The San Francisco call., 1897-03-09

cate woman, bent little by the weight of her
years, but alert of motion and exceeding care
full as 10 dress. The lace caps she wears are
adorned by delicate lavender ribbons, which
are renewed daily. She makes her plain black
gowns herself, and they would do credit to any
dressmater. Their lit and f,.ish are perfect,
and the little rufffes at the neck and waist are
freshened and sewn in by Mrs. Beecher every
morning. She is not averse to ornaments.
One notices, among Others, a large, old
fashioned cameo brooch, small came earrings,
a silver eyeglass guard and watch with
long and gittering chain. which is very
striking. She also wears on the first finger OF
her right hand seal ring that belonged TO
Mr.. Beecher, and that she prizes above most
things. Her complexion is like old ivory
Time has traced innumerable wrinkles there
but her features are still perfect aud her face
Is almost beautiful 1t is set in frame OF
white hair. against which the cobwebby cap
and the lavender ribbons rest effectively.
There is no slavish following of fashion in
Mrs. Beechers case. Her sleeves are good
plain sleeves, with no especial fullness at
shoulder or elbow. and her feet find comfort
in the fine old congress CATERS, also worn by
Queen Victoria and other excellent women of
advanced years. Mrs. Beecher's blood does
not flow as freely through her veins as it did
half a century ago, so she usually wears
little woolen shawl over her shoulders and
has a warm fire in the CRATE when other citI-
zens of Brooklyn are sitting before open win
dows in their shirt waists
AS 10 Mrs. BeecherS home life she describes
it in a few words. 81 do as much," she says,
las my front door bell will allow me to do"
She lives alone with one servant, but as the
little maid is usually busy downstairs Mrs.
Beecher answers the bell herself in the most
democratic fashion. The occupation is quite
enough for one able-bodied woman. From early
morn till late at night that bell sends forth its
summons. Old friends call 'to see how the
dear woman is getting along Young friends
come because Mrs Beecher loves young girls
and they love her. She is a most sympathetic
listener and her advice is asked in numerous
delicate affairs. Children come for stories"
and women reporters arrive in battalions to
know her views on every subject from the
max ing of Welsh rarebit to the Monroe Doc
trine. Book agents present themselves, and
this noble Christian woman receives and lis
tens to them. And the autograph fend and
the old college friend OF her husband and
former members of his church all join the pro-
cession that wends its way daily to the little
red house on the corner of Hicks and Orange
streets. In the intervals of these visits Mrs.
Beecher sews, writes. reads, dusts arranges
the furniture and holds long conversational
of her heart.
These birds occupy one immense cage in the
window of the little back parlor. There are
five canaries. a love bird and number of
Javas and their incessant twittering and
whistling would drive a nervous woman mad.
Mrs. Beecher is not nervous woman She
likes the noise although she confesses that she
keeps all the birds in one cage because their
singing, if they were Gagged separately would
be too much even for her. She can distinguish
each birds note among the general uproar
and she encourages them to fresh efforts bv
chirruping in return. A great deal of her
time is spent with these birds. for Mr.. Beecher
loved them. She feeds them, keeps them sup
Piled with seed and water, cleans their cages
and takes care OF them when they are sick.
There is plenty of time for all these duties
for Mrs. Beecher sleeps only five hours out of
the twenty-iour. She is always up at 5 in the
morning and never goes to bed before mid
night. 1t is no unusual thing for her to work
all night and satisfy nature with a short nan
in the afternoon. She does not feel the need
of sleep and heart trouble to which she is
subject makes recumbent position yery pain
full
Several years ago Mrs. B.eeher was asked
the secret of her youthfulness. III there is
one.n she replied, at lies in the fact thatI
have resolved never to become AN old
woman" She has kept this resolution we'll.
and her greatest aids have probably been her
keen interest in human nature and her ex-
traordinary sense of humor. She responds to
a joke as If she were 90. Then, too she lives
very much outside of herself. The memory of
Mr.. Beecher is always with her, and she be-
Iieves very firmly that in few years she will
be with him again. In the meantime she lives
as she feels that he would have her live-se-
renely and entedly, making the most of
the little pleasures that come 10 her, and
throwing off the cares and worries with the
reflection that in the nature of things they
caunot matter.