The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-08-09
STORIES ABOUT BEECHER.
How He Went in Search of Rest and
Caught a PIagiarist.

st. Louis Republic.
Henry Ward Beecher was once greatly
in need of recreation, and DESTROYS of
avoiding the worry OF selecting place for
his vacation and anxious, also. to escape
publicity in his retreat, he hit upon novel
plan. He boarded train one day without
knowing how much money he had with
him. When the conductor called for tick
cts Beecher gave him handful of silver
coins of various denominations and said:
There, take me as far as that will carry
me, and then put me off,
The conductor looked surprised, but said
he would do as hidden.
Beecher was we'll pleased with his ex-
pertinent, and determined to remain in
hours ride he was told that his time had
come to get off, and he alighted at a little
town which he had never before heard OF.
This gratified him beyond measure. Here
he would find brief refuge from the
world. A stranger in a strange town, he
would snatch a few days of needed rest.
That evening he went to the village
church. The preacher was young man
just out of college. He arose with much
gravity and self-possession, and. without
a tremor, delivered one of Mr.. Beecher S
best sermons, word for word. The congre-
cation was astonished at the young mans
N~~~~N - $3.50
effrontery
Young man." said the great divine, after
the services were over, how long did it
take you to prepare that Sermon "Oh,
about thirty minutes, was the glib reply.
You are indeed a precocious youth, said
Beecher, little warmly; that sermon cost
me ten years of hard work. The bystand-
ers were thunderstruck. The young man
turned pale and fled. All recognized at
once the famous features of the great
preacher. The little church was soon packed
again with curious crowd, anxious TO
get a view of the distinguished pulpit ora
tor. Beecher finally made his way through
the crowd TO his little lodging house. That
night he had no rest. All through the night
he heard voices calling TO the landlord: rs
Beecher stopping here? How long will he
stay? Will he lecture tomorrow" etc,
etc. And the upshot of Ii all was that
Beecher boarded the early morning train.
to seek again the peaceful solitudes of New
York city.
When he was a young man, just begin
ming to acquire a reputation, he was invited
to deliver a lecture in a neighboring town.
What for?' he asked. Fame" was the
reply. But this did not at all suit Mr..
Beecher's eminently practical sense of the
eternal fitness of things, so he sat down
and hastily penned this message: Yes.
will come for f. a. Nj. FIFTY And My
Expenses. Beecher."
He was once the subject of a cane pre-
sentation, 1t is said, and remained stand
ing for an hour while most elaborate
Grafton, in the guise of presentation
speech. was delivered by the spokesman of
the donors. Some time afterward friend
was commenting on this speech Yes,
said Beecher ''he didn't want me to have
the cane until really needed it,
country clergyman once sought his adj
vice as TO what should be done with per-
sons who go to sleep in church, problem
which ii seems the country preacher had
found rather difficult of solution. Mr..
Beecher heard with great attention the
statement of the proposition, admitted that
| IL was indeed serious question and then
delivered his opinion, as follows: when
/ came TO Plymouth Church I thought
about this problem, and l will tell you the
| course decided upon. The sexton was given
strict orders that If he. saw any person
asleep in my congregation he should ar
once go straight to the pulpit and wake up
| the preacher"
Upon one occasion he was interviewed by
| young man seeking soft job Il would
/ like a place that doesn't require mucil
work. said the youth who yearned for the
opportunity 70 labor We'll. my dear boy .
replied the preacher. II don't know of but
| one place of that kind just now. IL is al
| ways open to men of your talents and in
| clinations, and l think We'll be able to land
you there by and by il you'll have little
| patience; that place is the grave
| A stenographer once proposed to him thai
| he be allowed extra pay for reporting Mr.
| Beecher's sermon in consideration of cor
recting the errors in grammar. How many
| errors" asked the famous preacher, did
you find in this discourse of mine?" There
|
| solemnly reioined Mr.. Beecher. when the
| English language gets in my way IL doesn'i
/ stand half chance.
1t Is we'll known that Beecher and Bot
1 Ingersoll. the famous agnostic, were al
ways great personal friends There is q
story TO the effect that Mr.. Beecher hac
1 a celestial globe in his study. which was
| present from some manufacturer Ingersol
! was delighted with the globe. He turned il
| iound and round. and examined is closely
| Its Just what / have been looking for
| nc said: who made II 2'' who made it p
| repeated Beecher; who made this globe.
! oh. nobody. colonel; IL just happened,'
| Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe was discoy.
/ cred one evening IN the hall % IA friends
I house contemplating bdst of her dis
> tinEuished brother. near which burned {