a mortal antipathy-第8部分

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These　meetings　had　grown　to　be　occasions　of　great　interest。　　It　was

customary　to　have　papers　written　by　members　of　the　Society；　for　the

most　part；　but　now　and　then　by　friends　of　the　members；　sometimes　by

the　students　of　the　College　or　the　Institute；　and　in　rarer　instances

by　anonymous　personages；　whose　papers；　having　been　looked　over　and

discussed　by　the　Committee　appointed　for　that　purpose；　were　thought

worth　listening　to。　　The　variety　of　topics　considered　was　very　great。

The　young　ladies　of　the　village　and　the　Institute　had　their　favorite

subjects；　the　young　gentlemen　a　different　set　of　topics；　and　the

occasional　outside　contributors　their　own；　so　that　one　who　happened

to　be　admitted　to　a　meeting　never　knew　whether　he　was　going　to　hear

an　account　of　recent　arctic　discoveries；　or　an　essay　on　the　freedom

of　the　will；　or　a　psychological　experience；　or　a　story；　or　even　a

poem。



Of　late　there　had　been　a　tendency　to　discuss　the　questions　relating

to　the　true　status　and　the　legitimate　social　functions　of　woman。　　The

most　conflicting　views　were　held　on　the　subject。　　Many　of　the　young

ladies　and　some　of　the　University　students　were　strong　in　defence　of

all　the　〃woman's　rights〃　doctrines。　　Some　of　these　young　people　were

extreme　in　their　views。　　They　had　read　about　Semiramis　and　Boadicea

and　Queen　Elizabeth；　until　they　were　ready；　if　they　could　get　the

chance；　to　vote　for　a　woman　as　President　of　the　United　States　or　as

General　of　the　United　States　Army。　　They　were　even　disposed　to　assert

the　physical　equality　of　woman　to　man；　on　the　strength　of　the　rather

questionable　history　of　the　Amazons；　and　especially　of　the　story；

believed　to　be　authentic；　of　the　female　body…guard　of　the　King　of

Dahomey；females　frightful　enough　to　need　no　other　weapon　than　their

looks　to　scare　off　an　army　of　Cossacks。



Miss　Lurida　Vincent；　gold　medallist　of　her　year　at　the　Corinna

Institute；　was　the　leader　of　these　advocates　of　virile　womanhood。　　It

was　rather　singular　that　she　should　have　elected　to　be　the　apostle　of

this　extreme　doctrine；　for　she　was　herself　far　better　equipped　with

brain　than　muscles。　　In　fact；　she　was　a　large…headed；　large…eyed；

long…eyelashed；　slender…necked；　slightly　developed　young　woman；

looking　almost　like　a　child　at　an　age　when　many　of　the　girls　had

reached　their　full　stature　and　proportions。　　In　her　studies　she　was

so　far　in　advance　of　her　different　classes　that　there　was　always　a

wide　gap　between　her　and　the　second　scholar。　　So　fatal　to　all　rivalry

had　she　proved　herself　that　she　passed　under　the　school　name　of　The

Terror。　　She　learned　so　easily　that　she　undervalued　her　own

extraordinary　gifts；　and　felt　the　deepest　admiration　for　those　of　her

friends　endowed　with　faculties　of　an　entirely　different　and　almost

opposite　nature。　　After　sitting　at　her　desk　until　her　head　was　hot

and　her　feet　were　like　ice；　she　would　go　and　look　at　the　blooming

young　girls　exercising　in　the　gymnasium　of　the　school；　and　feel　as　if

she　would　give　all　her　knowledge；　all　her　mathematics　and　strange

tongues　and　history；　all　those　accomplishments　that　made　her　the

encyclopaedia　of　every　class　she　belonged　to；　if　she　could　go　through

the　series　of　difficult　and　graceful　exercises　in　which　she　saw　her

schoolmates　delighting。



