The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1897-04-01
| NEW YORK LETTER.

people who were conspicuous In 1t
have passed away. Mr.. Beecher was
the first to die. and then Judge Nell
son, who tried the case, followed him.
Henry g. Bowen's was the last death
recorded of the men prominently iden-
tilted with It, and now Mrs. Henry
Ward Beecher is dead. Moses y.
Beach, who gave thousands Of dollars
to defend Mr.. Beecher, and Augustus
treasurer Of Plymouth Church, died n
few years ago, and half dozen other
self sacrificing friends Of the Ply
mouth pastor have died since Mr..
Beecher's death, among them John +.
Howard. Both Mr.. and Mrs. John
Hutchinson, whose names will be
linked always with Plymouth Church,
are no more. OF Mr. Beecher's three
sons, only one has continued to live In
Brooklyn. Mrs. Beecher seemed un-
happy anywhere else, and she was in
| tensely interested In the church and
! all that related to Il, attending its So
clal meetings regularly, and being al
| In all its undertakings. And be 1t said
to DR.. Abbott's praise, she was. to the
| last day of her presence there, con-
stantly gratified by the Difference and
attention paid her by the pastor first,
and then by all associated with him In
| the management Of affairs. At first
her place was a rather uncomfortable
| ,i,o pf n hpr
rights and privileges as the wife of the
| former pastor but DR.. Abbotts affa-
| bility and sincerely earnest effort to
make her happy resulted successfully,
and to the end Of her days she was the
recipient Of attentions from the con-
| gregatiOn.
| Theodore Tilton survives nearly all
those against whom he set himself in
the dark days Of the scandal, but his
| wife and daughter will outlive him, In
all probability, as he Is more advanced
in years than Mrs. Tilton and is no
longer the robust man he was. He Is
living alone in Paris, doing what news
paper and other writing he can get to
do, and seeing but few of the many
Americans who are always Mt the
French capital. A few Of his former
friends-one in particular-visit him
yearly, but he Is no longer of import
ance to those of his own generation,
and the younger generation has no
memory of him. His reputation alone
survives. DR.. Charles Hall, who
preached Mr. Beecher's funeral ser
mon, has Joined the great majority
and his brother, Edward, and his sis
ter, Mrs. Stowe, are gone. The Rev
Mr.. Halliday identified with Mr.
Beecher for a quarter Of century
still survives, but Is old and feeble
Horace b. Clafin died several years
ago. Stephen V. White, who, like Mr.
Clafiin, gave with lavish hand to Ply
mouth Church and shared his wealth
with Mr.. Beecher, is, as he has beer
for thirty odd years, deacon.
Il A little while before her death,
had a talk with Mrs. Beecher abou
her early days in the West, where sh'
and her young husband were toilns
along on the meagre salary of
=, preacher
"About fifty years ago." she said
1--WE lived In Indianapolis. Those wer'
happy days. We went there from
Lawrenceburg to escape the chills, bu
we had chills, for malaria met us ther
+ when we arrived, shook us while w
remained and went with us when w
, left. Our house contained only par
I lor and dining room, which was ais
I used for a kitchen. a veranda ral
along the front and this my dear hus
band boarded up and divided into tw
, little bedrooms-each room held bed
stead-that's all. Not foot of spac
e for washstand or chair, and to max
Y the beds reached through the VIII
y dows which opened into the hous
proper.
" "At that time my husband receive
It s4OO per year salary, which was an II
a crease of 500 ON the salary he RI
:, ceiyed while Mt Lawrenceburg. Th
we considered great increase. l n
= member how his desk was so placed
our parlor so that he could and di
j, watch me while worked In the con
II bined dining room and kitchen, an
'e how he would read aloud to me ever
e time he finished writing a page or tw
q of the sermons he prepared. wou
often drop my work and sit down b
re side him while he read his sermon
SC Then we would talk over his writing
e. and new thoughts would come.
W 81 kept boarders, took In sewing, d
~ nv own housework, usually with
Z, baby In my arms (ten children we
ST born to Mr.. and Mrs. Beecher), yet
. would willingly go through those da,
again if l could. had my husbal
in always with me. We worked togetht
"a He painted the house by the light of
J., lantern. which held. Then the wor
-, had not claimed a share of my hi
lot band, and was very happy. or cour
was glad of the work my husba
'le was engaged in, but l cared nothi
ou for the honor the world gave him.
Ii loved my husband and always want
on him near me.
er .J left Indianapolis to come