The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-18

Pres by terrain church and a little log home down
in Indianapolis. l lived next door to him, and
used to talk the rail fence that separated
our gardens, on everything from polemics to POI
tatoes He ~as just as remarkable then as he is
now, for IN those days his eloquence drew crowds
of strangers to the little new Presbyterian
chapel, and he personally titled the patch of
ground behind bis cottage, and trundled wheel
barrow over to the town market with its load of
garden truck-for which there was always
ready purchaser. Saturday bargain day,
and Parson Reecher went down to the market
with the rest of u.s. Ny! what picture he
would now cut in the eyes of Plymouth if he
could be seen trudgipg over Brook
lyn bridge with his barrow of pump
kins, cucumbers, tomatoes, and kitchen
greens. He was tall. road-shoudered. straight as
an organ pipe and tanned like russell His gar
den outfit included pair Of cow-hide boots,
brown overalls, hickory shirt and a big straw
hat His boots slipped like an oar in a worn
row-lock, and sometimes his jute suspeDders
were strung over both of his shoulders, and
sometimes over one. His gardening, like his
preaching, was excellent, but he spent so much
time in the vegetable beds that it was mystery
to me how he ever got any time to think or
write. One day, when he was binding tomato
vines, l called out: Mr.. Beecher, when do you
find time to write your sermons? oh. here in
the garden. There is plenty of good stuff right
here to build sermons he answered.
81 always remember him as a perfectly ON
nivorous reader and garden-worker. and, with
his parishioners. regarded him as authority on
all new books and magazines. When that big
scandal, in IA, concerning Bishop Onderdonk, of
New York, came out DR.. Davis. the only news
dealer then in Indianapolis published the par
ticulars of the trial in a cheap pamphlet. AS an
evidence of my confidence in Mr.. Beechers
library, one day called over the fence:
Mr.. Beecher, / wish you'd let me borrow
your book on the scandal
"'Well said he with a world of innocent sur
prise in his blue eyes. I'd as soon think of hav
ing ballet-dancer in my house book of that
sort l believed he meant what he said, and
went in through the kitchen and mataphorically
took myself by the collar The next afternoon
| was down at the news stand in search of the
pamphlet, and Davis innocently told me that
Parson Beecher had borrowed his last copy after
spending a couple of hours that morning behind
the counter reading the scandal In those days
Mr.. Beecher's people in the village were q good
deal divided as to how they should get into the
church. Most OF them thought sprinkling good
enough, but some wanted to be thoroughly bap-
tized. Beecher didn't care how they got in, $50
long as they got there. and remember one Sun
day afternoon seeing him lead half dozen
sisters down to the river edge. When he reached
the water he threw off his coat, hat and vest and
went at the Christian work just as if twas
planting time.
'Beechers brothers gave him some little
trouble, and he worked a long time before he
was able to convert Tom. AT that time Tom
Beecher was down in New Orleans playing the
triangle in of the theater orchestras Henry
worked and prayed long and earnestly over him,
and finally the boy relented, joined the church.
and soon after had pulpit of his in the
neiehborhood of Lafayette George Beecher, a
younger brother, was decidedly more incorrigi-
BILE. He had no taste for religious science but
great deal for guns. and used to go about the
town shooting cats. He was continually in
trouble over this line of sport, the house
wives in the village rebelled against the slaughter
of their pets. Henry was a good shot himself
and never took aim at anything that he did not
bring down. He would sit by the hour on a
fence watching for his game One day I bor-
rowed his gun-wiper and forgot to take it back
That was just before he went to
Brooklyn. Nearly forty years after
he came to my house in Burling-
ton 1 said: II have a gun-wiper of
yours, Mr.. Beecher, and mean to send it back
when get through with it Yes replied Mr..
Beecher, 4 was just thinking about that gun
wiper, but guess you had better keep it; my
shooting days are over That night I went to
the depot with him, and just before train time
and in the hearing of great crowd, he said Il
want to know, May, if you remember that COW
you sold me, way back when we lived in Indian
apolisl WE'LL she was the best mixer l ever
knew.'n
Talking about the charm of Mr.. Beecher's ora
tory. Mr.. May said: He born orator
He never went into a store or sat on a bench on
the sidewalk that the rustics did not gather
about to hear anything he might have to say
and his personal magnetism was felt by all who
worshiped in the little frame chapel under his
guidance. and instruction. His tact taught
him the level of his flock of
cornerstone auditors, and when be chose
to put screws to his sermon there
was anxiety and alarm in many pewS and wide
awake interest and concern in all. Once young
fellow who came from Boston and established a
small dry-goods store in the village was going to
lick him after of these home thrust dis
courses The Boston dry-goods chap sat quite
near the lecturn and caught so much facial en-
phasis and the force of SO many familiar iustra-
hat he 1nda fha aAuio ol.x
administered and decided before the service was
over that he was entitled to satisfaction Well
the next day the angry dry-goods Christian
stopped Parson Beecher in the street, and
wanted to know what he meant by insulting
him from the pulpit. The young parson
patiently heard him through, and then
undertook to advise with him; assuring
him that his discourse had personal
application. The man from Boston, how
ever, would not be reconciled Assuming an
offensive attitude, no told the parson that he had
determined to lick him then and there. Very
well. then, said the young divine, if you are de-
termined on row 1 will remain with YOU and
stepping aside few feet he deliberately took off
his coat handed it to one of his transformers who
stood close by, and waded into that Boston dry
goods man with vengeance 1t was the last
time, far as | can remember. that any new
conner to indianapolis ever undertook to lick
young Beecher. People in indianapolis used
to do some very hearty laughing about the way
Beecher impressed his future wife the first time
she saw him. Her brother and Beecher were
chums at Amherst.sa one vacation Beecher
went home with his friend. The young lady,
seeing them approach from the window, called
out to her motherin the dningroom: oh, ma,
come quick and look at the big gawk brothers
bringing home He's fright
"Mr Beecher always reserved an exalted posi-.
ton in his admiration for the ladies, and the
easy, graceful recognition he had for their
rights and comfort gave him a distinction
among men which few approached and all
envied. One instance is clearlyin mind. There
was to be old ladies' prayer meeting, and the
parson was asked to open it. The date escaped
his mind, and at the hour were in the garden
talking early parsley. A messenger appeared.
and as he was not dressed for meeting he asked
me TO go. Now that was not my line of business
Il was in those days trying TO pilot weekly
paper into harbor Of refuee-and | told him
so. There time to DO lost. so he picked
bunch of wild roses and started for the meet
ing We had to pass brakes Hotel, and when
we reached the entrance Beeeher said: Now.
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