New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-25
any fact regard to which his oath s opposed
TO the oath OF an honest man.
"yEsT-HIDINGn DEFINED.

"NEST-HIDING" DEFINED.
As illustrative of the same kind OF trcke!y,
gentlemen which runs through the whole Of this
and which has led really to great deal Of public miap
p-ehensOn let refer for moment 70 the letter OF May
g. 1871. page 81. Now please 70 remember the crcuin
stances under which Mrs TtOn writes this letter, or
note 10 Mr. Beecher. He her pastor She knew that
she had made false accusation against him she knew
that although had retrac:ed it, yet she had been In
Giced in another form TO repeat the accusation she
honored him. she felt selconveted for the wrong she
felt, true that not in his heart to repFoach
her. that he appreciated the circumstances under which
II happened; and she writes TO him. her pastor he not
being willing her and she having no opportunity
TO talk with him personally. this little note
NJ. BEgCHRR: Ny future, either for lie or death,
wodd be happier. could but feel that You forgap while
yOn forget In all the sad complications OF the past
ny ehslVoI was 70 ehtiFeb Aeep rom you a. SUI
IeIs 10 bear myself alone; leaving you forever gno-
rant OF r. Ny weapons love, larger untiring gen
crosby, and neSthtding!
What the occasion OF that etteri Is it letter Of
sssignaton this would have you believer Is II
letter OF an adueress TO aduerer exutng over past
laseiyiousnessi No. it is the letter OF humble,
broken. a e0ntrite woman. TO the man whom she has
wronged She perfectly understood that he knew how
was that she had commit the wrong that there
had been those household troubles OF hers and that in the
course OF those troubles she had become entanged and
embroied as to be brought into the situation in which
her husband able bring her 70 make that false
accusation And she, touched by the feeling that Mr.
Beecher did not recognize her did not seek her out in
the congregation, and that he had the feeling while he
said word Of unxindness-that he had the feeling
that he could not have 10 do with Elizabeth Tton,
says Oh may have the that while you for
get me you also forgive me 2" Now you will remember,
part Of the literary history of this case, that was
stated and improved upon with great adrotnes by Ben
jamn F. Butler that keen and sharpsghted lawyer ana
that effect given TO this IN this way, W..
Beecher and Mrs TlltOn, through their long
course Of adulterous intercourse, had been III
the habit OF defining it by the use OF the term
nest-hidng. and she casually introduced in;o this
letter that expression familiar them but unfamiliar TO
the public" OF course not using the exact Ian
guage hut the idea. You had occasion TO testify when
you were jurors that you had read these publ
cations which had appeared from time To time Now
don't yOu there the OF Theodore Tlton and the
execution Of Frank MOItonl Never since Henry Ward
Beecher born far his recognized and recorded
uterances 20, has he used that word nest-hding"-
never-except as he used this trial. and in repudi
ating the imputation that was cast upon her
II the truth that that phrase that they had
been the habit Of using it all important ~ prove
IT, II that phrase that was familiar 10 Mr. Beecher
he has been writing books and books and books through
% 30 years. and they have all been searched and cx
amined and nesthiding" cannot be found there. But
my ingenious and airoit friend Judge Fullerton. goes
through Norwood" and he finds reference there by
Mr. Beecher 10 a robin and It's nest and he says, I'm
questionab.y they got the term interchangeable got
the nest-hidng from Henry Ward Beechers Nor
wood" Wen, oG liz enough If you will look at any con-
cordance Of Shakespeare, you will find Shakespeare IN
more than half dozen Of his plays makes the same ref
erelce though in other connections which TO he found
In NORWOOD" And, without being myseH q literary
man. think that say with entire confidence that
YOU could scarcely look through The works even OF stern
philosopher ike Lord Bacon without finding similar Illus
traons FOX OF the pecuares OF great men, OF men
OF genius that they and FOR the purpose OF Illus
traton al those analogies presented III natural Objects
or i'll the ordinary of affairs and vivfy them into
life, and make them weapons Of power. Shakespeare
would be immortal if it for nothing else than that
the very growing OF blade OF grass carries to him sig
nhcance which enables him to give point 10 IL ID a
play which will endure through all generations You
cannot 20 next Sunday morning 10 hear Henry "dfu
Beecher preach without coming away with reeol
lection o phrase cut from nature, vivid a. Shakespeare
himself. vivid old Homer-thOse things which impress
men of warm maginatons, high genius and keen oDser-
walton. 1t is utter absurdity To suppose
that that casual Of a phrase IN which
the word nest" is 70 give a
significance 70 compound word where the sense Is per
fectly obvious. Now what did she mean by nest
hiding Z" They say adultery" Now, will read it, and
when my learned friend Mr.. Beach, comes TO comment
upon that letter ant INN summon all the resources
OF his ingenuity and exercise all his commanding power
Of analysis and Illustration, and make You understand
he can, how nest-hiding" there means adultery.
Now if 1t means that the substitution OF the word VIII
make good Now let read the letter over once
more, IL is short
Mr. BEEcHyR: Nv future, either for life or death.
would be happier could bu feel that You J0Tgdre WhLe
you forget me In all the sal complications Of the PAST
years nv endcavOr entirely "a Keep from you All
suffering Ia bear myself alone leaving you forever
ignorant OF it, Ny weapons were love, large utlllnS
generosity. and"
adultery l. that the tone OF that leteri Do The parts
harmc nze If You substitute the word adultery for the
word nesthidng" IL 4 dishonest device of Theo-
dore Ton to the language Of purity into the
language OF confession OF guilt