Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1867-12-13
How Mr.. Beecher Earned his First
Ten Dollars.

MY Dear Mr.. Bonner: 1t is true that
Horace Greeley has more things to re-
member and tell us about than mos. men
who have staid at home and led civil life.
But is that reason why he only should
write an autobiography Nay-verily.
There stands before line of battered
and worn books-Enslish classics. Their
history is little TO them, but much TO me.
In part it is my own history. l wish ]
could lay my hand on the first book that !
ever bought, after the dim idea of libra
ry began to hover in my mind But that
book is gone. Here, however, are others
whose biography l can give. As early as
1882, began to buy books-a few vol
umes,-but each one monument of en-
gineering. My first books. if / remember
correctly, were bought of J. S. and c.
Adams, in Amherst, Mass. used to co
there and look wistfully at their shelves.
My allowance of money was very small,
scarcely more than enough to pay my post
| age, when letter cost twelve and half
or twenty-five cents. To take two or
three dollar book from my five dollars of
spending money would have left me in a
state of sad impecuniosity. Therefore,
for many, many months, took it out in
looking.
As early as at sixteen years Of age, |
had begun 10 speak little in public
faint peeping just such as l hear in young
birds before they are fully fedged. For
such service, the only payment was kind
patience till | relieved them by finishing
my crude efforts. But at this time,-say
1871 was sent by the college society
as delegate to temperance convention
in p Palham or Enfield, or somewhere else.
4 / conceived desire thereafter to give a
temperance lecture. have forgotten how
| ever got chance to do it. But | re-
member there came an invitation from
Brattleboro, VT, to lecture on the 4th Of
July. My expenses were to be paid :! A
modest pride warmed my heart, at the
thought of making a real speech in public
/ smothered all the fears and diiiidences
e with the resolute purpose that / woul
succeed! ! remember the day of writin
n an anxious preparation, and the gran
IL sense of being man when / had finishe
l. my manuscript But the most graciou
u purposes are apt TO be ruined with selfsl
ie ness; and my public spirit, alas, had
N financial streak Of joy in Tiny expense
u were to be paid
"A Well, suppose / choose to walk and saw
y all the expenses? should have at leas
II eight dollars of my own, OF which nee'
: give no account! That would be an err
g indeed. BIT grave scruples arose. Wa
e it honest to take money for expense whicl
g l had not really incurred? II / went b,
stage might lawfully charge my fare AM
n food but if neither of them cost me any
>. thing, how could honestly make bill o
expenses? / did not get any relief in re
:. fecting upon it. / started off on foot
. went up the Connecticut river valley, ant
s reached Brattleboro by way of Greenfield
Every hour this question of honesty re
+ turned. My feet blistered with walking
e but stamped hard on them in the morn
D ing, and the momentary exquisite paiI
o seemed to paralyze the sensibility after
: wards. Whether it was the counter irri
tation that relieved my brain, or whe the
i AS fear that did, smotheled th
matter by saying to myself that wou
u settle the matter when the time came,
. don't know. But / was relieved from evel
e that struggle, inasmuch as not word wa
n said to me about expenses, or money ii
/ any form. Yet had charming visit
IS The rising of the moon from behind tn
o mountain that hedges in the town on tn
+ coast, powerfully excited by Imagination
: and led to the writing of the first piece,
d believe, that ever printed. 1t was pub
e lished in the Guest, college paper, issue,
e chiefly as rival to another college pape
d whose name( (alas) has escaped me. And
= anybody could send me volume of tina
:. Guest should be exceedingly beholden t
them.
i But when reaching the college again
0 no longer a mere student, but publ
1t man-one who made speeches--one VIII
II determined to be modest, and not to ALLOW
y success to puff him up-a very great an
wonderful thing happened; the pos
n brought me letter from Brattleboro con
e tanning ten dollars. j could not believ
II my eyes. / forgot my scruples. Provi
!. dence had put it TO me in such way tha
l go. my conscience over on the other side
and felt that it would be sin and sham
for me to be raising questions and scruple
u on such matter! How it warmed and il
vigorated me / looked at it before goiu
+ to sleep; / examined my pockets in ii
U morning early TO be sure that had m,