Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-08-15

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children and houses, that l went in an
out daily almost as iD my own hous,
Mr.. IiltOn often alluded TO this habi
and urged me to do tie same by hi
house. He would often speak in extTay
agant terms of
HIS wIFE's AFFECTION AND EsTEEl
FOR NE.
After l began TO visit his house, h
sought to make II attractive. He urge
me to bring my papers down there, an
use his study 70 do my writing in, as
was not pie asant to write at the Office c
the Independent. When l went to Eng
land in 1868, Mr.. Tilton took temporar.
charge OF the Independent On m,
return, 1 paved the way for him {
I take sole charge Of It, my nam
remaining for year, and then. he be
| coming the responsible editor. Friendl,
] relations continued until 1866, when th
violent assaults upon me by Mr.. Tilton
I in the Independent, on account of my
Cleveland letter, and the temporary dis
continuation of the publication of my
sermons In that paper, broke off my con
nectiOn with it. Although Mr.. TiltOT
and / remained on good terms PERSONAL
~, yet there was GOODNESS between vi
in all matters Of politics. Our social re.
latious were very kindly, and as late AZ
1858, at his request, / sat to Page some
fifty times for a portrait. IL was here
that l first met and talked with Meul-
ton, whose wife was a member of Ply
mouth church, though he was neither a
membsr nor even regular attendant.
During the whole period l never re-
ceived from Mr.. TiltOD, or any member
of his family, the slightest hint that
there was any dissatisfaction with my
familiar relations to his household. AS
late, 1 think, as the winter OF 1869, when
going upon an extended lecturiBg tour,
be said: al wish yeu would look in often
and
SEE THAT LIBBY is NOT LONESOME
and does not want anything" or words
to that effect. Never by sign or word
did Mr.. TiltOn Goa plain Of my visits to
his family until af,er he began to f el
that the Independent would be taken
from him; nor did be break out into vio-
leuce until On the eve of his dispOsses-
sion from both the papers, the L9depeRd-
eltt and the Brooklyn Union (owned by
Mr. B0wen). During these years of in
timacy in IiltOn's family, l was treated
as a father, or elder brother. Children
were born, children died; they learned
to love me, aud TO frOlic with me as if
l was one Of themselves l love them,
and / had for Mrs. Iilton q true and
honest regard. She seemed to me an
affectiOnate mother, a devoted wife,
looking to her husband as one far above
the common race of men, and turning
to me with artiess familiarity, with en-
tire confidence. Childish in appearance,
she was childlikei in nature; and would
as soon have misconceived the conf
dence OF the little girls as the un-
studied affection which she showed
me. Delicate in health, with
air, she was b0undless
in her sympathy for those in trouble,
and lab0Ted far beyond her strength for
the poor. She had the charge, at one
time, Of the married Women's class at
the Bethel missiOn-schOOl, ana they
perfectly wOrshiped her there. l gave
Mrs. Tilton copies Of my books when
published. l sometimes sent down farm
flowers, TO be distributed among a dozen
or more families, and she occasionally
shared. The only present of value l
ever gave her was on my return from
Europe, in 1864, when l distributed
Of my journey to some fifty or
more persons, and to her
IGAvE A SIMPLE BROOcHE,
1f little intrinsic value. So far from
that my presence and iufiu-
ence was alternating Mrs. TiltOn from her
family relations, l thought, on the con-
-rary, it was giving her strength, and
encouraging her to hold fast upon q
man evidently bddding into dangerous
and liable to be reversed
by unexampled self-cOnceit. regarded
TiltOn as in a very critical period Of his
life, and used to think it fortunate he
had good home il fluences about him.
During the late years of our friendship,
Mrs. TIltOn spoke very mOUrnfully TO
ne about the tendency of her husband
10 great lsxity OF doctrine in religion
and morals. She gave me to understand
hat he denied the divinity of Christ, the
Inspiration Of the scriptures. and mostly
he articles of orthodox faith, while his
views as to the sanctity of the marriage
citations were undergoing constant
,range in the direction of
FREE LOVE.
n the latter part of July, 1870, Mrs.
TiltOn was sick. At her request / visit
u uEls EDlAG EtEAuAu uluEu uElltEE5tus ]
lut gave me no hint Of any trouble hav- /
ng reference to me. l Icheered her as best |
could, and prayed with her just before 1
aaving- This was our last interview |
efOre trouble broke out in the family. /
describe it because Il was the last, and /
Is character has a bearing on the latter
art Of my story. Concerning all my /
ther visits, il is sufficient TO say that at |
la
ween Mrs. TiltOn and myself did any |
hing occur which might not have oc-
urred with perfect prOpTiety. between a /
rother and sister, between father and .
hid, o. between a man Of honor and /
he wife of his dearest friend; nor did I
nything ever happen which she or / .
ought to conceal from her husband.
Mr.. Beecher alludes to Mr.. TiltOn's .
Of the IndeDeHdent, which |
,rought down the whole of Plymouth |
hurch upon him (Beecber), he being .
uppo-ed still the controlling spirit, ard |
4 BOwen's argument, IN view of these /
emonstrances 70 remove Tilton, or sup 4
,ress his peculiar views. But instead Of 4
hat Theodore seemed firmer in the sad |
lie than before, and his loose notions |
4 marriage and divorce began to be |
hadOwed editOrially. This led TO the
tarting of the AdUdace IN Chicago TO /
upercede the Independent in the north
vest, and Mr.. Bowen wss made to feel .
hat Tilt5n's management was seriously |
niaring the business, aud TiltOn NAV
ave felt that his position was being un-
ermined by opponents of his views.
ome years before any open trouble be-
ween Mr.. TiltOn and myself his doc
- L.. I
aroused a storm OF indig-
alton among the representatives Of the
In the west, and as
ne paper was still very largely sup.
Osed TO be my organ, l was written 10
n the subject, and in reply indignant
7 disclaimed all responsibility for the
Jews expressed by TitOn. My brother
"a Nard, then living in Illinois, was
rOminent in these remOnstrances, with
HON he subsequently pretended to be-
eve was leagued vague intimatiOns of
is feeling hard toward me, i ascrbed
} this misconceptiOn. L had really
ken no step TO harm him.
After Mrs. Tilton's return from the
est, in December, 1870, a young girl
HON Mrs. Tilton had taken into her
.miiy and educated and treated like an
gn child (her testimony, understand,
before the committee), was sent TO me
ith an urgent request that / would
lsit Mrs. TiitOn at her mothers. She
,id that
MRS. TILTON HAD LEFT HER HOME,
nd gone to her mothers, in conse-
uence OF the ill-treatment OF her hus-
and. She then gave an account OF
ilaL she had seen Of the cruaIfv aud
buse on the part Of her husband that
hooked me, and yet more, when. with
dOwncRst look, she said that Mr. TiI.