The Waynesburg Republican. [volume] (Waynesburg, Pa.) 1867-18??, 1867-10-09
An OvERGR0wN BOY.

AS VvEh0RVWS 1VAs
Henry Ward Beecher is never SO
great as when yon see him among
men, or we might sly, perhaps, among
children. He never left Oft being a
boy. There is something so honest,
noble and childlike in his great square
put social utterances, that in the
sphere he is perfectly irresistible. SO
powerful has this influence become
that the whole city of Brooklyn, and
to considerable extent the whole ma
ton, is affected by his social example.
The narrow, contemplate mannerism
that characterize the people affecting
Churchanity, the Miss Nancyish ways
of too many, even OF our clergy, the
pompous airs, exquisite snobbish-
ness, pious propriety, and severely or
nate methods of speech and writing
commonly supposed to give evidences
of refinement and taste, the great
thunderer sweepsaway witho one blasto
his trumpet of truth.
Mr.. Beecher has taught the world
that 10 be saints men need not be
hypocrites, and tolove the beautiful, one
need not be a sap-head. Culture may
kill out a mans naturalness, and leave
only mere airs. Beau Brummel and
Beecher are forever at war. Oh, how
disdainfully Araminta Sophranisba
Rosewater inverts and elevates her
proboscis at the mention of some char
actistic "Beecherism" of the Brooklyn
Boanergcs. "Did Mr.. Bee cher actu-
ally play ugly mug, and stir the pud-
ding at social gatherings" said one
of these ancient maiden saints to us a
few days since. "It is positively hor-
rid" 1t is q characteristic of men
who love truth supremely that per-
sons have but little influence over
them. God makes a truly wise man
so simple and unpretending that men
never look into the manger for the
King of the kingdom coming. Yet
it is there that we find our King.
"a little child shall lead them." The
child is the model for Christians to
follow and frame their characters by.
So does Mr.. Beecher. So do not the
great, the grand, and those filed with
pomp and show. Visit Brooklyn,
and you shall see a man as brown as
a Western farmer, with perfect tum-
BILE of hair, falling all over shoulders
as broad as a blacksmith's. His gait
is rapid, abrupt and blunt. He rolls
as he walks like a Cape Cod shipmas-
ter. He wears a rough sack coat,
f pepper and salt perhaps, breeches,
wide, roomy, and better fitting than
the pants on Webster's statue in front
of the State House in Boston. He
swings his arms as he gets over the
ground, ever and anon lifting his hat
and smoothing back his hair over his
massive forehead. His features are
coarse, his skin as rough and ruddy
as Jack Tar's, and his whole air thai
of man overhowing with human
) nature. "How are your" is his greet.
'ng as he meets you-no mannerisl
hand-shaking or French airs; he pass
t G. right on unless you have business
> Then if you hem or haw, or hesitate
e or don't come right to the point, ter
chances to one if he does not TAXI
/ French leare at once, and leave you tC
s mediate upon the abruptness of th'
. wonderful man.
In short, Mr.. Beecher has no non
sense in his make up. He is fille(
with good sense, and woe be to Mr.
! Diplomacy if he crosses his path will
i his endless circumlocutions. HI
, crashes right in on your forms of pro
= priety, your airs and distinguished
considerations. We once saw hin
y !. beset by a committce-it must hav
= been-sent to extend thanks and dis
;. tinguished consideration for his grea
y services in behalf of our countr,
: while in England. There were lsi'
! gloves of course. There was a per
! ! feet puff of patchouly from silk hand
kerchiefs and court dresses, and dia
= monds in shower, and all that. Thel
= the French etiquette, the prelimina
q !, ries, the coming to the point, tn
. craven manner, the bowings, nonsense
y hypocrisy, gentility, in short, refine
! ment of the poor creatures, bewildere'
= the poor man so that when at last h
: shut them off with an abrupt grunt
not even saying good evening, W
! thought he breathed again as one gasp
ing for fresh air. This is the Ameri
- :, canism of our times and country. H
= is religiously and politically an EN-
bodiment of our future Church an
State. As the prophet of the comm
!, kingdom, he heralds in what his Who'll
y life will yet exemplify. No man {
!. q this nation is to impress upon tn
y y nation his character more than Henr
Ward Beecher.
Franklin stamped his spirit of econ
- omy upon our American boys, bu
y y Mr.. Beecher will stamp his whole sou
% upon the lives and aspirations of ou
j whole people.