One　among　them；　especially；　was　the　object　of　her　admiration；　as　she

was　of　all　who　knew　her　exceptional　powers　in　the　line　for　which

nature　had　specially　organized　her。　　All　the　physical　perfections

which　Miss　Lurida　had　missed　had　been　united　in　Miss　Euthymia　Tower；

whose　school　name　was　The　Wonder。　　Though　of　full　womanly　stature；

there　were　several　taller　girls　of　her　age。　　While　all　her　contours

and　all　her　movements　betrayed　a　fine　muscular　development；　there　was

no　lack　of　proportion；　and　her　finely　shaped　hands　and　feet　showed

that　her　organization　was　one　of　those　carefully　finished

masterpieces　of　nature　which　sculptors　are　always　in　search　of；　and

find　it　hard　to　detect　among　the　imperfect　products　of　the　living

laboratory。



This　girl　of　eighteen　was　more　famous　than　she　cared　to　be　for　her

performances　in　the　gymnasium。　　She　commonly　contented　herself　with

the　same　exercises　that　her　companions　were　accustomed　to。　　Only　her

dumb…bells；　with　which　she　exercised　easily　and　gracefully；　were　too

heavy　for　most　of　the　girls　to　do　more　with　than　lift　them　from　the

floor。　　She　was　fond　of　daring　feats　on　the　trapeze；　and　had　to　be

checked　in　her　indulgence　in　them。　　The　Professor　of　gymnastics　at

the　University　came　over　to　the　Institute　now　and　then；　and　it　was　a

source　of　great　excitement　to　watch　some　of　the　athletic　exercises　in

which　the　young　lady　showed　her　remarkable　muscular　strength　and

skill　in　managing　herself　in　the　accomplishment　of　feats　which　looked

impossible　at　first　sight。　　How　often　The　Terror　had　thought　to

herself　that　she　would　gladly　give　up　all　her　knowledge　of　Greek　and

the　differential　and　integral　calculus　if　she　could　only　perform　the

least　of　those　feats　which　were　mere　play　to　The　Wonder！　　Miss

Euthymia　was　not　behind　the　rest　in　her　attainments　in　classical　or

mathematical　knowledge；　and　she　was　one　of　the　very　best　students　in

the　out…door　branches；botany；　mineralogy；　sketching　from　nature；

to　be　found　among　the　scholars　of　the　Institute。



There　was　an　eight…oared　boat　rowed　by　a　crew　of　the　young　ladies；　of

which　Miss　Euthymia　was　the　captain　and　pulled　the　bow　oar。　　Poor

little　Lurida　could　not　pull　an　oar；　but　on　great　occasions；　when

there　were　many　boats　out；　she　was　wanted　as　coxswain；　being　a　mere

feather…weight；　and　quick…witted　enough　to　serve　well　in　the

important　office　where　brains　are　more　needed　than　muscle。



There　was　also　an　eight…oared　boat　belonging　to　the　University；　and

rowed　by　a　picked　crew　of　stalwart　young　fellows。　　The　bow　oar　and

captain　of　the　University　crew　was　a　powerful　young　man；　who；　like

the　captain　of　the　girls'　boat；　was　a　noted　gymnast。　　He　had　had　one

or　two　quiet　trials　with　Miss　Euthymia；　in　which；　according　to　the

ultras　of　the　woman's　rights　party；　he　had　not　vindicated　the

superiority　of　his　sex　in　the　way　which　might　have　been　expected。

Indeed；　it　was　claimed　that　he　let　a　cannon…ball　drop　when　he　ought

to　have　caught　it；　and　it　was　not　disputed　that　he　had　been

ingloriously　knocked　over　by　a　sand…bag　projected　by　the　strong　arms

of　the　young　maiden。　　This　was　of　course　a　story　that　was　widely　told

and　laughingly　listened　to；　and　the　captain　of　the　University　crew

had　become　a　little　sensitive　on　the　subject。　　When　there　was　a　talk；

therefore；　about　a　race　between　the　champion　boats　of　the　two

