Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-02-27

touched she never said word-she appre-
ciated the thing ; she entered into my char
acter entirely.
II scarcely ever saw her agitated to tears.
Once, soon after we had moved into our
new house, the two pigs did something that
vexed me; l got angry and thrashed them.
She came to the door and interposed. The
fire hadn't got out. l said quickly, Go
along in She started, but hadn't more
than time to turn before | was at her side,
and threw my arms around her neck and
kissed her, and told her l was sorry. Then
she wept."
Two years after he fell sick ''Old Deacon
Talmadgc" came in to comfort him, and adj
viscd exercise, go out; run down cellar
run up garret; stir around"
"As spring opened, weary of confinement,
longed to get out. One day l took my
fishing tackle, and drove to 1hrce-mile IIar-
boz. Got some clans, and rowed out to the
chicquot ground. Baited lines and threw
out, and let the boat drift. Fish would
strike; would haul them in, row back,
and drift again. Easy excrcisc-opening
the chest, und breathing the fresh ar-how
good it was! Caught dozen chicquot,
from one to three pounds weight peice.
"Gained in this way till / could try gun
with me- We were netups-cornies through
he was rather skeptical, we were on friend
ly terms we used to shoot plover together.
"Then | worked at making turf fences,
and at haying; my appetite improved, and
| began to grow strong. Bought horse
cart, and hauled sea-weed from Thrce-mile
lIarbor TO mix with barn-yard manure for
corn, riding home, wet through, on top of
the load at night"
All the time, for about year, he was
unablcto preach. At East Hampton he set
up school. which was successful, owing
however in great part to Mrs. Beecher's
; efforts After the Burr and Hamilton duel
he preached and printed sermon against
dueling which was held in those days to
be political Sermon" and aroused opposi-
tion accordingly, and gave him kind of
I fame In 1910 he left East Hampton be-
cause of the insutficicncy of the support
given by the pcople--only four hundred
dollars per annum. He removed 10 Litch
field, in Connecticut. Here he spent some
happy years. lie began there temperance
movement. 1t was then the fashion to use
strong drink; even ministers drank freely.
At any official gathering all kinds of liquors
were served.
"When they had all done drinking, and
had taken pipes and tobacco, in less than
fifteen minutes there was such smoke you
couldn't see. And the nois l cannot de-
SCRIBE it was the maximum of hilarity.
They told their stories, and were at the
height of iocose talk. They were not old
fashioned Puritans They had been run
down. Great deal of spirituality on Sab
bath, and not much when they got where
there was something good to drink. l think
rccolect some anImadvcrsions were made
at that time by the people on the amount
] of liquor drank, for the tide was swelling III
! the drinking habits of society.
! ~ was member of General Association
which met at Sharon, June, 1912, when a
committee reported. They said they had
attended to the subject committed to their
care; that intemperance had been for some
| time increasing in most alarming manner
but that, after the most faithful and prayer
lul inquiry, they were obliged to confess
they did not perceive that anything could
be done.
"Thc blood started through my heart
when | heard this, and rose instanter, and
moved that committee of three be appoin-
ted Immediately, to report at this meeting
the ways and means of arresting the tide oi
intemperance.
"The committee was named and appoint
ed. was chairman, and on the following
day brought in report, the most important
paper that ever | wrote"
1t was thorough an1 it did its work al
once. 1t stirred up all New England TO
temperance and total abstinence zeal.
In 1918 he wrote characteristic letter to
his son Edward, who had been concerned in
some students "scrape' at Yale:
Il must say, my son, that no justification
lao f,p a l.. In
the authority of college; and as to the plea
of temptation, l shall be alarmed, and dis
appointed, and mortified extremely, in find
ing you so soon pleading temptation rs
an excuse for following multitude to dc
evil.
NY son, there is no living in this world
and doing right if you can not meet public
opinion and resist II, when arrayed on th'
side of eyil.h
THE BEECHER FAMILY AT HOME.
Here is an occount of the Beecher family
in letter dated
'LITcHFIELD, February A, 1919.
Z" ii Papa had his wood-spell yes
terday: we had only twelve loads, for 1t wa
so terribly cold. We have now had twenty
two loads in all.
"Papa is well, and still writing tina
| pleCe Will u ldiN hthiO - S'h 'S"~H'~~
what.
"Mamma is we'll and don't laugh an.
more than she used to. Catharine goes oil
+ justas she always did, making fun of every
{ body. George is as usual. Harriet make
just as inany wry faces, is just us odd, an'
loves to be laughed at as much us ever
Henry does not improve much in talking
, but speaks very thick. Charles Is the mos
mischievous little fellow l ever knew. III
seems to do it for the very love OF it; !
, punished and punished again, but it has n
effect. lie is the same honest little boy, an
love him dearly. Poor little Fred ha
, been quite unwell, but has got better now
he grows more and more interesting ever
day. Now for the boarders. Miss NJ
!, Just as amiablo and lovely Us when she wa
here. Miss - loves fun still. Miss
- and L. same as usual. Miss c.
the most obliging and useful of the iamil.
> To conclude, the old cat has got tho COZ
sumption"
Here Is another glimpse in letter iroi
Catharine 10 Edward, dated
s.NovENBER 30, 1919
"Apropos-last week Was inferred Ton
junior, with funeral honors, by the side I
: old Tom OF happy memory. What tat
y mortality there Is among tho cats OF Il
Parsonage Our Harriet Is chief mourn'
always at their funerals. She asked 4
z what slie called an epitht for the grave
a / - A n