Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-02-27
MISCELLANEOUS.
BEECIIE II X ANA.
AN INTERESTING AUTOBIOGRAPHY
DIR. Lyman lsccchcr.

DIR. Lyman lBccchcrs
Messrs. Harper & Brothers have just pub
lisbed the first volume OF the "Autobiogra-
ply, Correspondence, etc, of Lyman Beecli
er, d. c., edited by Charles Beecher" with
illustrations.
DIR. Beecher was born October 12, 1775.
lie was descended from one Hannah Beecher,
a widow, and midwife, who came over
from England to New Haven with Daven-
ports's company in 1888. Her husband died
as the ship was about to sail, and she inten-
ded to remain behind with her little boy,
but was, on account of her profession, prom
ised an equal share of land if she would
come with thcm-and thus she sailed to
America. Her grandson, Joseph Beecher,
was of great muscular strength, being able
to lift a barrel of cider and drink out of the
bung-hole. Nathaniel Beecher, the son of
Joseph, was the grandfather of DR.. Beecher.
He was not quite so strong as his father,
being only able to lift barrel of cider into
q cart He was six feet high, and black
smith by trade
David Beecher, the son of Nathaniel, was
short, like his mother, and could lift barrel
of cider and carry it into the cellar. lie
was q blacksmith and worked on the same
anvil his father had used before him, on the
old oak stump. In summer he worked ON
his farm and raised the incest rye, white as
wheat. Also, he made the best hoes in New
England well read man, fond of politics,
but absent minded:
"Yolr Aunt Esther says she has known
him at least twelve times come in from the
barn and sit down on coat pocket full of
eggs"
DR.. Beecher's mother was "tall well-pro
portioncd, dignitied in her movements, fair
to look upon, intelligent in conversation and
in character lovely.
. 81 was her only child. She died of con-
sumption two days after was born. l was
a seven months child and when the woman
that attended on her saw what puny
thing l was, and that the mother could not
live, she thought it useless to attempt to
keep me alive. / was actually wrapped up
and laid aside. But, after Il while, one of
the women thought she would look and see
if was living and, finding was, concluded
to wash and dress me, saying, Its pity
he hadn't died with his mother"
This was q narrow escape for one destined
to be the father of famous family. He
was brought up in the family of his uncle,
Lot Benton, thrifty New England farmer
and here is q picture of a New England
kitchen in the last century:
81 can see her now as plain as l can see
you. She and Arnis got breakfast very
! early. We had wooden trenchers first, then
pewter, and finally earthcnwarc. Our living
was very good. Rye bread, fresh butter,
buckwheat cakes and pie for breakfast.
After the dishes were washed, Annis and
helped aunt milk. Then they made cheese
- Il. IL
pork, vegetables and pies corned beef also
and always on Sunday, boiled Indian
pudding. We made a stock of pies at
Thanksgiving, froze them for winters Use,
and they lasted TIL March. After thinner
aunt put things 'to rights Annis spun and
| worked at flax and foddering. In the
! evening we visited, chatted, ate apples,
drank cider and told stories. On Sunday
nights the boys went accounting. used to
| have the heartburn after eating puddings
and pies, and Aunt Benton had notion
Was weakly. Lyman she would say
won't you>go into the milkroom and get Il
piece of cake You don't look well.'".
And here is, for the same period,
NEW ENGLAND COUNTRY SCHOOL.
81 went to school first in North Guilford
| in great barn of n school-house, with desks
around, and long desk through the centre
The best writer sat ut the end next the lire
The fireplace took in wood cart length, and
it was hot enough at that end to roast M
OK, and that was all the heat there was.
was about the fourth or fifth from the fire
and the ink always frozc in my pen. So II
was, Master, may so to the fire Z all day
long.
"They had parish meeting once to SCI
! nj bn oil Inn mn la.
and broke up in row. 1t never would
have been set straight if it hadn't been fo
our old neighbor Tim Baldwin.
Next morning he said he wasn't going
to have any quarreling about the school
house; SO he yokcd his oxen and Tin
Rossiter's, and went down, hitched on
Whoa, haw, Bright-gee upr and dragged
the school-house along where he wanted il
Then he unhitcbed and left it there, anC
there it stood. And, when the people toun'
1t was done, they stopped quarrclling.
Then came Augustus Baldwin. III
really took hold and gave us a start. W.
thought him the most wonderful man il
the world. He was 'collegc-learned,' and
little vain. After lecturing us ON manners
he would wind up 10y saying, BE as am
and strutted about. We swallowed it al
admirng. l went in arithmetic throug
the Rule of Three; but nobody ever ex
planned anything. We only did sums. Tn
only books we had at Uncle 3enton's wer
the great Bible and Psalm book. Fathe
came over once and made me present @
B Robinson Crusoe and the Goody Twoshoe.
They thought me genius because too
Robinsion Crusoe out to the barn to rea
and beat fax. But l was not much of
reader"
At sixteen he went to New Havenet
Z, school and lived with his uncle Willisten,
preacher, pious, fond of his pipe, and give
!, to inilictinsh his sermons in advance on l.,
. man and young cousin, who were "bore
!. alike"
= ~ remember the Association met ther
and dined at Uncle Benton's. AS soon
Aunt Benton saw them coming she tire
v the irons in the fire and ran down cellar I
4 draw n pail of beer. Then the hot irol
!. were thrust in, Kissing and foaming, 1t vi
|. sweetened and the nip was ready. The
. came pipes, and In less than fifteen minut'
N you could not sec across the room.,'
n There are some charming sketches Of Ne
II England life In the earlier chapters OF III
~ ~ book. Ia l79S, after passing through ca
loge and studying divinity, young Beech
m was called to preach ut East Hampton, {
sr Long Island. In 1899 he married.
,, o. "soon after our marriage we were ridiI
~ t...x. -. .l... With 90.