The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-19
AUTHOR OF MARSE CHAN
SOMETHING ABOUT TIE MAN WHO
BECxME FAMOUS IN DAY.
4 Sketch Of Thomas Nelson Page by Hon.
TIP. O'Connor, NJ. P.-How One OF HIS
etoriss AFFECTED Henry Ward Bsschsr.

Ole Virginia.
Few reonIe will require to be told that
one OF the men who did most 10 prins
about the abolition OF slavery ana the
conquest of the Southern states was the
late Henry Ward Beecher. His tongue.
perhaps the most eloquent and powerful
OF any English-speaking tongue In our
times. was employed for years In de-
ncuncing the evils the gigantic wrong.
the hideons sufferings Of slavery. He
passed from State to State. the bearer Of
a fiery cross that In due time lighted the
way to one OF the most destructive civil
wars Of any epoch, to million deaths.
and to the final Punishment OF the insti-
tuition OF slavery from civilized lands.
The Abolitionist was once the plague and
the embarrassment of all political par
ties I'm iAmerica--was hooted from many
a town in the Northern States. would
have been tarred and feathered If he had
ventured into the Southern States; in
short was a modern confessor and apos-
tie, with always very good chance OF
being a martyr as well. From the ranks
of the AboHtionists Henry Ward Beecher
stood forth. with Wendell Phillips. in
bold relief, by the fervor, passion and
potency of his eioquenoe.
Some eight years ago short tale ap-
peared in an American magazine. ii was
a story of the life of the Southern states,
fighting for slavery and for the right to
secede. All the characters were South
ern; the sentiment was Southern-intense-
ly, uncompromisingly, almost dehantly
Southern; and 1t was written by man
who had nothing but Southern blood in
his veins and Southern sentiment in his
heart. Above all things, IL II was not
exactly glorifcation. ii was a tender.
loving regretful image Of that departed
bad
disappearance of slavery. Here. then,
was the first antithesis Of all that Henry
Ward Beecher had ever preached. here
was a resurrection of the dead life and
society which he had so joyfully and
boldly helped to slay. But curious
thing happened Among Beechers myri-
ads of admirers and friends was South
ern lady quite as intense and quite as
bigoted in her way as the author Of the
tale. Her eye had caught sight OF the
tale the moment II appeared, and her
Southern heart had beaten In enthus-
astic response 10 It's echoes of Il dead and
tender past She was an excellent reader.
especially of the literature she loved,
and one evening she went her way across
the broad expanse of water which flows
between New York and Brooklyn
Beecher lived In Brooklyn. She read the
story TO the great Abolitionist. and be-
fore she had done he was sobbing loudly
and the tears streamed down his cheeks.
There were infinite depths of tenderness
IN this massive frame and dominating
mind, and he had the great artists ever
present readiness OF emotion.
few years passed away: the Southern
lady had changed her land and home.
and had settled down in England for the
remainder Of her days. Beecher had also
come to England on that last lecturing
tour which finally broke down the great.
overworked frame. The lady went 10
spend an evening at the house of Or.
Parker with her old friend, and the first
word he uttered were. II hope you've
brought 'Marse Chan" She had done so.
and then Beecher sat on the floor, with
his head leaning against his wife's knees.
saying, II want to have a real good
cry; and he was as good as his word.
for when the last lines Of 'Marse Chan"
were falling on his ears his face was
bathed in tears.
Such a scene is perhaps only possible
among Americans, the most intensely
emotional race in the world. j describe
It to bring home 10 the mind OF the reader
the fascination and irresistible charm OF
the story OF which / am speaking
In "Marse Chan" the old South lives
again; slaves, once more, obey and fol-
low masters with the blind devotion OF
dumb ANIMALS, and here was Beecher
listening with delight and irresistible emo
ton to such tale. If "Marse Chan"
excited such feelings in a lifelong enc
my of the South, ii. can be understood
how warmly the Southern people them
selves felt towards the author, whose
work was not only a beautiful piece of
pathetic romance. not only the revivica-
tion OF a dead past. but tribute and
vindication. The author of "Marse Chan"
once sent in his card to "A Southern gen
tleman TO whom he was stranger.
"Tell him." said the man Of affairs. that
i am very busy, but that II he's the man
that wrote 'Marse Chan ! want to see
him Immediately" From all parts of the
United States but above all, of course.
from all parts of the Southern States.
letters of sympathy congratulation and
gratitude poured in upon the young
author. Some OF the letters were charac-
terized by the tone of exaggeration that
runs through most things American; an
exaggeration eXcusable In some instances
by sacred memories of many a bloody
battlefield in which the Southern gen
tleman had fought for what he. in the
narrower patriotism of his time. con-
sidered his country. / fear TO repeat
some Of these testimonials-they might
injure the author and prejudice the reader
by their excess OF friendly enthusiasm
Thus the author Of 'Marse Chan" be-
came in few days. writer Of ma
tlOndl with 81 SlOiy Wiith
can be read within two hours. With
Justice he could repeat the words of
Byron, II awoke and found myself ia
nous"
Thomas Nelson Page. the author Of
"Marse Chan comes from a stock and
a surroundings that will account for his
sentiments. For generations his family
has belonged to that old Virginia breed
that has carried into the New World
some OF the naughty spirit and the caste
pretudices OF the old. In parts of the
South people still talk of tn Fir ancestors
with a family pride which one would
Imagine TO have no place In a republic
OF rapidly changing fortunes and without
any permanence OF social position, and
OF all States, even in the South. Virginia
has its largest share Of intense family
pride. Mr.. Page has reason TO be proud
OF his ancestry. The Pages have taken
an honorable part in the history of Vir-
gitia for centuries: his grandfather. on his
mothers side. was one OF the sgnatories
Of the Declaration of Independence.
When the war came the Pages and the
Nelson's followed the example of the rest
of the gentry Of Virginia. and went into
the ranks OF the Confederates. Both Mr.
Pages uncle and father were officers OF
position. and saw most of the fighting;
they are still alive-Mr Pages father is a
practicing iawyer-but most of their hopes
and thoughts are buried in the irrevoca-
bic Southern past.
Thomas Nelson Page is still under forty
years OF age At the time of the war
therefore. he was still in childhood: old