Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1877-11-30

Avn SAAAVhA VI AuH nhEAE EAFAVH
-LEsTER wALLACK IN "ROSEDALE"
"A DRIVE IN PROJECT Park, ETC.
Correspondence oflhe HERALD
BROOKLYN, l.. /, Nov. II, 1877.
have for some time past had curiosity
both TO hear nut SEQ H. nry Ward Beecher
but was VariOuslY prevented until Sunday
last. The day being cloudy, gloomy, with
. most piercing wind, l promised myself u
NO. ! seat, and uttering my thoughts
aloud, | was cOolly Informed that every.
body els thinklng just the same, gener-
ally crowded tho hou,e on the most un-
propislous days as we'll as tn fair Sun
days. Being ready, however, for once In
my lie 10 time, | was present when the
Ihurch doors were opeued, 90 that after
standing a hslf hour outside, waiting f"r
pew-holders to DO seated, my escort aud |
were the $50 nd party usheTed 10, and In.
viled TO the fifth or sixth pew from the
pulpit, q hrst.class seat, (parAOn the eX.
preston, Church lTiends) but l never en-
tered q Church impTcssiug me so little like
the house OF God. II was nothing rev 10
my escort, but to me II was oil novel, from
beginning TO end, ami be patiently and
kindly gratiGc d inc % far a. hn could. |
Strangers unprovlded with UritteR cards
OF Invitation IRON pew-hOldeTS, stAbd ~
they come, Tons deep, sometimes far into
the street, even down the Sidewalk, and
occasionally, tired Of standing, sitting on
stepsOf dwellings as uear tho Ihurch as
possible, so a. 10 be able TO push forward
when chance faVors. It really seems In
credible, but II 10 true. b. -aLd.by, SO
pew-owueTs' families are seated, Ii. seats
unoccupied by them 10 their own pews are
given 20 strangers, admitted too at q tine,
leach q sle) by the outdoor SeItOn, the
uahnTQ anlAfn maaItNR aud GanNt,U NhnnN
Tit church, txtefiUIly, is brick, with
plain, durab c brown stone font, and not
altogether prepOssessing. 1t was rebuilt
for Mr.. Beechtr In le4S, having been pre-.
ViOusly destroyed by ire The interior
contains or thres tiers OF gall, Fies ar-
ranged precisely like a lheater, besides q
cOok.lOt away up, almost under the very
ceiling, and attached TO the end OF every
pew 10 q brass iOldiDg chair for crowded
houses. 1t 10 hardly necessary 10 add
they are never folded. A grand old organ
just back Of the pulpit. reaching fiom
floor almost to dune, With q choir OF iny
or slxty (all good voices, some Of them
very line rolls Gown u volum VI har mUny
which 10 caught by the congregation and
again rises upward.
Mr.. BGecher 10 quite Q different man,
both orator cAlly aud physically from my
p ~econceived opinion. lie Il not much
above ordinary he'ght, and quite pOrtly,
with ayTl , complexion, aGd features large
and apparently immOblle, the mouth gerry
pleasing, Though Lonely. But his JrUw Is
GUd-liEe. The head Ioses much Of charac-
ter b. tie long grey lc0ks, slightly curing
at tho en- 8 as they fall over tue coat COl-
lar. He looks over the congregation as
though 'munAich Of all be EuTVei eJ,p aud
r, ceiving \ $4,000 salary was well salts.
fed with himself aud his people, who are
not 'l%uke.wafm," but either devoted
friends or bitter enemies. l anticipated a
perfect " rent OF ~el0quence. Nothing u
the sort greeted me. his language nOws
tull and even, as II there was Al uudance
at the fountain head, but no rhetorical
flowers bloom there. II they d., no has
tnem housel for Winter lectures. l did
not catch 90 much az the lragl RuCe OF one
Neither 10 there ''pOetry In his g%estures,'i
though As easy as the most perfect self
possession n give, even when be relates
an anecdOte and takes ona step backward
with the loOk Of expectancy, VIII oh his
c n~gregALion always crafty by smiliRi
dudibv, sho" s tneir appreciation OF The
intended jeu d'SspHt For the time being
near a couple Vi hours, It Q whole service
l VAS intensely interested, and bis pres
ence had such mesmerism over q eOngre
CATION OF three hUBSdhd or more that thl
dropping VI . pln On tue door could ala Os
DO heard. HIS prayers are short, and O.
appropriate to the feelings aud thOughl
Ut all, that each individual Of iht
vast aud vRIIed assembly mi h
think himself specially remembered, anC
he SCENE 10 feel in The very depths u
his heart. every word that be 'utters. Al
ter service be sits fur ten ur fifteen min
utes quietly Ia hts chair, nodding smil ng
ly to his III nds as they are passing out o
8 urch. We were ten minutes or NOR,
moving down two thirds Of lhel aisle, an,
full One.lourth VI tue congregation wer,
still unable 10 leave their pews.
Wednesday | had tue treat Of seeIDl
Lester y Rilack 10 his own play o Rose
dale he 10, ia spite OF his age, the mos
charming Of actrrs, seems such u periec
geLtl, man 10 all his movements, 50 sell
kn Enlargement UPON the stage Of N,
, Kindly greeting from the audience, Wal
lack UdniShes entirely into the impersrn
ted character. Ills voice, while perfectly
} dist .nct,i 10 wholly free from afectation, ah(
his old tins ballads he sings with pathOs
t In size he IL tall and large, but does no
look, even under the catering light from
as gets,on day younger than his real age
Yet Withal b, /, handsome, a.d with sucl
manly beAfingi
Q Thursday | spent 10 "Prospect Park,
HulGu DGVVAiJ hAbeu ASkeA0 Win ~ HtbCl
pride 80 their lister city her own "Centra
Para" II was q genuine Fall day, haze
Q Ia "Indian summer" The air wa
redolAnt OF the soft, rich smell OF rC tin
0 leaves, and most Il the six mile drive wa
full Of wild natural scenery. The hand
artidoe touching 1t W carefully, yet per
. lectly, that aFs oOnceAls itself, and nj
Iure alone Is Visible. even the silver
brooks 10 made 10 run In aud out now owe
b o rock, now bursting into q lhkelet, mil
EOIIug numbers OF graceful swans, MAJ
/. rowing again under rustic bridges OF mos
Gancltul shapes, then spreading betwee
Q green banks OF moss and ierns, as u zero
IlcGing IN It's oHn sweet will,n until
quietly subsidies into the Winter skatln
n pond. The flowers are housed for th
Winter on the grounds In large cOnseEvI
d tories. One cd gentleman with greI
. love for flowers, seeing q rathi
%curIous plant, a.ked Il It belOnge
0 TO the cactus family. "NO, ST." sp0k
Q out me smLrt urchln, ~ guess II don't b.
d long 10 no Caotus family, 'cause II bell ne
d to the city aOV'ment." Winter prepaFI
d tons are also made tor the countless littI
chippys, aud lew real singing birds. NJ
In 40 aVlary, for they do not require auC
q close confinement, but In q very Lara
house, built as q thatched cottage, al
]. 9 emlngly q most comfortable resIdenU
for an unlimited lumber. The IOuntal
It At tue entrance IL the handsnmest | haV
II seen (Outside Of Central Parkl, though
10 wac not playing the other day. There al
10 not many busts and statues, tut then. th
Ia Park Ia VOuDg yet, thlnkN however,