Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-03-18
The TiItOns and Beecher.

Theodore Tilton is looking first rate,
though he has grown oldish, writes
Gath. He was spoiled by Plymouth
church, which at one time supported
him by a majority of the votes of the
members against Mr.. Beecher. Beech
er wanted to send some money to some
Of the Indians in the Indian territory,
and Tilton raised the point that said
Indians were shareholders and should
not have the money. Beecher, rich in
warm. h~eartedness, thought it was a
small point; but Tilton, who was a
cruel radical, asserted his side with so
much effect that the congregation
would not vote the money, and ordered
a postponed meeting and debate.
From that moment Mrs. Beecher
hated Theodore Tilton, as she ought
to have done. Beecher was a good
deal hurt to find the young man he
had brought up with such love setting
himself up on a frivolous thing like
this against his influence in the
church; but next day he called on
Tilton to take a ride, and was silent
fora good while, and finally, putting
his arm around Tilton he said: The
odore, | love you better than ever"
Of the three persons in the big sean
dal, Tilton most deserved the common
injury. He had set up the gospel of
eclectic love, previous to which his
wife had been a pure woman, carrying
it out in practice. His wife went for
sympathy to the other man, and fell in
love with him. The other man does
not carry It in his conscience much,
being a strict adherent to the old Mo-
sale theologies. Mrs. Tilton and her
brother, Joe Richards, are not liars.
Joe had to testify in the case, and
many people were disgusted that he
seemed to throw a stigma on his sis
ter's character; but that was only a
part Of the queer behavior of those
Plymouth people, who would rather
tell the truth than enjoy a lie. When
Joe slipped down a rut he was almost
a ruined man for having told the truth,
like George Washington; but in this
big city of New York it seems that
there were enough people to sympa-
thize with him and admire him, per-
haps from similar circumstances in
their own lives, and they spoke up and
said: Joseph, though rejected by
Mrs. Potiphar and by Plymouth
church for being so v%irtuous, we ap-
preciate thee. You shall have our
advertising business" Joe was an ad-
vertising agent. They were all as
good as their word, and Joe is doing
we'll.
The only trouble about Mrs. Tilton
was having told a lie. The other
small matters did not weigh upon her.
She concluded to give out the naked
fact. She said: 81 cut it with my
little Ratchet" Then a great peace
came over her. Previously she had
rejected gifts of flowers that poor Joe
had sent her. After she confessed.
she went up to Joe and put her arms
around him and said: Joe, that load
is off my mind. am happy, no mat
ter how poor" Now Mrs. Tilton is
living with her mother in Brooklyn,
obscure and poor, the mother lame
or ssparalytic; but they don't lie.
Theodore Tilton is going around try
ing to find the pearl Of great price;
but he must also get a great many
things off his mind before he is rs
happy as Joe and Elizabeth and
Beecher. As for Beecher, his mind
ls so full that he never can get any
thing off it.