Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-26
rom the New York Herald. June a.

From the New York Herald. juno a.
Il am well. l don't know that there Is an
organ ailinR In my body. In other words, so far
as know my brain is sound my heart is sound.
my stomach and digestion are sound; am not
weakened with the old mans trouble of bladder
or Kidneys; am as regular as clock work and
all right In every physical respect, except"
Then there is an exception"
Eyes" re3oined Henry Ward Beecher, and
his eyes twinkled like blue twins in a starry
armament. eyes, weigh go pounds, where I
used to weigh but $50, and anybody who rides
horse and knows what difference ten pounds
on that horse makes will appreciate that man
cannot carry around $40 pounds as easily as
$50 pounds, as did when I was only fifty years
DID,"
"But it's all your"
Yes, 1t is all me and just as much more me
than it was as 900 are more than 15O"
Henry Ward Beecher is seventy years old"
to-day, and at half-past ten O'Clock, DIV, he
Will walk briskly into Plymouth church, pick
his way through the crowds upon the platform
stairs sling his Chinese birdnest hat under o
chair and face tremendous audience of men
ana women who love and revere him. To-
morrow evening the Brooklyn Academy will be
packed by thousands of his fellow-citiZens. as
sembled to do him honor and spread for him the
table OF felcitation in the presence OF his enc
mics. No social event has happened In the City
OF Churches In many year so well calculated
to warm the inner cookie Of the Brooklyn heart.
1t has been intimated that Mr.. Beecher would
give up preaching when he reached his seven
tieth year, as his dread Of mental failure upper
ceived by himself alone amounts almost to
fanaticism, and in view of that intimatiOn his
partial confirmation Of the rumor, with the ac-
companying conversation, will be read with uni
verSal interest.
BEECHER AT HOME
After Mr.. Beecher was sixty years old he con-
ceived the idea of building magnificent home
stead for himself and his family. He paid the
architect, superintendent the erection Of the
finest residence Of its type on the North river,
furnished it richly with every known convent
enee and all attainable luxuries and paid for
every bit of it with money made since that time
by featuring from Maine to California. The
house stands on the crest of lofty hill in Peek
skill, and is reached by long and winding
drive through magnificent trees which line it on
either hand. From the broad piazzas can be
seen the range of distant mountains and the sill
yer thread Of the Hudson not far off. Peace
reigns in all the region round about, and in
that deliciousy restful atmosphere the writer
yesterday found the venerable pastor. pen
in hand, preparing data for his lecture
duty near at hand. He was the picture
OF health as with characteristic cOardalty he
rose and welcomed his guests to heart and
home. His workshop and library are the beau
ideal Of comfort and temptation to duty Tables
books, electric lights, deep Turkish rugs, ample
chairs and all the paraphernalia Of workmanship
| abound. After few moments rest Mr.. Beecher
was asked, "You are seventy years old, are you
not?"
"Iam."
elbow are your"
~ am well-perfectly So"
Then If you are all right you don't intend to
stop preaching and working?"
II do not intend to stop working. but have
mortal dread OF holding on after all nv friends
know, but are afraid to tell me, You had better
stop have thought very seriously of just re-
signing my position as pastor when am seventy
years. preaching out the rest Of the year. of
course in all honor; but can go through the
than used to feel. II 1 knew that the Lord
was going to strike any church around and
burn it up / would suggest Plymouth
church, and then we would 60 up near the
Park somewhere, and would build church.
not quite so large, in good locality, and leave
that to my successor in a position that he could
unquestionably maintain and prolong. AS it is
| it Is going to he pretty hard for any one to 90
down there and fill the church and carry it on
One of two things should like Let US have a
suffice, as they do in India where when the
husband dies. they burn the widow with him;
| or would have the church expire and go out
as thing in history that had short and useful
duration, rather than to have it linger on as q
| poor, beggarly church, subsisting on it's past
| recollection and not make any progress 1t
sprang up from the necessity of public affairs at
the time OF it's origin. 1t has gone through all
these great transitions that have been as won
derful as any that ever befell a nation In fifty
| years, and has been in the ascendancy in the
front, leading on all those elements that are
| now recognized as constituting our safety and
| prosperity, and now l do not feel as though I
wanted such church to 60 into its dotage and
dr0ol and drizzle life away"