Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-08-20

some emphatical remark showed pistol. which
afteryard he took ont and laid on the bureau
near which he stood: l gave the paper to linn
| and after lew moments talk he left; within
| day OF two after This Mr.. NOElG0n made the third
| visit and this Time repaired 10 NY study in
1 the third story Of ny house.
Before speaking of this interview it is right
! that should allude 10 the suffering through
| which had gone during the previous day, the
cause of which was the strange change in Mrs.
/ IiirUn. Nothing had seemed more certain during
/ all my acquaintance with her than that she was
/ Slugui2Ily simple, truthful and honorable. De-
CeIt seemed absolutely foreign TO her nature. and
! yer she had stated 10 hc- husband those strange
| and awful talSehCCds. She had not. when daily
! | called aud PRAYED with her given me the
slightest hint. viii not say Of such accusations.
| bur even that there was anv serious family diff
/ Guilty. She had suddenly. IN December, called
me ard my Wife 10 a consultation - 10 possible
separation from her husband. still leaving me
! Ignorant mat she had put into his hands such
I weapon against ME. / was bewlldereG with
/ the double Consciousness CT sanity
/ woman committing = very needless treach-
/ cry 70 her friend and pastor. l did
not for moment feel however. that she
/ was blalncworthy- a. would ordinarily b.
! thought. but supposed that she had been
/ overcome by weakness and shattered in mind
/ until she scarcely knew what she did. and was
/ no longer responsible FOR her acts. Ny
/ sell Tor want of prudence and foresight. Tor
thought that all this had been the result OF her
/ CAutS affection for ne. had profound feeling
/ HAT | would bear any blame and take any pun
lSAIneut ii that poor child could only emerge from
ans cloud and be put back into the happiness from
| which had been, as thought. if not the cause,
/ the occasion Of Withdrawing her. Ii my
| own daughter had been in a similar case. my
grief Al her calamity could scarcely have
bteh greater. Moreover. from the anger
ard fury of Dir. Tilton, l apprchended that this
charge. made Ivy him and supported by the
accusation OF his WIFI, was TO be al once
! publicly pressed against me. and if Ii was
had nothing but my simple word of denial to
lnterposc against it. In my then morbid condi-
ton of mind tnn lght that this charge. although
entirely untrue d. Tht result III great disaster if
not III aoso!ute rum TO the great interests which
we're entirely dependent upon me-the church
which / had built up, the book which l was
writing. my own immediate family, my bf0thers
name, now engaged i'll the ministry. my sisters.
the name which had hoped might live after me
and be IN slight degree a source of strength
and encouragement to those who should succeed
me. and. above all. the cause for which had de-
voted my life seemed impcTilcd. 1t seemed 10
me that my iite-work to end abruptly and in
disaster. Ny earnest desire TO avoid public &C
cusation and the evils which must necessarily
now from 1t, aud which now have resulted from
IT, has been one Of the leading motives that must
explain my action during these four years
with reference TO this matter. 1t was in such
Sore-dls treSscd condition tnat MouIton found
me. His manner was kind. However, he CON
sidrred that | had been seeking TltOn's down
fall: that ! had lea~ued with Mr. Bowen against
him, and, by my advice, came near destroying
his family. did not need any argument or per
suasIon 10 induce me to do and say anything
which would remedy the injury of which then
believed had certainly been the occasion. il not
-
wronged Tilton 50, the wrong meant his means
Of support suddenly taken away, NJ reputation,
his family destroyed and that had done it. He
assured me Of his own knowledge that the stories
which had heard of TiitOns impurities of life,
and which | had believed and repeated TO Bowen,
were All false and that TiltOn had been faithful
10 his wife. | was persuaded into the be-
lief Of what he said, and felt convinced OF
the Islander in it, meanest form. He drew pic
ture OF TiltOu wrOngcd in reputation. position.
and purse, shattered III his family, where he would
otherwise have found refuge and at the
time looking Upon me out OF his deep distress
while was Astounding III friends most popular.
