Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-05-11
CURRENT AFFAIRS.
BEECIIER ~ BRI TTLEBORO.
III- own Account OF his visit here In
1888 rs ~ Temperance Orntor.

llN lIttbt bf kl'.litN IN liE ZEN Dll
LARS PAID mn HOW rnE VISIT LAID THE
FOUNDATION on MS LIBRARY.
1t will be remembered that at the time of
the Rev Henry Ward Bcechers death Il
year ago last March, mention was made Of
the fact that his first public speech, tenn
perance address, was delivered in Brattle-
boro while he was a student IA boy Of TWEEN
ty in Amherst college, aud good deal
Of interesting matter pertaining to that
early visit was printed in our columns. In
Mr.. Becchcr's recently published biography
10y his sou, VIM G.. Beccher, aud Rev.
Samuel Scovillc, assisted 10y the widow of
the great preacher, the following nllusion
to this event is made
1T was during his college course that he
began lccturng that mode Of comnnuuica
ton with the people that afterwards be
came 50 popular, and in which for 50 many
years he was the acknowledged ,uuder. His
first formal lecture for which he received
pay was delivered in BrattleborO, Vt. lie
was paid ten dollars. aud walked the whole
distance, nearly fifty miles each way, that
he might have the whole sum tu rXprnd as
he pleased. Speaking Of this period, he
says
There stands before me line Of batter
ed and worn books English classics Their
history is little to them, but much to me
Ia part 1t is my own history. wish !
could laN my hand on the first book that
ever buught after the dim idea of library
began tu hover IN my mind But that
book is gone Here, however, are others
whose biography can give. As early as
1881 began To buy books a few volumes
but each one monument Of engineering
My first books, If remember correctly
we're bought of j. :. x &. Adams in Am
herst Mass. used To go IN there and look
Wistfully at their shelves. My allowance
ot money WIS very small scarcely more
than enough To pay my postage, when let
ter cost f. or - cents To take two or
three dollar book from my live dollars Of
spending money would have left me IN u
state ul sad lmpccuniusity Therefore, for
many. many months ! took it put in look
ing.
As early as at sixteen years OF age had
begun To speak little ~ public faint peep
iugs. just such H. ] hear IN young birds he
for" they are fully ilrdgrd. For such ser
vice the uulS payment wa, kind patience
tall ! relieved them Toy finishing my crude
efforts. liut at that time say 1882 / was
sent 10y the college society as a delegate to
IA temperance convention IN Pelham. ur
Enfield, or somrW here else conceived II
desire thereafter 10 give temperance lee
turr. ! have forgotten how / ever got II
rhamc" to duit l'ut remember that there
came an invitation from Brnttlrboro, Vt g.,
Ia lecture ou the ith of july Ms EXPENSES
We're To be paid \ modest pride warmed
ttt, sat l4 htt rl # Il
speech IN public ! ,mothcrrd all the fears
and dilllirucrs with the rc>olutc purpose
that ] W,uh succeed remember the
lays of writing and anxious prrpnrntiuu
and the grand ,rn,r of being u man when
] had finished my manuscript But the
most generous purpu,r, are apt to be ruin
ed with >rlii~hur,~ and my public spirit,
ala, had financial streak of JOY IN 1t
my expenses were {" bc paid
We'll, suppose ! chose To walk and save
all the expense, should have at least
eight dollar, of my own, uf which ! need
give no account That would bc an era
indeed. But grave scruplrs arose. Was it
honest tu take money for expenses which !
had not really mcdrred If went hv
stage | might lawfully charge my fare and
food but If neither ut them cost me any
thing, how could honestly make bill Of
expenses | did not get any relief in re
ilccting upon 1t. started oil on foot. went
up the Connecticut River valley aud reach
ed Brattleburo b, way Of Greenfield
Every hour this question of honesty re
turned Ms feet hli,terrd with waking.
hut stamped uu them hard in the morn
ing, and the momrutary exquisite pain
seemed to paralylc the scn,ihility after
wards Whether 1t was the counter irrita
tiun that relieved my brain. or whether
us ! fear that did ,mothcrcd conscience
10y saying tu myself that | would settle the
mnttcr " hen the time came, do not know
But | wa, relieved from even that struggle,
masmuch us not "a word was said to me
about expenses, or money in any form.
Yet | had charming visit The rising Of
the moon from behind the mountain that
hedges in the town on the east powerfully
excited my Imagination. aud led to the
writing of the first piece | believe, that |
ever printed 1t wa, published in the
Guest, "A college paper, issued chiefly as "A
rival to another college paper whose name
Julns . has escaped me. And if anybody
could send me "A volume If that Guest /
should be exceedingly brholden to him
But after reaching college agan-nu
longer "A mere student, but public man,
one who had made speeches, one who lie
termned To bee modest and not to allow sue
cess tp puff him up-a very great and Won
derful thing happened the post brought
me letter from Brattlrburo containing ten
doIidrS. could not Lelicve my eyes. /
forgot my scruples Providence had put it
to me in such way that | got my con
science over on the other side, and felt that