The sun., 1873-11-05
BEECHER'S SECULAR TALK.
THE MOST BRILLIdNT LECTURE OF
TIE GALAXY COURSE.

Pulpit Orators Opinion Of the Corruption
In Wasbington-1bc Education of An,cri-
can ChiIdren-The Part wkich IL TO be
Taken by the Women OF the Future.
An unusually large audience assembled
last night in tho Church Of the Disciples TO hear
the Rev Henry Ward Beeehers new lecture,
"The Wastes and Burdens of Life :" and the
rapt attention with which II was listened to
from the opening to the close, broken only by
frequent bursts of applause, must have been In
the highest degree gratifying to Its author. Mr.
Bcecher's appearance on the platform was the
signal for a prolonged clapring of hands. In
opening his lecture he said society, In
measure, resembled snip in a storm at
sea, laboring very often, less from any
unwleldiness in herself than from the
unnecessary loads which had been placed
upon her and from the many unnecessary leaks
against which she had to contend. One OF the
greatest wastes OF life was ayoidable sickness.
If men who were to die would but die quickly
all might bc well, but they would not they
usually LETT long track of wretchedness 70
mark their Illness. Another evil was the reck-
less extravaganza Of some and the miserable
fccbleness OF others. In the former case men
were striving to obtain more than they were
willing % pay for, and In the latter they were
weakly irving to perform more than they were
capable Of The rich man builds his mansion
ON hill the poor one erects his hovel In
morass, and wealthy neighbor looking down
upon him declines to give him either advice or
lives, saving, What is 6is Condition to me -
until the decay of vegetation in autumn causes
the deadly mlasma to creep up TO his strong
hold, and when all his family begin to shiver
with fever his senses tel him what his con
you have an Interest In the affairs OF
YoUR LowLY SEIGHBoR."
Ignorance was another waste Of life In Europe
the tests applied to intelligent workmen showed
the English to stand first, and after them fol-
lowed Ia IeguggtiyplX the ttprfuuu and the Svisa
" similar tests were applied In this country
Americans would probably stand first Of all
They had versatility Of genius af adaptabllity
Cor all kinds Of work which should place them
In the foremost place. Intelligence was CAPT.
tai which no state could afford to allow to stand
idle. Misdirected energies were possibly the
greatest wastes Of all. The old man who had
der says, =" have had hard time Of 1t, but
don't inted my son TO have as hard a life as
mine has been" Yes, he has had hard time of
it and that Is what has made him the hard old
fellow he Is, and the easy life he intends for his
son VIII make him propor!ionately soft The
OF our SON." aud the old lady replies, % should
like to have him President of the United States"
but there are many applicants for that appoint
time; then all the learned professions are taken
into consideration, neither Of the parents think
Ing II possible that their hopeful offspring may
be best fitted for
JouRSEYMAN CARPENTER.
At this point an usher gave Mr.. Beecher
glass Of water, and was unspeakaby confused
! never drink while speaking" As soon as the
laughter which followed the action and words
had suhsided, MIR. Bcecher said, take this
opportunity of giving lesson to orators younger
than myself. This habit OF drinking water
while speaking Is entirely useless. Because
some great lecturers see 1T to ind uge in It young
speakers think u necessary, and practice II until
they cannot do without it,, There is nothing SO
pernicious as laziness, and the lazy man never
does what he can get another to do for him SO
II you habitualy supply your mouth with mos-
tufe 1t will soon cease to make any for itself
Forty years ago said to my mouth. what mos-
ture YOU require you must secrete for yourself,
and il has done so ever since. Now" concluded
MIR. Beecher, what was 1 saying when was
interrupted Z"
Lying was a great weakness OF life in this all
must agree, for every one abhOrred lying when
practlscd 10y any one else. lLaughter.1 Theft
was not SO bad. for the stolen goods were not
lost they merely went into other hands. Bank
ruitcies were not great wastes, for the money
lost by one went into the pockets Of many.
Numerous bladders might be pricked and the
air escape, but II was not lost IL was only air
before, and IL was air still. though in another
place. lLaughteri II dishonesty were banished
from the city tonight, New YORK would not
know Itself Tomorrow morning; II 1t were
banished from the capital II surpassed the
imagination Of man to conceive what the result
would be. lLaughterl
one Of the greatest wastes OF all was dlsslpa-
tion, and the extent 10 which this vice had
seized upon the young men Of the city was
! hardly known. III any OF you will 60 down To
DELMoNIoo's'
said Mr.. Beecher, you will see something II
YOU care 20 observe IL. that might make the
self. Not that | should remain away II wished
10 go; am Jealou, OF my personal liberty, and
will not allow any man to dictate TO me what
| shall drink or what shall not drink. j regulate
| my own actions; they are not generally wrong,
hope, but that Is not the question:: my rights
/ first, and shall decide upon the Use shall put
| them 10 aiterward. What demand myself
| freely give To others, and do not play the spy
/ upon young men; but | know their besetting
sin as well a, though did
Speaking of the terrible waste OF war, Mr..
I Bcchcr said the natiu ns uf Europe were sinking
/ under this curse. france expended out Of her
] annual revenue ninety per cent. In teaching men
how to destroy each other, and hut four Per
cent. wa appropriated for other education. The
aggregate war debt OF the nations OF the earth
amounted to no less than s2l,UOC10,O.o. The
lecturer closed by denouncing the manner in
which the people Of New York and BROOKLYN
ignored state affairs. republic could exist
only by the undiV Vided efforts OF all and that
man who thought society was an organization
formed simply for his security deserved neither
the name Of a good citizen, IA good Christian, or
good man. The time was at hand when me I
should have that assistance from women whi' h
they should have had long ago. and that union
| I'D forest nlbM IA brighter f. the