The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-08-27

believed had certainly been the occasion. IL not
the active cause; but Mouiton urged that, having
wronscd Tlton so, the wrong meant his means
his family destroyed, and that had done IT. lie
assured me of his own knowledge that the stories
Mh,6 maj h ha% II and rcppacd to Eowrn
were all false, and that TitOn had been faithful
to to. mn; wife. | was persuaded INTO Inc ber
The Islander der in its nearest form. He drew pic
ture OF Tilton wrongcd in reputation position,
and purse shattered in his family where he would
otherwise have found refuge. and at the same
time looking upon me out OF his deep distress;
while was Astounding in friends most popular.
nv prosperity. Overlooking and aboundinr. and
TiitOns utter degradation. was most intensely
excited. Indeed, l felt that my mind WAS in
room. pouring forth my heart in the most unrc-
strained grief and bitterness Of sclfaccusa,i,n.
telling what my ideas were Of the Obligation "
friendship and of the sacrcdncss Of the h"usc-
hold denying, however, an Intentional wrong,
saying that if l had been the cause however
remotely, of that which | then bchesd | never
on my head. The case as it then appeared to
my eyes was strongly against me. My old friend
smG mad nHrn :" i
ii; his family had wcll-nigh been broken mp,
and had advised it; his wife had been long sick
and broken in health and body, and I, az l fully
believed. had been the cause of all this wreck
by continuing that bind hccdlcssncss and friend
ship which had bcguicd her heart and had reused
caused b. amy intentional act of mine; and
should coldly defend myself: should pour in
TO contempt As having thrust her affections upon
m" Unson"ht: should tread upon the man and
is household in their great adv"i-ity: ] gave
vent to my feelings Without measure. ! dis
claimed with great carn">incsS any intent to
l.arm Thro,lorr in his home or his business, aud
with incXplicahc snrrow both blamed and de-
Tended Mrs 1ilton in one breath.
Mr.. Monl!on was apparently affected by my
soiit"quv for j; was that rather than convcr>a
ton: l:c said that il Tilt"n cou,d really he per-
~uarl of Ike lri,ndiincSs of my feelings toward
i'm Il" ,hn '!r~e would be no trouble in
procuring reconciliation gave him leave to
state to Theodore my feelings. He proposed that
should write letter. declined, but said th't
he could report our interview. He then prepared
to make q memorandum of the talk, and sat down
at my table and took down, as supposed. "a con"
report rep OF Sr went on
lation in Titon' s family. 1t was not dictatinn
Of sentence after sentence, he mere amanucrs:
ting into his own shape parts of that which was
saying in my own manner with profuse explH's'
tlons. This paper Of Moultons was mere
memorandum Of points to be used by him ID
setting forth my feelings. That 1t contains mat
ter and points derived from me is without
put tney were p" d1 h ny
as my words, but as hints of my figures and let
tiers to be used by him in convcrsins with Tii'"i.
it; nor have ever seen it or heard i, reed TIA,
remember, until the publication of Tit"n T.
cent documents; and now reading it, see Ill ii
thoughts that point to the matter of my disc"nf''
but it is not my paper, nor are those my "a
fences, nor is it correct report of what sah 1t
is a mere string Of hints, hastily made by an an
senting to Triton how felt toward his family,
If more than this be claimed; if it be set forth
in any proper sense my letter. then disowh !;
particularly that in which am made to say that
/ had obtained Mrs. Tilton's forgiveness, 1
never could have said, even in subs; a.
givcness from her, and nobody prcicn"'d
that had done 80. Neither could | ever haze
said that BUNDLED myself before Tilt"n 's b.,
fore God, except in the sense that both to t,"d
and to the man thought had deeply injured [
BUNDLED myself, as certainly did; but it is Hsc-
less to anaiyze paper PREPARED as TINS Ma, l; :;
will be its best comment. This document WAS
written separate haf.sheets of lc1lcr.papr:
sign It, said no; it was not my letter lie re-,
piled that it would have more weight if ] would
In some way indicate that he was authorized to
explain my sentiments. took my pen. and at
some distance below the writing and upon the
lower margin l indicated that had committed
the document in trust to Moulton. and signed
the to its ur hss T as My few s
accord, said that after using 1t he would iii
two or three days bring I'll the m mem, ;;
closing in any way that there difficulty be.
