Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-08-08
"THEODORE AND ELIZABETH"

AIEVDVhL AM GAAA n DAA He
Chicago Times.l
Conscience made a prophet, if
not q coward, of Beecher. He
foretold his future would be a
troubled one, whatever the verdict
in the Tilton suit might be. Every
days developments attest the accu-
rate precision Of the wretched
preacher. Moulton has pushed his
suit until Beecher is now compelled
toappear and plead against a verdict
for libel. The upper courts, unin.
huenced by that "jury of vicin-
age" of which Evarts made SC
much, has given Moulton's lawyers
the suit, and the fearful, eifulgent
Sherman must bring his client t
the dock within four weeks, or le
him stand convicted of libel.
Meanwhile the dramatis persona
Of the Brooklyn scandal NOV,
about and mingle in the world, il
much the extraordinary fashion
made known to the world by tn
trial. Tilton has resumed his pen
and, beyond an extra buoyancy Q
manner, would never be suspecte
of being the principal in the amaz
ling drama of weakness, debauch
cry and sentimentalism. He seem
to retain those sentiments of super
natural endurance of wrong whic
electrified the masculine commur
ity during the trial. For Elizabet
he seems to cherish the same el
traordinary devotion which blinde
him to her worthlessness, eve
when by her own confession, sE
was the worst kind Of a demirel
He retains the members of I'll
family who cling to him, includin
/" the boy Ralph" whose paternit
was a puzzle to him, in the light
Beecher's peculiar relations.
Elizabeth also preserves the gr
tesque sell-possession of the da
when she edlivened her househo
by alternate outbreaks Of penite
tial confidence and clamors Of i
treatment and starvation. She h
been deserted by the Beecher ba
talon; earns a scanty LIVING by Il
needle; endures the torments Of h
> eccentric mother Morse's tongu
. interspersed with occasional bou
with "Theodore" by note. f
, like unto all that has gone befol
these two, whose household wron
we're great enough to divide t
whole nation into factions, ha
began anew, in a sort Of moditi
way, the wholly inexplicable re-
tions, revealed ia the astoundi
correspondence of husband a.
4. wife. Hearing from the childrC
= who pass at will between the
J. vided couple, that Elizabeth "
!. worked to her finger tips, TheodC
: characteristically makes @ che
. from his earnings of last Bipte
! lectures and sends the disgraC
it wife $1,000. How can a moral
is pointed or a tale adorned by su
z an incorrigible coupler The chan
5 are ten to one that they will be b
a ing and cooling with the absl
! sentimentalism of ten years ago,
d chat shabby Livingston street C
/ tage which has thrown its inn
= most closets, down to its bprt
g. drawers, open to public inspect,
5. It would be wholly consistent W
the character of Theodore to rev
the morning of his married ]
with the "stricken cottage
be newed as the rose, its pretty w
vs. frightened, its faded and rag
- carpets replaced, its treasures of
10 reset in q background of qu
homelise luxury, and the peni
Mt. Elizabeth set again at the head
the household to rain a perpet
= mist Of tears and repentance u
the broad breast of her relent
:, lord.
{ There is nothing improbable
this. Tilton's seems to be an
solutely reyengeless nature.
. is said that meeting Oliver Jc
son, the old scoundrel who perjI
himself to hold his place on BE
y er's paper, Tilton took him by
'ur- arm-this was weeks after the t
ond oorr;ed him off to n mic