Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-24

most daily threat of his that he
Lived 10 Crush Out Mr.. Beecher.
and that the god of battles was in him;
that he had always been lIr. Beecher's su-
periOr, and all that lay in his path, wife,
children or reputation if need be, should
fall before this purpose. did not read it.
| saw enough without reading. My spirit
rose within me as never before.
Theodore / said, ''tell me what means
this quotation from Mr.. Beecher? Two
years ago you came TO me at midnight say
ing, Elizabeth, all letters and papers con
cerning my difficulties with Mr.. Beecher
and Mr.. Bowen are burned, destroyed.
Now, don't you believe me, for / have
nothing to defend myself with"
''Did you believe that?" said he.
81 certainly did, implicitly" l said.
.'Well, let me tell you, that of all the let
ters, not one is destroyed
If this was said TO intimidate me, it had
quite the contrary effect. / had never been
so fearless nor seen so clearly before wi h
whom l was dealing. Coming TO me a
little later, he said:
Il want you to read it. You will find it
a vindicatiOn of yourself. YOu have not
stood before the community for five years
| as you now do"
Reused further by the wickedness hid
behind so false mask, l replied, ''TheO-
dOre, understand me; this is the last time
| you call me publicly TO
| Walk Through this Filth.
Ny character needs no vindicatiOn at this
late hour from you. There was a time,
had You Spozen out clearly, truthfully and
manfully fer me, had been grateful. But !
now | shall speak and clear myself. Know (
| also that if in the future / see a scrap Of pa
| per referring to any human being, however
| remote, which it seems TO Inc YOU might |
use or Pervert for your own ends, will de !
siroy it."
This means battle on your part them" |
SAID he.
''Just so far" l replied.
write this because these words OF mine |
he has since used tony harm. The next |
| morning l went to my brother and told /
him that now had decided 10 act in this |
matter; that l had been treated by my hus-
band as
A NOnenfity
from the beginning; plaything to be used |
or let alone at Will; that it had always \
seemed TO me, l was party not little c0n-
! cerned. l then showed him a card l had |
made for publication. He respected the \
motive, but still advised silence on my part. I
| yielded 10 him thus far as to appearing in 1
the public prints; but counSelling with my /
self and 10 other, it occurred TO me that /
among brethren of our own communion | /
might be heard. Not knowing Of any
church committee, asked the privilege Of /
such an interview in the paTlOrs of those
who had always been our mutual friends,
Mr.. and Mrs. OvingtOn. Then | learned
for the first time that the committee would /
meet that night, and they advised me to see
those gentlemen as perhaps the gOodliest
persons | could select. This | &C ,OrdinCly |
did. There alone
Pleaded the Cause Of Ny Husband
and my children, the result being that their
hearts were moved in sympathy for my
family, a Keeling their pastor had shared for |
years, and for which he was now suffering
On going home found my husband read
ing IN bed. / told him where / had been,
and that did not conceal anything from
him, at his habit was from me. He asked
who the gentlemen were, said no more,
rose, dressed himself and babe me
Goodbye Forever.
The midnight following was awakened
by my husband standing by my bed. In IA
very tender, kind voice he said he wished
to see me. | rose instantly, followed him
/
he drew me into his lap said he was proud
of me; loved me; that nothing ever gave
him such real peace and satisfaction as to
hear me we'll spoken of; that meeting a
member of the committee he said he had
learned that he had been mistaken as TO
my motive in seeing the committee, and
had fastened to assure me that he had been
thoroughly wretched since his rash treat
ment of the night before, etc. Then and
there we cOvenanted Sacredly our hearts
and lives, most utterly renewing my trust
in the one human hecrt loved. The next
day
How Happy We Were.
Theodore wrote a statement 10 present to
the committee when they should call upon |
him, to all of which L heartily assented.
This document, God knows, was true
history of this affair, completely vindicat-
ing my honor and the honor of nv pastor
In the afternoon he left me to show il to
his friends. He returned home early in | ,
the evening, passing the happiest hours |
had known for years; renewed by assuring
Inc that there was no rest for him away
from me. So in grateful love to the dear
Father slept Oh, that the end had then
come. L would not then receive the cruel
blow which made
n NOfnaDsMod Outright.
The next morning he called upon our
friends, MIR. and Mrs. OvingtOn, and there, I
with shocking brayadO, began a wicked
TRADE, adding with oath and violence the j
shameless ISLANDERS against Mr.. Beecher, of {
which now believe him to be the author. !
This fearful scene learned next day. In :
the afternoon he showed me his invitation
from the committee TO meet them that eve
ming. l did not then show my hurt, but
carried it heavily within, but calmly with {
out. All night till early morning reflection 9
upon this scene at Mrs. Ovington's con- I
WINGED me that, notwithstanding my hus-
band recent professions to me, his former
spirit was unchanged; that his declarations t
OF repentance and affection were only for I
the purpose OF gaining my assistance TO ac- I
cOmplish his ends i'm his warfare upon Mr..
Beecher. In the light of these conclusions,
my duty appeared plain. / rose quietly
aud having dressed reused him only to say:
Theodore, | will never take another step I
by your side. q
The End Has Indeed Come"
He followed me to Mrs. OviDgton's TO Z
breakfast, saying was unduly excited, and 7
that he had been misrepresented perhaps, e
but leaving me as determined as before. | t
To account for the change twenty-fOur S
hours have been capable of working in his d
then many years past, leave t
for the eternities with their mysteries to Y
reveal. That he is an unreliable and un-
safe guide, whose idea of truth-lOving is
self-loying, it is my misfortune in this late 5
sad hour 10 discover {
ELIZABETH Il. THTOS. o
July %, 1874.
Last Nights Developments. o
The Beecher Investigation Committee 9
met this evening at the residence of Angus d
tUs StOus, BROOKLYN. 1t was stated by one |
Of the members of the committee that no | 4