tween Mr.. Triton and me, as it would be injurious
to Tilton to have it known that had q'larrcIcd
with him, as well as for me to have ruEl"rs ut
afoat did not trouble myself about it an,il
more than year aftcrward: when he, Mr.: i,ton b,
was looking up documents. l wondered what
was in the old memorandum, and desired TO see
1t for greater certainty: SO one day 5nddcnly
said: You promised to return ii to me" Ilc
seemed confused for moment, and said: i';d
II" "Certanly,,,' answered; He replied that
the question again, he said: That paper was
burned up long ago. and during the next two
years in various conversations of his own accord
he spoke of it as destroyed. l had n,v"r ASKED
for nor authorized the destruction of This paper,
but was not allowed to know that the ,l"ca-
ment was in existence until distinguished
editor in New York, within 4 few weeks past. as
sured me that Mr. MoElton had shown him tho
original. and that he had examined my signature
to be sure Of it's gcnuincncss. knew that there
was copy of it since this statement was lii prep
aratiOn. While rejected this memorandum rs
my work, or an accurate condensation of my
statement. it does undoubtedly correctly rrIrs,
sent that l was in profound s"rr"'', aid THAT
blamed myself with great severity for Tie di "a
tiers Of Tilton's family had not then the i-ht
weighed heavily upon my heart and con~cr"ca
Which now weighs only on my heart. have hot
the light which ;anayzss and ti*SY''i'a s*
me- q revelation f HH" of ": an=ui.h: An s."a-
lied family, whose inmates had been n,y
friends, greatly beloved; the husband r"in.I
in worldly prospects: the in"scio!d
crumbling to pieces; the woman by hong
sickness and suffering, either corrupted 10 deceit,
Us her husband alleged. or so broken in mind as
to be irresponsible. and either way ii was her en-
thusiasm for her pastor, rs wa> ma,r to believe,
that was the germ and beginning of the trosh'.
1t was for me to have iovc*:alcd and pi''v"N'vl
that mischief My age and experience IN !hr
world shonld have pu, me OF my "nar'. c"H'l
not at that time tell what was true and what H'.t
true of all tLs considerations URGED upon no y
Tit"n and Munl'on. lErIc was "Iirf h:i:'ic
me in which lay those who had been warm rl'i:,s,
and they alleged ina, ';, helped f" p;nn':~i n
therein That srrmc,!.rno'.l 10 ill my S"', ;,i'i,
aud Sl, i,n Inns l.,at
child hut will understand the wild sell accusation
that grief produced against all reason. blaming
herself for what things She did do and for what
che neglected to do and charging upon herself h.r
Dcg!cct or hecdlessncss the death Of the child,
while ordinarily every one knows she had worn
herself ont with her assiduities. Soon after lhs
Moulton was sick or was very late in rising. f",,
he was in bed. The subject Of my feel n"s and
conduct toward Tilton was introduced. maGca
statement Of motives under which had acted in
counseling Bowen of my feelings toward Tiltons
family, dsclaiming with horror the th"n"hf of
wrong and expressed desire to do whatever lay
stoned and to reunite his family. Tilt"n was
silent and sulen. lie played the part Of an
injured man. but Momlton said to Iili"n viii,
intense earnestncss. THAT is all that gentleman
can say and you ought 70 accept it as an honor,
able basis Of reconciliation" This he repeated
two or three times and Iilton,s coun ,,. Me-
shook hands and parted in friendly way.
Not very long afterward Tilton asked me I"
MS mouse, ana SAID That he should De HliN 10
have the good old times renewed.
1 do not remember whether ever took neal
alter that under his roof. but certainly was in.
vitcd by him to renew my visits formerly. l
never resumed my intimacy with the family. but
once or twice went there soon after my recon-
cia,ion with 1iton, and at his request. l par
ticularly remember the scene which took pace
ut his house when he talked about his wife and
me in a very gracious ,1 mood He hssan by
The future seemed quite dark After impre-~in:
lis with his great Patience he grew generous
praised me to his witesaying that hid taken upon
myself all the blame of past troubles. and hal
honorably exculpatcd her. and telling me that
his wife likewise had behaved very mag1ani-
mously. had blamed herself and declared TIA!
was blamciess. and h" closed his honlly with in
crcasing hope and cheer, saving that. deep ~
was his misery. he hoped that he would come
out in the future more cheerful than he ha;l
before.
restrained my smiles at the absurdity Of the
thing. well content to have it evapcra:c So and
even thinking he was generous in this way. This
seemed to The the end of the trouble. With
sensitive and honorable man, who had no utc-
rior designs to accomplish, it would have been
the burial Of the difficulty. supposed Tinn
had given up the idea of Intentional wron. on my