband and father. Anna remembers his joy over
their reunion.
But the next event that stands out clearly in her mind occurred after
they had lived in the United States for a year or more. Her parents
did not believe in slavery, and were anxious to help runaway slaves
gain a place of safety and freedom. They had read Uncle Tom's Cabin
aloud to their children, so Anna was not surprised when one day she
went into the cellar on an errand and found a negro woman hiding
there. The little girl was greatly excited and anxious to know just
how the woman came there and where she was going. But when she told
her parents of her discovery they became alarmed lest she might,
through her interest, say things before strangers that would disclose
their secret. Therefore they kept her away from the cellar on one
excuse or another, and although Anna was sure her home sheltered many
slaves on their journey to a free land, she never again saw one or
knew anything about the system that helped these suffering persons.
The Shaw home was in a small Massachusetts town, and there was much
happening to engage the attention of the children. Anna recalls the
first money she ever earned. The amount was twenty-five cents, and she
was paid that for riding in a Fourth of July celebration. After this
seemingly great sum of money was hers, she and a small sister decided
to spend some of it. They bought a banana, which was to them a strange
and wonderful fruit, but they did not like it because they did not
know how to eat it. They gave it away to a boy who quickly removed the
peel and enjoyed eating the fruit. They were amazed, for they had
tried to eat it just as they bought it from the dealer. When Anna saw
their gift eaten so rapidly she was astonished and disappointed.
This incident was to be one of the last memories of her New England
home, for the family moved to Northern Michigan and became pioneers.
For toys she received at Christmas a small saw and an axe. These were
typical of the life she was to lead for a number of years. Unlike many
girls of her age, she had no time to play with dolls or sew; she was
forced to do a man's work in helping with the new home.
Her father was a kind, gentle man, but very much of a dreamer. He did
not realize that things must be done promptly if a family is to have
food and shelter. Once he spent weeks reading and planning what kinds
of grains would be best to sow, but long before he had decided, the
planting season was over, the young crops were up, and the Shaws had
none. The mother was not strong, yet she did an immense amount of
work. As she had been highly trained in sewing, she made the clothing
for the entire family. The two older girls, Eleanor and Mary, did the
housework and this left Anna and her brother to do the rough outdoor
work. Together they accomplished this and many other tasks. They even
made a set of furniture for their simple cabin home.
Indians were all about through the woods, and once while out playing
Anna saw a band of them going towards her home. She hurried back to
see her mother giving them food. This they took with no thanks and
departed. But later in the year they returned and brought Mrs. Shaw a
large supply of venison to show her they appreciated her kindness.
Another time a number of Indians stopped at the Shaw cabin, and they
had been drinking whiskey. They demanded food, and it was prepared for
them. Meanwhile Anna and her brother, fearful lest the liquor might
excite their guests, managed to go to the attic and let down a rope
from the gable window. With it they drew up all their firearms, one by
one. Then at long intervals, members of the family would slip away and
hide upstairs where they knew they would be safe unless the Indians
set fire to the house.
The hungry guests ate up everything, then stretched themselves out and
fell into a drunken sleep. The Shaw children watched them all night
through cracks in the attic floor, and when morning came were glad to
see the Indians sneak away as if they were ashamed.
Many hardships came to the little family. Their cow died, and for an
entire winter they had no milk. They had no coffee either, but made
something they called coffee out of dried peas and burned rye. Anna
was always cold; she cannot remember that the house was ever warm
enough to be comfortable; still she enjoyed life and made up her mind
to go to college, to be a preacher, and to be worth one hundred
thousand dollars. She named this amount because it seemed so unlikely
she would ever have any money. Often she would steal away and preach
in the woods to an imaginary audience.
When she was fifteen years of age she began to teach school. She had
but fourteen pupils, and they learned to read from whatever books they
could find. The result was that their text books were almanacs and
hymn books. For teaching she was paid two dollars a week and board.
This latter did not amount to much, as often all she had for her
luncheon was a piece of raw salt pork. Her salary was not paid
promptly either, as the school authorities had to wait until the dog
tax was collected because it was from this fund that the teacher's
salary was drawn.
The largest salary Anna Shaw ever received for teaching was one
hundred and fifty-six dollars a year, so at last she stopped and
started to learn the trade of sewing. This was very distasteful to
her, and she determined she would not earn her living with the needle.
