Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-07-23

wv ilaidTSt titSk Ill .iSncilf CaS0.
But has lie not proved himself capable
OF the noblest thing? wonder If
Elizabeth knows how generously he has
carried himself towards me? Ofcourse
] can never speak with her again with
out his permission, and do not know
that even with this it would be best"
Mr.. Moulton Oh the same day asked
Mr.. Tiltons if he would permit Mr.
Beccher to address letter to Mrs. Til
ton, and Mr.. Tilton replied in the af
firmative, whereupon Mr.. Beecher wrote
as follows: 5y ~
MIR. BEEciIER TO MRS TILToN.
"BReoLYN, February 7, 1S7l.-My
Dear Mrs. Tilton: When l saw you
last | did not expect ever to see you
again or to be alive many days. God
was kinder to me than were my own
thoughts. The friend whom God sent
to me, Mr.. Moulton has proved above
all friends that. | ever had, able and
willing to help.me in this terrible emer
gency of my life. His hands it was
tied up the storm that was ready to
burst, on .sour. heafls. You have no
friend Theodore excepted vwho has
it in his power to. serve you SO vitality,
and who will do it with such delicacy
md honor. 1t does my sore heart good
see in Mr.. Moulton an unfeigned
resrecteand honor for you'll would
kill me fl thought otherwise. He
will be as true friend to your honor
and happiness as brother could be to
a sister, In him we have a common
ground You and I meet in him. The
past is ended, but is there no future :?
No wiser, higher, holier future May
not this friend stand as priest in the
new sanctuary of reconciliation, and
mediate and bless Theodore, and my
most unhappy self?
'Do not let my earnestness fail of its
end. You believe in my judgement.
I have put myself wholly and gladly in
Moulton's hands, ana there | must
meet you This is sent with Theodore's
consent, but he has not read it. Will
you return it to me by his own hand ?
| am very earnest in this wish for all
our sakes, as such letter ought not to
be subject to even chance of miscare
riAge.
''Your unhappy friend,
81. w. BEEcuER.'
Thirteenth. That about year after
Mrs Tilton's confession her mind re-
manned in the fixed opinion that her
criminal relations with Mr.. Beecher had
not been morally wrong, SO strongly
had he impressed her to the contrary,
but at length change took place in
her convictions on this subject,as noted
in the following letter addressed to her
husband:
AfIss. TILTON TO MIR. TILToN.
/ SeHoHARIE, June 20, l871.-My
Dear Theodore: To-day, through the
ministry of Catharine Gaunt,a character
OF fiction, my eyes hove been opened
for the first time in my experience SO
that | see clearly my sin 1t was when
l knew that I was loved to suffer it to
grow to passion, A virtuous wo-
man should check instantly an
absorbing love. But it appeared to me
in such false Ii. rht-that the love | felt
and received could harm no one, not
even you, have believed unfalteringly
until o'clock this afternoon, when the
heavenly vision dawned upon me- l
see now, as never before, the wrong |
have done you, and hasten immediately
to ask your pardon with penitence so
sincere that henceforth, if reason re.-
mains, you may trust me implicitly.
''Oh, my dear Theodore, though your
opinions are not restful or congenia. to
my soul, yet my own integrity and pur-
ity are sacred and holy thing to me.
Bless God with me for Catharine Gaunt,
and for all the sure leadinys of an all
wise ard loving Providence. Yes,now
| feel quite prepared to renew my mar
riage vow with You, to keep it as the
Saviour requires, who looketh at the
eye and heart. Never before could |
say this. When you yearn toward me
with true feeling be assured of the tried
purified love of ELIZABETH
MRS Triton TO MIR. Triton.
Z Gully 4, 1S71.-Oh! my dear hus-
band, may you never need the discip-
line of being misled by a good woman,
as l was BY good man.
"[No date II would mourn greatly
if my life was to be made known to my
father. His head would be bowed in
deed to the grave. .5-. q.
"[No date do not think my i'll
health is on account Of my sin and its
discovery. My sin and life record l
have carried to my Saviour. No, my
prostration is owing to the suffering |
have caused you.
INDEPENDENTLY, that in
addition to the foregoing facts and
evidences other combinations could be
adduced if needed to prove the follow.
ing recapitulated statement namely,
that the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher,
as pastor and friend Of Mr.. Tilton and
his family, trespasscd upon the sanctity
of friendship and hospitality in a long
endeavor to seduee Mrs. Elizabeth r.
Tilton; that by the artful use of his
priestly authority with her, she being
his pupil in religion, he accomplished
this seduction; that for a year and
half or thereabouts he maintained
criminal intercourse with her, overcom-
ing her previous modest scruples
against such conduct by investing it
with false justification, as sanctioned
by love and religion; that he then
participated in conspiracy to degrade
Theodore Tilton before the public by
loss of place, business and repute; that
he ahused Mr. .Tilton'u forr;vonoss .,d