The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-02-20
How Sensatlons sTravel-Beecher
FI& 81 ON LIVING.

NOW SOh00t1VAO AHovOk TDDO0SAAO1
Af.S sAHEA ON living
In the latest number of the ~ r Ledger,
Henry Ward Beecher has an amusing article in
which he discusses the question whether men can
remember what never happened He shows that
such stretch of memory is possible by one or
tive instances. We extract part Of the article,
the whole of which is in Mr.. Beecher's happicst
vein: 94
Some eighteen or nineteen years ago, soon after
coming to Brooklyn, heard the following story
told Of the now venerable DR.. Samuel Cox, the
father of many brilliant sayings, a. we'll as Of
Bishop Cox, of West New York. The story runs
thus: On a Sunday morning in August, DR..
Cox, rising to the sermon, without warning or
prefix began, 1t is DID hot Looking around
in calm and pious way, he wiped his forehead,
and again said, 1t is did hot Waiting till he
thought the words had burnt in, he proceeded
These words my brethern, heard from the lips
Of profane young man as entered the doors Of
the church. Thereupon, the story goes. he pro-
ceeded to give an edifying discourse on tho sin
and folly Of psofane swearing"
When first heard it, recognized the story.
It was an old acquaintance. 1t had been doing
service in England. II was told of Rev. Row
land 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 1t the saddle was shifted to my back, nor
have I ever been able to shake it off, have
denied it twice in print, many times by letter
and hundred times in conversation, all in vain.
The saddle sticks, and every month We find
new fool riding in 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 million will spring from the seed. The
only way to exterminate the Canada thistle is to
plant it for u crop and propose to make money
out of it. Then worms will gnsw it, bugs will
bite it, beetles will bore it, aphides will suck it,
and blight will ride it. All nature helps weeds
and runs down crops. We are afraid 10 deny it.
It would start of 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 wand
ering Jew, it would go trampling up and down
creation till the last day. No. for safety's sake
we do not propose to deny it any more 1t wonld
be the ruin Of innocent souls, as this narrative
which now shall give will prove
And tho narration of the incident brings me
back to the question whether one can remember
what never happened. It will be seen that he
can.
Sitting at friends table, one evening, was
telling an incident that LefeN me--in this wise !:
"A young man from Buffalo called to see me
to-day. He said that he had heard young lady,
in large Company, relating the story OF my be-
ginning sermon with the phrase: 1t is id
hot He ut once contradicted it. She affirmed
it positively. He replied: 4 have lately read q
published denial Of the story from Mr.. Bcecher
himself She answered: why, was present
myself at his church and heard it with my own
ears OF course, he could not say what he
thought, but replied: 4 am going to New York,
and will myself call aud ask Mr.. Beecher."
1.-THE case seemed SO fragrant that 1 said to
him: When yon go back, wish you would
take occasion, before witnesses, to say to this
lady, from me, that she lies, and that she ka0os
that she lies, and that she knows that know