institutions　there　was　immense　excitement　in　both　of　them；　as　well　as

among　the　members　of　the　Pansophian　Society　and　all　the　good　people

of　the　village。



There　were　many　objections　to　be　overcome。　　Some　thought　it

unladylike　for　the　young　maidens　to　take　part　in　a　competition　which

must　attract　many　lookers…on；　and　which　it　seemed　to　them　very

hoidenish　to　venture　upon。　　Some　said　it　was　a　shame　to　let　a　crew　of

girls　try　their　strength　against　an　equal　number　of　powerful　young

men。　　These　objections　were　offset　by　the　advocates　of　the　race　by

the　following　arguments。　　They　maintained　that　it　was　no　more

hoidenish　to　row　a　boat　than　it　was　to　take　a　part　in　the　calisthenic

exercises；　and　that　the　girls　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　young　men's

boat；　except　to　keep　as　much　ahead　of　it　as　possible。　　As　to

strength；　the　woman's　righters　believed　that；　weight　for　weight；

their　crew　was　as　strong　as　the　other；　and　of　course　due　allowance

would　be　made　for　the　difference　of　weight　and　all　other　accidental

hindrances。　　It　was　time　to　test　the　boasted　superiority　of　masculine

muscle。　　Here　was　a　chance。　　If　the　girls　beat；　the　whole　country

would　know　it；　and　after　that　female　suffrage　would　be　only　a

question　of　time。　　Such　was　the　conclusion；　from　rather　insufficient

premises；　it　must　be　confessed；　but　if　nature　does　nothing　per

saltum；by　jumps；as　the　old　adage　has　it；　youth　is　very　apt　to

take　long　leaps　from　a　fact　to　a　possible　sequel　or　consequence。　　So

it　had　come　about　that　a　contest　between　the　two　boat…crews　was

looked　forward　to　with　an　interest　almost　equal　to　that　with　which

the　combat　between　the　Horatii　and　Curiatii　was　regarded。



The　terms　had　been　at　last　arranged　between　the　two　crews；　after

cautious　protocols　and　many　diplomatic　discussions。　　It　was　so　novel

in　its　character　that　it　naturally　took　a　good　deal　of　time　to　adjust

it　in　such　a　way　as　to　be　fair　to　both　parties。　　The　course　must　not

be　too　long　for　the　lighter　and　weaker　crew；　for　the　staying　power　of

the　young　persons　who　made　it　up　could　not　be　safely　reckoned　upon。

A　certain　advantage　must　be　allowed　them　at　the　start；　and　this　was　a

delicate　matter　to　settle。　　The　weather　was　another　important

consideration。　　June　would　be　early　enough；　in　all　probability；　and

if　the　lake　should　be　tolerably　smooth　the　grand　affair　might　come

off　some　time　in　that　month。　　Any　roughness　of　the　water　would　be

unfavorable　to　the　weaker　crew。　　The　rowing…course　was　on　the　eastern

side　of　the　lake；　the　starting…point　being　opposite　the　Anchor

Tavern；　from　that　three　quarters　of　a　mile　to　the　south；　where　the

turning…stake　was　fixed；　so　that　the　whole　course　of　one　mile　and　a

half　would　bring　the　boats　back　to　their　starting…point。



The　race　was　to　be　between　the　Algonquin；　eight…oared　boat　with

outriggers；　rowed　by　young　men；　students　of　Stoughton　University；　and

the　Atalanta；　also　eight…oared　and　outrigger　boat；　by　young　ladies

from　the　Corinna　Institute。　　Their　boat　was　three　inches　wider　than

the　other；　for　various　sufficient　reasons；　one　of　which　was　to　make

it　a　little　less　likely　to　go　over　and　throw　its　crew　into　the　water；

which　was　a　sound　precaution；　though　all　the　girls　could　swim；　and

one　at　least；　the　bow　oar；　was　a　famous　swimmer；　who　had　pulled　a

d