The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-30
JoHN n. 0oU0H Ar HOME.
What an English Visitor Reports or Ms Sur.
rounding, HABITS, md fax.


Though born an Engishman, John Il. |
Cough. IN his life. modes Of thought HABITS |
Of uttcronce. diet. and gait is an Ameri- /
n type of the American gentleman farmers |
Residence. II Is Ia the State Of Mussachu- |
T 1 rSo5 T rsm ~ f%o ,Sr and sSs car
lesser Boston. situated forty.four miles from |
tho American Athens. on the main line Of rail
and ut IL 30 step from tho train at Worcester. |
Thence II is an agreeable walk or drive to Hill !
side, charactcristically American house, pie |
turesque both rs to its shape and situation,
with wide parrd verandn running all round |
IL; broad windows opening to the floor. shell
tered by Venetian blinds: n great square
wooden cupola on the top. with a shading cor.
nice; widri cOrnice Ornamenting the caves Of
the house itself, which il OF two stories only.
and sits lightly on the earth. seeming to have
no no cellar ana to be snpn9rted on IN airy
1t Is n handsome housr. airy. roomy. sum
mory and, as n resting place after the lecturers
winter work, altogether charming. surround
of 240 acres. part OF Of park like beauty and all
Of It under thorough cultivation. The grounds
Immediately surrounding the house are eN-
tremely lovely. and laid out with Rrnvolled
roads, bordered by fine old trees with broad
reaching depths Of shade. The lawn includes
loyeliest. valleys in New England-a valley
which English visitors arc quick to com
It's gentle undulations. its round and velvet
hills, its towering hedges along the turn
SKT FS OF snems bss Eer IS tho nerss
OF tho house less attractive. Taste and culture
unite with Yankee neat-hnndcdness TO mako
pnrlor" sngulary fresh ard inviting. Like
all the rooms in the house. tho library Is bright
and sunny. with broad. large PANIED windows
coming from the ceiling right down to the
floor. Upon the marble manielshelf are vases
the room; a few choice landscapes and family
portraits are on the walls. Lining the walls.
between the airy aco-hung windows. are book
shelves from floor to ceiling. upon which rest
some 5000 carefully selected volumes. consist
ing largely Of English commentaries on the
Scriptures. and other helps TO the comprehen.
notable thing in tho library IL tho great num-
Der OF volumes relating 70 art. and the immense
quantity of sketches and cngrnvings. bound in
magnificent follos and quartos. or lying loose
In portfolios. Among thom are Cruikshank's
finest collection in the world II numbers nearly
200 Of the best otchings OF the humorous and
highly moral pencil advocate Of toetotalism.
. The English visitor to this charming homo is
naturally somewhat surprised TO find IL such u
beautiful property: But ecturing the United
Stntcs II n very different pursuit from lecturing
in England. In this country MIR. Cough IL n
temperance lecturer only; and 1t Is true he Is
that prominently in the States; bu, there he is
also one. il not the chief. OF the yceum speak
ers. who spread all over the country every win
Ter, addressing such hosts OF people as English
lecture audiences can scarcely conceive. John
B. Coughs usual fee is two hundred dollars or
about forty pounds. In some Of tho larger
profits of the association which manages tho
lecture being often quite equal 70 tho lecturers
HOnOruflum. Multllly tltSll UanItS per night
by one hundred and nifty nights-his yehrly
average OF lectures-and II will be seen that Mr..
Coughs income is equal to such home ms
Hillside. As n matter OF fact il il equal % much
more; md a Ices opeu-handed giver than
Cough would be at his age wealthy.
Cough has this home. and that literally IL all.