and with ample means. He drew the picture of
my pros prritr, Overlooking and Astounding, and
Tilton's utter degradation. was most intensely
excited. Indeed, 1 felt that my mind was in
danger OF giving away; walked up and down the
room, pouring forth my heart in the most unre-
strained grief and bitterness Of selfaccUsation,
telling what my ideas were Of the obligation Of
friendship and of the sacredness of the house
hold; denying, however, an Intentional wrong,
Saving that, if l had been the cause, however
remotely, Of that which | then beheld l never
could forgive myself and heAping all the blame
on my head. The case rs it then appeared to
my el rs WAS strongly against me. My old friend
and teiioWworker had been dispOssesscd OF his
eminent place and influence, and had COunselcd
it; his family had wcnigh been broken up,
and had advised it; his wife had been long sick
and broken III health and body, and l, as l fully
| believed. had been the cause of all this wreck
by continuing that blind hecdlessncSs and friend
Shipwhic mad beguilcd her heart and had reused
her husband into a fury OF jealousy, although not
canscd by any intentional acr OF mine; and
dignation upon this lady; should hold her up
10 contempt gS having thrust her affections upon
me un>ought: should Tread upon the man and
lis household in their great adversely? | gave
vent "a my feelings without measure. l dis
claimed with great earnc>tncss amy intent to
harm rhco,lorc in his home or his business, and
vi h inrNDliCabc sorrow | both blamed and de-
Tended Mrs. Tilton III one breath.
MIR, Moulton was apparently affected by my
SUliOQuy, iUr II was that rather than a ConYers;-
ton. He said that if Tilton conld really be per-
shaded Of the friendlincss of my feelings toward
him he was sure that there would be no trouble in
procuring reconciliation. gave him leave to
state to Theodore my feelings: He proposed that
I should write d letter. | declined, but said that
he could report our interview. He thcG prepared
to make memorandum of the talk, and sat down
at my table and took down, as l supposed. coo-
densed report of my talk, for went on still pour
ing ont my wounded feelings over the great desc
laton in TiltOn 5 family. 1t was not dlctatlon
OF sentence after sentence, he. mere amanuensis
and l composing for him. Mr.. Moulton was put
ting into his own shape parts of that which was
| saving in nv own manner with prOfuse eXplana-
! tons. 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
! doubt, but they were put into sentences by
| him, and expressed as he understood them, not
| as my words, but rs hints OF my figures and let
tiers be used by him in cOnYerslng with IlltOn.
| He did not read the paper TO me, nor did read
il: nor have ever seen it or heard il read that
! 1 remember, until the publication of Tilton's
! cent documents and now reading it, see in it
thoughts that point to the matter OF my discourse,
Dul II IS not my paper, nor are IuOSt NY Scii-
fences, nor is it correct report OF what said 1t
/ is mere string of hints, hastily made by
praCticed writer helps TO his memory in repre-
! senting to Tilton how felt toward his family.
If more than this be claimed; ii II be set forth
/ in any proper sense my letter, then disown il
| and denounce it. Some of its sentences, and
particularly that in which I am made to say that
! | had obtained Mrs. TiltOns forgiveness |
! never could have said, even in substance.
! | had not obtained asked any for
| giveness from her, and nobody pretended
! that had done so. Neither could | ever have
| fore God except in the SENSE that both TO God
| and to the man thought had deeply injured l
| humbled myself, as l certainly did; but ii is
less to analyZe paper prepared rs this HaS. The
| remainder of my plain statement concerning 1t
! will be its best comment. This document
After it was finished M0ulton asked me II would
sign It. l said no: it was not my letter. lie re-
! piled that it would have more weight II l would
/ in some way indicate that he authorized 10
| explain my sentiments. l took my pen, and at
| some distance below the writing and upon the
the document in trust TO MOulton, and signed
| the line thus written by me. \ few words
TO its further fate: Mr.. MOulton, of his own
! accord, said that after using it he would in
| two or three days bring. the mcmorsn-
| dunn back to me, and he cautioned me about dis
| closing in any way that there was difficulty be-
tween Mr.. Tilton and me, a il would be injurious
! to Tilton to have it known that had quarrelCd
! with him, as well as for me to have rumOrS set
! atoat. | did not trouble myself about II until
more than a year afterwaTd, when Mr.. TiltOn bs-
can to write uD his (Of which hereaft Cr) and
| was looking mp documents. L wondered what
| was in the old memorandum, and desired to
il for greater certainty. SO one day suddenly
! asked Mr. Moulton for that memorandum, and
said: ." You promised TO return II TO me- He