Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-06-07
BEECHER'S OPINION.


Going directly to Central Park for a
stroll, met Rev. Henry Ward Beecher
there. | told him about the prayer
wheel, and asked him what he thought
of it.
1T might be good thing he re-
piled, .but it is probably bad one.
OF course any devout, heartfelt express
SION of desire to God is in itself right,
and | don't see why the turning of a
wheel, with prayer lettered on the
edge. can't be as devotional as the ut
terance of the same thing with the voice.
But the fear would be that the ridicule
of scoffers might do great deal of
harm. You have heard the story of the
man, who with the desire of keeping up
the usage of personal devotions, but
with so much business that he always
turned in at night tired and sleepy,
pointed at copy of the Lords prayer
over the foot of his bed, and said, -,
Lord, them's my sentiments Well,
don't know but even that form of
prayer might be sincere. Theologians
are at odds, just now, as to the Office
and efficacy of prayer, but all are
agreed that the honest aspirations of
the Christian. no matter how formulated,
go skyward somehow"
Age alters Mr.. Beecher slowly. He
did not look pound lighter, a hair
grayer, or a gill less full-blooded, than
five years ago. The coarse skin of his
strongly marked face, had the purplish
color of man bound to die with apo
plexy, but there was no indication in his
robustness that it was in possible dan
ger from consumption. He was broadly
stoop-shouldered, short-necked and
round-bcllied. His frosty locks hung
thinly over the collar of his overcoat.
His ha.was the soft-brimmed, shapeless,
overshadowing one which he always
wears. That is matter of necessity.
He is the sort of man who would be
ridiculous in the high silk hat or con-
ventional Derby-one who couldn't af-
ford to follow the fashions if he wished
to. He was on his way to the Park Mu-
scum. 1t was afternoon, and the por-
tons of the lawn open to be trod on
were thronged with children. Many of
these were mere toddlers, and had the
attendance of uninterrupted nurse
maids.
"Those are the shamefully NEGLECTED
children of fashionable Mothers" l re-
marked.
"Who says SOP" Beecher asked.
Joaquin Miller, for one, | replied.
HE declares, in galloping, sweeping
rhymes, that those are shameful moth
ers who send their children to the park
in charge of servants--that the prac-
tice is proof that they are devoid of
maternal instincts"
''Does he say that?" exclaimed
Beecher. ''Then, he is altogether
wrong. The fashionable mother may
have more than her share of follies
and shortcomings, but have not no
ticed that she is lacking in love for her
young ones. That she sends them out
to play without accompanying them is
no indication to the contrary. A woman
has to become inhuman before she
ceases to care for her children. Our
most ardent devotees of fashion are
not that, by any manner of means.
There you are-does that look like
lukewarm affection on either side?"
A bit of IA girl, daintily clad in velvet
and lace, had startled us by screech
of delight. We could not doubt that
the handsomely dressed young woman,
at sight of whom the child cried out so
joyfullv, and to whom she ran with out
stretched arms, was the mother. 1t was
equally clear that they We're no more
strangers to each other than-if the par
ent had habitually done the mental
drudgery for which she was abundantly
able to hire a servant.
mo, no. said Beecher. .Riches
may render a woman insensible to the
claims of others, but never to her own
offspring
This highly attractive mother, by the
way, wore tight trousers of the cut
known here as Knickerbockers, and
high boots like those of Revolutionary
soldiers as pictured in Continental uni
form. Do not be shocked. There was
a skirt to this costume, which was that
of a horseback rider. She had dismount-
ed near by, and left her horse with a
liveried groom. Women may care to
know that the fashionable riding habit
is no longer the plain black of yore,
MOI is the hat an unfeminine section of
silk stove-pipe. The style of the toilet
is mannish in some respects, however,
for the postillion basque has regular
little coat-tails, the collar and 1apels
are masculine, and the trousers under
meath are as tight rs dude s.-NeU
York Cor, Chicago Journal.