He has accommodated ne com moi nov unon which
10 retire from his arduous work. His charities
have been boundless. though always unQstenta-
tious. He means TO die in harness. and retire.
ment from his active life Is II thing that has
never for a moment entered into his scheme OF
existence To work In the winter. to rest in the
summer-that is his whole programme. For
thirty-six years he has been. except during tho
summer months. necessarily travelling. Tho
distance he has journeyed would have sum
TO carry him a dozen times around the terra
dueous globe: He has delivered nearly eight
Spurgeon began, to preach nearly ton years
later than Cough. and has spoken not more
than half as often; Henry Ward Beecher was
not heard OF until six years after Cough had
Dscple ,hs reeot.n.Iu hi t Oi 'esto,alisI' anu
il is impossible to converse long with Mr.,
temperance For thlfty-ilve years this theme
has formed the staple Of his dscourses. There
Is not an actor on any stage who can approach
him in versatility. In Illustrating his lectures
he viii play with equal ease the rollicking
lrishman. the unbendlng Scotch deacon. the
frivolous coxcomb. the shoulder heaving
Irenchman, the brutal husband. the broken
hearted wife the Plani9tion negro. the topper in
sirung anu helpful presence no sketch OF Mr..
Cough al home would be complete, is an enthu-
siastic admirer 81 her husbands orMory, even
after lifetime Of familiar association with It,
and warns with interest on the subject when.
over questioned concerning the, secret OF
saws " 1t is like the striking OF match" Mr..
Cough himself says there are two distinct cur
rents Of thought streaming increasingly through
his mind as he spcaks-appropriat and re-
lection, with all the mass Of inater bearing on
the subject Of temperance accum uuted during
five and III rty years present in his memory. il
is the embarrassment OF the choice which to
use; and n great embarrassment II ia. Besides
this. there Is also ever present desire 10 bring
forth something now on the wel-wOrn theme.
Thus IT Is thht me orator Constantly Aunches
into untried illustrations. which always result
tremendously thanks to an innate sense Of 1T
ness, which never yet lot him be betrayed into
" Ona evening" says Mr.. Cough. =" set out
] to build temple. i had never built q temple
before. At tho outset | ran mp a scaflulling
| ton a the building from tho foundation W,
until at last the coPestons was securely III It's
| place. and the standard OF moral triumph was
| bravely floating from flagstaff % firm resolve.
| Meantime there was the scafiolding still stand
| ing. How was to get II down. Even while |
WAS sponklng OF other parts OF my ideal arehi-
| lecture. my mind was on that scaifolding. But
structure fell. 1t WAS brought down with 4
| crash by reference TO the power OF prayer
What an this would mean from the lips OF a
! common man the reader can SEQ nj n glance
! What It means from Mr.. Coughs lips no one
can possibly imagine who has not beard hum
| orators generally is earnostncss. Traditions
| survive and render the preacher OF to-day "a
| mere repetition OF some model approved in
| other years but unsuited 10 tines so vital MS
| our own when earnestness and force in every
| brnnch-he II oratory. art literature. or science
| are imperatiNely demanded.
| " II a nun were 10 como into this room to tell
me the house was on fire" says Mr.. Cough. tho
! flash ot his eye showing that We are TO have n
taste OF his quality he would not stand with
| his hands before him like this (laughnble imi-
| tation Of stin and awkward manner. very
| preacher-likel and say. in mealy vofoo:
| Mr. Cough. | beg leave 10 inform you that u
! coniagrntion has broken forth with consider
able fury below He would rush in dramatic
! DASH and cry out: jack here, gct out OF this J.;
tic house is on trep" la building temples Mr..
Cough may be obliged TO proceed with some
caution; but IN setting house on fire he never
| had an equal. In his library or on the platform.
| his house on ilre-whether II bethe moral house
| OF the drunknrd consuming the edifce Of him
| self with alcohol, or the actual house. which tho
| besolted husband has fired in his idotic stupor.
| and in which lis innocent wife and babes arc
| burnt 10 death, Is the most robust conilugrutiOn
ever seen since Nero fddled while Rome
| famed.
This passionate defamation is not summoned
| UP with that consummato art which enabled
| Mile Rachel TO weep binding tears about moth
| ing whatever. Every word spoken by Cough he
| feels. Once. in speaking on temperance in
| America. he brought his hand down upon tho
| sharp corner Of u marb!e-toppcd table making
| an ugly wound which he did not notice. until