Smyrna times., 1869-02-17
MIR. BEECHER ON LYING.

Henry Ward Beecher has an amusing article
in the n. Y. Ledger, in which he discusses the
question whether men can remember what
never happened He shows that such a stretch
of memory is possible by one or two instances.
We extract part Of the article, the whole of
which is in Mr.. Beecher's happiest vein:
Some eighteen or nineteen years ago. soon
after coming to Brooklyn, | heard the follow
ing story told Of the now venerable DIR. Samuel
Cox, the father of many brilliant sayings as
well as of Bishop Cox, of western New York.
The story ran thus: "On Sunday morning
in August, Dr. Cox, rising to commence his
sermon, without warning or prefix, began: 1T
is id hot Looking around in calm and
pious way, he wiped his forehead and again
said, 1t is id hot Waiting till he thought
the words had burnt in, he proceeded These
words, my brethren, heard from the lips Of
prOtane young man as | entered the doors of
the church. ThereupOn, the story goes, he
pr0cee led to give an edifying discourse on the
sin and folly of prOfane swearing
| When first heard it recognized the story.
! 1t was an old acquaintance. 1t had been do
ing service in England. 1t was told of Rev.
| Rowland Hill, only in his case the topic was
not the weather, but the theatre, on which the
young mans profanity was expended. But
stock stories, like couriers, like to change
horses. Before | knew it the saddle was shift
ed to my back, nor have ever been able to
shake it off. | have denied it, twice in print
many tines by letter, and hundred times in
conversation, all in vain. The saddle sticks,
and every month we find new fool riding it.
Denying one of these stories is like fighting
Canada thistles. If you cut them up ten more
will sprout from each root, and if you let them
alone a million will spring from the seed. The
only way to exterminate the Canada thistle is
20 Liant Nd 20 10
out of it. Then worms will gnaw it, beetles
will bore it, aphides will suck it, birds will peck
it, heat will scortch it, rains will drown it, mil
dew and blight will ride it. Its nature helps
weeds and runs down crops. We are afraid to
deny it. 1t would start off q walking like
Weston. A new batch of letters would come
moaning and inquiring at our door. Fresh
vigOr would be given to its withered limbs and
like the Wandering jew, it would go tramping
up and down creation till the last day. No, fol
safety sake, we do not propose to deny it any
more. 1t would be the ruin of innocent souls,
as this narrative which | now shall give will
prove. And the narration of the incident
f brings me back to the question whether one
can remember what never happened. 1t will
: be seen that he can. Sitting at friends table
one evening | was telling an incident that bete
! me in this wise.
? "a young man from Buffalo called to see MI
to-day. He said that he had heard younG
e lady, in large company, relating the story o
= my beginning a sermon with the phrase, 1t l
e id hot He at once cOntradicted it. Sh
y affirmed it positively. He replied: [ hav
lately read published denial of the story fron
4 Mr.. Beecher himself. She answered: why
| was present myself at his church, and hear
o it with my own ears OF course he could no
t say what he thought, but replied, L am gon
s to New York, and l will call and ask MI
t Beecher.
: The case seemed so fragrant that I said t
J, him: "When you go back | wish you woul
o lady, for me, that she lies, and that sh
len01os that she lies. and that she knows that
It know that she lies.'
II This was very improper language, but l wa
}. angry, and, besides had been reading tn
/, Tribune
e When | had got thus far q sweet young gil
a who sat opposite me, brought up under m
st eye almost from the cradle, and as incapable
< knowingly telling falsehOod as a rosebu
would be of committing burglary, this innC
ri cent and charming child of fifteen looked owe
~ at me and said:
IN " But you did say So didn't you Mr.. Beecl
at err | heard you'll
to For moment there was silence. Then cam
a. crash of laughter from the whole cOmpan!
lie Confused and bushing scarlet, she said:
ne "Why, always thought that l had heal
I'd you say it
For the first time then believed that pc
son might distinctly remember what never too
en- place. | take back the message to the Butfa
an lady, and humbly apologize for suppOsing tn
one could not recall thing which never ha
% nened