New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-02
STRANGE CASE OF THE REV. MIR. BEAN.

The Reverend Mr. Bean, of Parkvile, Ind, is in
trouble, as we learn from an Indianapolis paper
He does not race horses like the Reverend j. w.
Arney of Michigan. He does not own fast
horses as does the Reverend r. c. Stires, of Iowa.
He has not been obliged to leave a hal1-inlshed
sermon and go out and turn both barrels loose
into a flock Of young mon as the Reverend j. H.
Ford, of South Carolina, was obliged to do. The
Reverend Mr. Beans difficulty is something en-
tirely different from any Of these 1t may DC
worse; it may not be so bad; time perhaps may
tell. The Reverend John Bean, Of Parkville,
Ind, swears in his sleep.
We have not In these columns single word to
say in favor of swearing Aside from its inn
morality, 1t is senseess and vulgar practice
No man should swear, though great and good
men have sometimes done so. George Washing
ton on one occasion, swore. One day when the
reverend Mr.. 1almadge was travelling III the
Holy Land his camel stopped to scratch his di
versiied back on the limb Of q palmtree and
scratched the reverend gentleman off and into
nest of large Arabian hornets, going on and leav-
ing him on the limb in the society of the ex-
cited insects Mr. Talmadge did not s'vear-we do
not need to say this-but when rescued he told
his friends that he saw how weaker nan might
have sworn In a loud voice. But we wander
from the subject The Reverend Mr.. Bean s@ears
not at all when awake. He does not even say
MY gracious when he attempts to play the
red on the black in croquet and 1t rolls down
and bumps against the yellow. He would not
have sworn had he been cast away by the camel
that is, il he had been awake. Had he been
enjoying a nap, we know not how he would have
taken it. For it is certainly fact that when
asleep the reverend gentleman's language is plain
1t presents an interesting question to scientists
why a man, utterly opposed TO certain words when
awake, should use them when asleep The habit
is said TO have begun about year ago. On the
first occasion he was promptly awakened by Mrs.
Bean and asked TO account for his unnatural
language He was reticent at first, but finally
admitted that he had had bad drcam. On
being further pressed by his wife, he was made
to explain that he had dreamed that the family
was about TO have six months visit from a
certain person. He admitted reluctantly after
many entreaties and s0ITIe threats that the GER
tain person was Mrs Beams mother His attempt
to smooth it over and make Mrs. Bean under
stand that ne would be glad 10 see her mother
was failure The elder lady being informed Of
the circumstance by letter, arrived two days later
with two trunks, one valise, three Bhawstraps,
five bundles and cat in a basket. She spoke
TO her son-in-aw earnestly about his nocturnal
remarks and their probable cause. That night
about o'clock while sound asleep he again made
use of language violently profane. Since that
the good man has sworn in his sleep almost
nightly Mrs. Beans mother still remains vis-
tor in his family and it was only about q month
ago that he told her, being questioned on the
subject, that he hoped she would continue TO
remain, and, indeed look upon his house as her
home That night he had the worst attack of
swearing that he has ever had. lie could not re
member in the morning that he had dreamed about
anything
Take it all in all, it seems TO us that the
Reverend Mr.. Beams case is one OF the most re-
markable reported for q long time, and is GER
tainly worthy of investigation We can see no
way to account for the mystery with the present
light. But we cannot believe that any moral
weight whatever should be attached TO IT, In
deed, the Northern Indiana Conference seems to
take the same view Of the matter, as at its re-
cent meeting it discussed the case and voted that
it could good reason for censuring the
Reverend Mr.. Bean.