Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1872-03-12
Eeechei, md DK ChniIIH.

soon. we nope That 1t may not Oe
learned too late.
Beecher dlid DU ChaiiiW.
Shortly alter Henry Ward Beecher
preached his famous sermon expressing
his sympathy for Tweed, Connolly, and
the other thieves OF the Ring, he drop.
ped in to lIarpor's to escape the rain,
which was than falling hcavily,-he hay-
ing no umbrella with which TO protect
his reverend head from the pitilcss storm.
joe Harper nt once began TO rally Mr..
Beecher, in his good -humored way, up
on his having taken the part of such no.
torious iascals. Mr.. Beecher defended
himself by saying ;hat their crimes were
the crimes of society; That the world
was bad that he could not hold individ-
uals responsible for the sins committed
by them which were but the out groupings
of tho sins of society, ~ boil is the out
cropping OF the humors of tho system;
il was simply the evidence OF corruption
in the system. "Joe" replied that, if
Tweed and Connolly were considered as
joils, they should be well poUi'iced; but
he did not agree with Mr. Beecher rs to
the condition OF society; on the contra.
", his experience in the world led him
to believe that more than half of man.
kind were honest and yirtuous. Mr.
Beschcr sustained his point by citing his
own experience, which convinced him
that the community was bad. Joe" rs
lao bowed Nh Bcccher out into the rain,
which had slackened but not ceased, said
that he supposed Mr.. Beecher was a
competent judge OF the characters of
hi5 own acquaintance, and advised him
to seek better society; at which they
laughingly parted.
Scarcely had Mr.. Beecher got outside
The building than Du Chailu, the viva
cious little African explorer, rushed into
"Joesn Office, looking for his umbrella.
Being unable to find it, he sputtered
about in broken English, declaring that
some thief had stolen his beautiful silk
umbrella, and he would have to 90 home
in the rain. Just then it flashed across
"Joc's" mind, that although Mr.. Beech
er had 40 umbrella when he came in, he
certainly did have one when he went oUt.
SO he determined to joke the reverend
gentleman still further, by accusing him
OF larceny. He first paciiied the voluble
Frenchman by loaning him an umbrella
To get home with, Du Chaillu gone,
joe w0rtc note TO Beecher, alluding
to their recent conversation, and confess
ing that he was wrong and Beecher right
! in their respective estimates of society !;
he was now convinced that it was bad,
/ corrupt--in short, rotten; fact which
ho was most reluctantly forced 10 admit
since Mr.. Beecher himself had given
such a practical illustration OF il by hook
illg Du ChGHlu'S umbreiia. He hoped,
however, rs Mr.. Beecher had made him
convert TO his belief, he would be sat
isiied with his triumph Gnd return the
umbrella.
Next day messenger brought Joe"
note from Mr.. Beecher, in which he
stated that ho had long made it prac.
tice to begin each New Year with new
resolutions, and this year he ''had reso-
lutely resolved TO hook every umbrella
he possible could, especially if it was a
nice oue;" had also resoutely resolved
never to return any umbrella "hooked"
under those circumstances but. as Du
| Chailu was an unnaturalizcd foreigner,
and not subject to the laws of the land,
he would make an exception in his case,
and so return the umbrella by messen'
ger. This looked very well, and the um
breIla was handed over to Joe" by the
bearer OF dispatches. An examination
| OF the ulnDIclld SHONCu tHdt bIi' DOOSH-
er was inclined 10 "carry the war into
Africa or at least to carry on his joke
upon the explorer of Africa, for it prov
ed to be most dilapidated affair, which
| fell to pieces in "Joe's" hands the mo-
ment he attempted to open it. Thus lar
Mr.. Beecher had the best end OF the
Joke, or the umbrella; and Du Chaillu
declares that his habits of appropriation
remind him very much OF his old friends,
the gorrllas. Lyceum managers and
Ysung Mems Christian Associations must
look out for the reverend "hooker" on
his tours through the country.-NeC
York Correspondent Chicago Times.