Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-10-11

daV. but At cRce.
Dr Reecker loved young men. And vas
alwass ready to tester any honorable amoi-
Son rev miQhs ehsrish and 10 Eympathlze
w;,A 1hsm IN their discourAgements i
look upon nv intercourse With him upto the
6me When nv enthusiasm vas chilled oy
his unfortunate course upon the slavery
Question with gratitude and dsbght ny
hrst venture in journalism, made when
vas list 2l years Of age, was in becoming
he editor Of the Christian Soldier, Paper,
founded to resist the then rising hereay Of
UuiyersaHsm. His counsel gave me cour.
sVe. BE gave the enterprise the benefit OF
his pubhe commentator, and the whole
body Of the evangelical clergy OF Boston
ard vicinity iolloSsd bis lead. My success
was largely due 70 his personal intuence,
exsrted in The most generous way was
certainly very proud to have won the eOnu'
dtnes OF = nan so Distinguished, ami that
confidence covered the whole period OF my
connection with the paper.
OF tie quality Of his preaching and the
sources Of its power IL would be deliSh tai
10 sps ak al large, bot l must conhne my
sslf now 10 few "reminiscences Illustrating
some of his personal and professional
characteristics. His power Of condensed
statement and vivid illustration was equal
10 hat of any man / ever knew. Some
times the FIRST sentence of q discourse cut
cpen bis subject to the very core, and car
ried conviction to the mind OF the hearer.
Once, when his confidence had been be-
trayed, be said: "a liar is Ike tub with
the bottom knocked out" In addressing
the younR men of his church he spoke Of
the need Of system in the acquisition OF
knowledge "Some men" he said, know
a vast deal, but their knowledge lies IN
tsusle ike brush heap If you plE 8
surig, you must needs drag the Whekp heap
after YOU" Once, when an agent came to
Boston 10 raise money to build church IN
the country, be ssid I'VE can do nothing
for YOU; churches are Matching out in the
city so fast that we can't find coops TO put
EN- in"
do not think the doctor was vain 10 the
usual sense Of the word, but be was without
sny affsctstion Of modesty, aud could some
times speak Of himself with q most refresh
ing naiTste Once, | remember, he vas late
in returning from his summer vacation, and
in explaining the reason of his absence, he
told how, as be was returning in sll haste to
his pulpit be was met, on arriving at csr-
tsin town, By committee OF the church,
who informed him that his services were
greatly needed there to promote revival OF
religion. That was an appeal that he could
not resist and as he went on 10 tell he peo-
pie about that great revival he suddenly
became conscious that be was telling q
story in which he was himself the chief fig
ure; and having told how many times he
had preached, and how many souls had
been converted, he paused for q moment,
and, lifting his sPectscles to the top OF his
head, leaned forward, and summed up the
whole narrative in the words: Brethren,
the Lord enabled me 10 do pretty welll
After the Hanover Church was burned,
and before the completion Of the new one IN
Bowdoin street, Dr.. Beecher received call
to the presidency OF the Lane Theological
Seminary at Cincinnati. Large sums for
the endowment of the institution depended
upon his acceptance and strong pressure
was brought 10 bear upon him In that direc-
ton. His church and congregation pro
tested very strongly, but no resolved to
keep the question open until after the
dedication Of the new church. This being
at length accomplished, he made journey
! TO Cincinnati to survey the new field for
himself. There were great fears in Boston
that he would accept the post to which he
had been so urgently called, and his return
was most snxiously awaited. He came
back at length, and at tbs close Of the hrsl
/ Sunday afternoon service gave notice that
/ he would in the evening deliver discourse
| on the needs Of the Great West, as the
/ phrase then was and in that discourse
/ would announce his decision upon the pend
| ing call. The anticipation, as | remember
was general that he would accept. There
were tears in the eyes of his Practitioners as
| they thought Of losing him. The house was
| crowded The discourse was characterized
/ by even more than his usual eloquenee
/ The moral condition and future prospects o.
the great Mississippi Valley, the people O
Whish, il was believed, would at no distant
day hold the destiny of the country in theil
bands, was depicted in language that stirred
every heart As the speaker Grew nigh Il
the conclusion, the audience waited viii
almost brealhless attention for the an
uOuncement that would either remove Of
/ confirm their fears. Having completed hi
description Of the new field, and described
its needs in growing and impressive terms
| he came to the critical point. Leaning for
ward and assuming familiar and affection
I ate tore he said, az well as / can nov re-
| member his Words: "And now, dear breth
rem, where is the man fitted to 90 to thiI
great field and lay guiding hand upon thu
/ institutions forming and to be formed there
/ and secure their consecrecstion to Chris
and his csussb" PsusiDg q moment, hC
I lifted up his spectsclss to his iron gray hair
set bis left arm skimbO, and with indescrlo
sble fraEkness said: Under God brethren
| think l am that man. And so the ques
tiCR vas settled.
SEerly before his departure for Cincin
nsli / had occasion to cali apou the doctor
fer his professional services in matter
deeply Affecting my own welfare and that o.
q young lady Of his congregation. Going q
/ his houee in Temple street one morning
Shortly AFTER breakfast, found him absorb
ed over the contents of Buckinghsm's Cour
Ter, his favsrite daily journal Knowing his
aversion to avery sircumlocutory approach,
| followed upmy salutation with the re-
mark: Doctor, have come to ash you to
marry me" He instantly dropped MS pa
par and said: Good Who are you going
to ha7e% mentioned the young woman s
name. wei" he said, she's good gal,
and / am glad. When do you want it done
and whereg Here in your own house,
| / said. naming the day and hour Very
we'll, said be, 'Ih be ready for you. At
the appointed time the candidates
appeared in his psrlOr, and the doctor Was
summoned do you want any witnesses z
be asked. "Yes," replied, I'VE shall be
glad to have your family witness the cere-
mony." Soon entered Mrs. Beecher
George Beecher and Isabella, nov Mrs.
Hooker. with one or two Of the servants.
The doctor, who meanwhile had gone up
stairs fer some change Of toilet, entered the
parlor while yet the buttons Of his vest were
/ not ouita adjusted, and, advancing toward