Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1874-08-29
From the New York Herald.
A Remarkable Family.

the foremost preachers OF thls uay an(
the father Of a numerous progeny
many of whom are no less distin
guished than lie was himself. Out o
: the thirteen children of DR.. Lyman
, Beecher-one of whom died in infancy
: and another, the Rev. George Beechsr
1 was killed by the accidental discharge
Of his own gun while still a young
man-eight are well known all ovsl
the country. The most eminent mem
Der of the family is the Rev. Henry
Ward Beecher, whose unfortunate
complication with the Tiltons is now
the source Of so much scandal. 1t is
unnecessary to review his public ca
reer, even for the purpose Of contrast
ing it with that Of the other Beechera;
bnt we must be excused for, remark
ing that, as Livingston street was his
Golgotha, 50 has there been place Of
skeletons for nearly every one Of the
eminent Beechers. The fathers pecu-
liarity ofplaying AUD Lang Syne"
on his fiddle or dancing the double
shuttle" after a sermon seems to have
been transmitted in one form or an
other to each Of his children, and
nearly all Of them have at some time
acquired notoriety by freak chsrac-
teristic of this remarkable family.
After Henry Ward Bsechsr, Har-
riot Beecher Stowe is the most emi-
nent of old DR.. Beecher's children.
Married early in life she was first alb
porbod in her domestic affairs, and
she showed no decided literary genius
till she was forty years Of age. But
in 1852, when every body believed
that slavery agitation was ended by
the repeal Of the Missouri compromise,
she gave sboitionism new impetus
by the publication Of her remarkable
story Of Uncle Toms Cabin" The
success of that novel vas simply mar
vsllous, and the story still remains
unsurpassed as a picture Of the old
slave life in the South. In her sub
sequent works, however. Mrs, Stowe
has showed only mediocre talent, and
sh. has fatally blurred her reputation
BY her famous vindicstion Of Lady
Byron. Az vindicStion it can only
be called Beecherian, and it was, in
fact, only a relation of the gossip she
had gathered from the woman Lord
Byron once called his wife. The
Beecher sisters have singular knack
Of dealing with the domestic affairs OF
others, and even Miss Ca,harine Beech
.r once wrote book called "Truth
S.rsnget Than Fiction" in which she
gave an account of An infolicitous
Complication in which some of her
| friends were involved. A more re-
markable illustration Of this singular
faculty than either Of these is found
in the conduct Of Mrs Isabella Beech
er Hooker in regard to the calamity
which had overtaken her brother.
According to the letters exhibited as
part of the Moulton statement Mrs:
Hooker sent her enfeebled husband
abroad, po sibly to die, while she rs-
NAMED behind to save her brother
Henry and vindicate that fragrant
essence Of womanhood, Mrs. Victoria
Woodruff, for her assaults upon his
character. This proposition vas not
more astounding than the method by
which such wonderful results were to
be achieved. but if it is essentially
true" says Mrs. Hooker to Mr.. Beech.
er, speaking of the story about which
we have recently had so much testl-
monv, there is but one honorable
way to meet it, in my judgment, and
the precise method occurred to me in
bed this molning, and | was abou'
writing you to suggest it when your
letter came. l will write YOU a sis
terly letter. expressing my deep con-
yiction that this whole subject needs
the most earnest and chaste discussions
that my own mind has long been &C.
cupied with it, and is still in doubt OF
many points; that l have observed fol
years that your reading and thinking
have been profound on this and kin
dred subjects, and now the time h.'
come for you to givethe world, through
your own paper, the conclusions YOU
have reached and the reasons therefor
If you choose, l will then reply tt
each letter. giving the woman s view
for there is surely mans and
womans side to this beyond every
where else-and by this means atten
ton will be diverted from PERSONAL
ties and concentrated Of social phi
losophy-the one subject that nov
ought to occupy all thinking minds.
This was sisterly as no sister eve
wrote to brother before, and people
must belong to a very remarkable
family, indeed, where one can rec
ommend such a course to another in 1
matter Of such great moment.
The youngest Of the Beechers, cas-
in the shade as he is by his more elni
nent brothers and sisters, seems tt
have monopolize the com non sense o
the family. This is the Rev. Thoma
), X. Beecher. Henry tells his siste
Belle that they are nearer togethe
4Lon anr nf thair hrothers and sisters