Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1859-04-16
Too G00D ~ KEEP

A few days ago, it happened in this city that
the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher was advertised
to deliver lecture, uptown on the ministry
of the Beautiful y but on arriving at the place
at the latest allowable moment, he discovered
that he had forgotten his manuscript of the lee
ture which he was advertised to deliver. or had
brought wrong one in its place. He made an
apology for the mistake, and gave his lecture ON
Mirthfulness instead.
The next day the New York Express came
out with circumstantial report of the lecture
on the Ministry of the Beautiful" with a sharp
ness of criticism in harmony with the we'll
known adverse spirit of that paper toward the
lecturer. OF course everybody who had read
of the mistake on the part of the lecturer laugh
ed, except those at whose expense the laugh was
made. 1t is but justice to remark that the re-
porter for the Erpress, whose duty it was to
hear the lecture and report accordingly, did not
attend at all, but made up his report from re-
views and criticisms which he had read or writ
ten when it had been previously delivered and
that the editors of the Express, the day follow
ing, announced that the reporter in question
would not have another chance to deceive his
employers or the public, by protesting to have
been present at lecture, and reporting it, when
he was somewhere else, attending to his own
business or pleasure.
This circumstance reminds us of another in
stance of reporting, but which was connived at,
and gravely stated as fact, with all its inter
esting details 1t was this:
Some years ago, Queen Victoria was on a
visit to Scotland, in the month of September,
and it was publicly announced that she had
gone from Balmoral short distance to witness
shearing The London Illustrated Ne,cs, anx-
ious to keep its readers posted, and to pay all
proper and loyal respect to the movements of
Her Most Gracious Majesty, caused to be en-
graved a scene in Scotland, with a group Of
men shearing sheep, with her Majesty and at
tendants looking on. The venerable editors
gave forth the statement, "with pictures to
MATCH" that at great expense they had caused
sketches to be taken on the spot, by their own
artist, illustrating the scenes visited by her
Majesty; and thus far it all appeared very well.
But when it was remembered that it was in
the month of September, and September in
Scotland at that, and that at such time, in
such climate, the taking off the jackets of the
poor sheep would be very serious Job for
them, and that her Majesty would be far from
"gracious" to allow such process to be extem-
porized in September instead of June, the prop
er season, for her own entertainment, the story
looked strange. At this time, some person
wiser in Scottish lore than the enterprising ed
itors of the Ne,es, suggested that in Scotland
the word "sheDing" has another meaning be-
sides that of taking off the wool from sheep,
viz; cutting the fields of grain, which process
properly belonged to September. But the pic
lures, "taken on the spot of shearing the poor
sheep for the entertainment of her Majesty,
still remain, an evidence of the enterprise and
loyalty of the veracious editors.-Lve Illus
frated.