What she wanted to do was to preach. Finally she had a chance to give
her first sermon, and her brother-in-law, who owned the county
newspaper, printed this notice:
"A young girl named Anna Shaw preached at Ashton yesterday. Her
real friends deprecate the course she is pursuing."
This did not discourage Anna Shaw, for she kept on working and in 1873
managed to enter Albion College in Albion, Michigan. She had earned a
little money to pay her way, and she intended to get the rest by
preaching. Her family disapproved so strongly of this step that they
had nothing to do with her, and it was some years before they became
reconciled and good feeling was once more established between them and
the bright young woman.
Anna was twenty-five when she entered college, and she had had so much
experience in her pioneer home she seemed much older. Every Sunday she
preached in mission churches to congregations composed chiefly of
Indians who sat listening solemnly, while their papooses were hung
along the walls in their queer little Indian cradles.
From Albion College, Anna Shaw went to Boston Theological School, and
after a hard struggle with poverty, was graduated from this
institution as a minister. She had given to her for her field of labor
a little church on Cape Cod, that part of Massachusetts that seems to
stretch forth to meet the sea. Here she was the minister for seven
years. The members of her church liked her, and she was always busy
helping them in every way, from preaching funeral sermons and
performing marriage ceremonies to helping settle neighborhood
quarrels.
There were many amusing episodes in her life. One over which she has
laughed many times was her purchase of a horse. She wanted a horse
gentle and safe for a woman, so when she went to look at one that had
been offered her the only question she asked was, "Is she safe for a
woman?" The family who owned her said she was, so Miss Shaw bought
her. When the errand boy at the Shaw residence went out to the barn to
hitch up the new horse, the creature kicked so that the boy ran from
the building thoroughly frightened. However, Miss Shaw went into the
stall and harnessed the horse easily. Soon she discovered the truth;
the horse was safe for women, she liked them, but she would not let a
man or boy come near her. The only way she could be outwitted was
when the errand boy put on a sunbonnet and long circular cloak of Miss
Shaw's. Even then the horse would eye him suspiciously, but did not
kick. Miss Shaw thought she had made a most peculiar purchase, but she
became fond of Daisy, as the horse was called, just as she did of
every person and thing in her parish.
At last, feeling the need of more training, in order to do good in the
world, she went to a medical school, and after serious study became
Dr. Anna Shaw. While there she became interested in the cause of
Woman's Suffrage. At that time only a few persons believed that women,
as well as men, should have the right to vote, and anyone saying they
should was criticized severely.
Dr. Shaw went to work for this cause with great energy and steadfastness
of purpose. From 1888 to 1906 she was closely associated with Miss
Susan B. Anthony who was then the head of the suffrage movement. When
Miss Anthony passed away, Dr. Shaw became one of the great leaders. In
1906 only four states had granted suffrage to women,
Wyoming in 1869,
Colorado in 1893,
Idaho in 1896,
Utah in 1896.
Suddenly all over the United States women became interested in this
cause to which a few devoted women had already given years of their
lives, and in 1910 Washington was added to the small list of states
where women had equal political rights with men. Then in quick
succession came
California in 1911,
Arizona in 1912,
Kansas in 1912,
Oregon in 1912,
Alaska in 1913,
Nevada in 1914,
Montana in 1914,
New York in 1917.
By 1917 women also had the right to vote for president and all offices
except the judiciary, in Illinois, North Dakota, Nebraska, and
Michigan. At that time there was partial suffrage for women in Arkansas,
New Mexico, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Oklahoma,
Louisiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Florida and Ohio. In some of these states just mentioned,
women voted for very few offices, but still they had a slight voice in
the affairs of their state, and a large number of states refused
women all voting rights. They were Texas, Missouri, Alabama,
Tennessee, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, South
Carolina, North Carolina, Maine, Indiana, Delaware and Virginia.
Dr. Shaw's life dream was realized when woman was given the right to
vote on all questions in every state in the union by an amendment to
the Constitution of the United States.
Dr. Shaw died in the service of her country at Washington, in 1918.
Like so many of America's noble men and women, the secret of Anna
Shaw's life has been service to others,--doing good to her fellowmen
and working always for human justice.
* * * * *
_AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL_
"_O Beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea._"
--KATHARINE LEE BATES.
[Illustration: ERNEST THOMPSON SETON and WIFE
Founder of the Boy Scout Movement]