Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-02-18
The Youngest Beecher Preacher.

the Western Reserve College Commencement,
will be curious to know something more Of
that talented but queer minister. Mrs GAGE,
Of st Louis, who carries her heart in her hand
at home or abroad and always travels and visits,
with both eyes and ears open, has written of the
BEEcHER aforesaid as follows to the Ohio
Farmer. Itis sketehy, readable and treasarsble
and shows clerical life in pleasant phaze-
sunshine and showers, without arid breath or
freezing blast We quote:
1t was my good fortune, few weeks ago,
to attend church and listen to the preac hing of
this brother of the "Great Thunderer," las Hem
ry Ward is now called,) and believe the
youngest of this ilustriOus family. He is a
slender young man, perhaps five feet eleven
inches in hight, with fair complexion, hair
ofIeddish brown, and whiskers of brighter shade;
deep, earnest, light blue eyes, and altogether
perfect contrast in person, as in character, to
his brother, in Brooklyn. | had heard he was
odd, "the queerest fellow that ever you saw"
said friend. As he rose in the pulpit, was
almost tempted to smile at his unclerical appear
ance. There was not, in coat or pants, vest or
neck tie, in the combing of his hair, or cut of
his beard, the slightest symbol OF the priest -
he read his chapter from the Bible in the same
tone and in the same manner that he would
have read any other book, and the hymn shared
the same fate. The chorister announced that
the tune should be Coronation" and with
one accord, each member of his audience that
had the voice of song, struck up that old air
of exutIation, and poured forth a melody that
touched even my cold heart, (cold only to fash
ionable choir music,) and filled and thrilled
me, till bent forward, and laid my head on
the seat before me, and wept like an infant for
the music and tune carried me back to my child
hood, and brought the friends of my youth, and
the loved ones of my early years, aye, even the
old fashioned log church, and its humble con-
gregation of worshippers SO vividly before me,
that I felt as child, and the long years since
the now and then were swept away.
Oh! how form and ceremony have sealed up
the holy fountains of love and harmony in the
hearts Gf the children of men. The Beechers
are to be thanked, indeed, for reviving, or rath-
er returning to this custom Of congregational
singing.
Thomas K then took his text, and as it was
communion day, preached his sermon upon sac
raments; and oh! what a sermon was that
There was no clerical estentation-no over
flowing of saintliness He talked to his peo-
ole face to face, in tones and with manner as
unconstrained as if he were at the breakfast
table, cannot follow him, and dare only at
tempt an abstract of his discourse. Its leading
idea was charity to all men; and that as we
would ask the charity of Others for ourselves, SO
should we extend it to them. Nothing was
sacred in and ofitself. The Koran of the Turk
was to him, as sacred as cur Bible, which we
had christened "holy," was to us-the sacra-
mental offerings of the heathen, if they come
from the heart, as acceptable to God. The
binding of our Bibles, the paper upon which
printed, the type on the gliding, were no better
than those composing other books; and 1t was
only holy aa book, as the heart received 1t al
an answer to its greatest needs, and as 1t led
the receiver up to higher and truer life. We
had more sacraments than we knew Of; he
wished we had more still-one for every day
in the year. Our homes, our mothers, oul
minister, our church, &c, were all, according
to our love and veneration, sacraments binding
US more firmly to love and duty. He swayeo
the minds of his audience to and fro, as the
winds bend the waving grass in the meadow
As he spoke of the mother, and the love thai
that every man and woman should have for hel
who bore that sacred name to them, the
tears rolled down his manly cheeks, and oalleC
forth answerinp tears throughout the audience
When pleasant or witty though flashed ntt
his brain, it was given forth. A smile, almos
laugh, answered to his own pleasant smile o
laugh. He chained the attention OF his hearers
from first to last; yet there was no constralnt
no effort, no loud talk, no rostrum eloquence
1t was plain, common, child like, beautiful; ant
when he had ended, and set before them tn
"bread and wine" he called all to Partake VIII
desired to be kept in remembrance OF Chalst-hI
pure life-his love for humanity, and his cru
clifton for truths sake.
No creed is exacted Of his members; evel
those openly discarding belief in the common
confession Of faith were, by q vote OF his Peo
pie, accepted as members of the Brotherhood
/ have seldom, if ever, heard so much OF wha
1 feel is Gods truth preached from any pulpit.
by this young branch ofihat great tree, which ha
| made so marked an impress upon the age. l
he lives, he will do mighty work for humanity
! I have heard Henry Ward Beecher many times
but all his sermons have not 30 lifted me up
and made me feel so much my duty to God an
humanity, as this one, Of his gentle-spInte'
brother. Mr.. and Mrs. Beeeher are boarders a
the "Water Cure" of DR. Gleason and his wife
on the hillside above EImira. They have room
furnished in the city, where they receive thell
parishioners, who call daily; and as nlends
| meet each other for social intercourse.
Books, papers, pictures, statuary' PlaYtnng
| for children, a stereoseope, sewing machine
and others means ofemusement and instruction
are here grouped together and these rooms ar
| seldom silent or empty. Here, am told, Ml
Beecber and his excellent wife, on week days
/ meet their parishioners, and answer to thel
/ needs in most pleasant conversation; give an
! -oo.,iye instruction, and Lep each other l
.;r,o. If need Their minister makes himse
| Tss6,Jin b,anv Ways He cracks jokes; laugh
them out Of the vaPoTs; haTmonlZes thelr ON
o,,It;os b9 taxing sides with neither; sews the
o,arrDo,ts stit,hesrheir shirt collars on his sew
| ing machine; makes party once WeeA' Il
tLsir cb;Idrsn. reads with, talks with, and play
with them, and giAes them one cay IN "
80, 90 f,Il of active exercise and cheerfl
loving life. that it spreads its glow over all th
rest Of the week.
One Sabbath in four, he devotes to the chill,
rem. and his church is througed with the hit
ones. to whom he breaches love and trust, an
leads TO God, and Christ, ito the Father, WI
said. "Suffer little children TO come unto n
and forbid them not, for OF such Is the kingdo
of heaven" He frightens them with no denu
citations, and disgusts them with no stern 10
bidding exhortatioBs or iormalItles' Ine l
tIs onps in his flock will never ask, as did Il
little DAUGHTER of the Puritan mother, who hi
tsnSbt her child that Heaven would be ol
ions sabbath; and at the same time had to
that little girls who played, and sung, al
lied. and danced, on Sunday, would be Sc
.aI b.T Mamma" said this young child; al
" He- -o,J when go to heaven, and learn n
ein SnhSSotb 9Th sehool lesson, and don't play or ma
1aUI1 ,D noise for good long while, don't you tni
SGnys any Iii let me 20 down to hell some afte
nom and have a good Play!"
~, Reecher will never teach his scholars
vi -i tbat hell is better than heaven. We fOuI
iSd.eJ iscL that he was an odd man." and st
n,,esrest fellow we ever saw" Would tn
's-s more like him. In his private life, he il