The Glenwood post., 1907-01-05

ened for the ordeal
Marshall P. Wilder. never was able to
discover, but the
ministers always laughed at every
Joke l cracked, so there is very warm
spot in my heart for them.
One of the first Of the profession l
ever met was Henry Ward Beecher.
l became well acquainted with him,
and he was always friendly, fatherly
and merry when l met him. had the
pleasure of travelling through Scotland
and Ireland with him, and no man
could have been better company.
Beecher In Glasgow.
We spent one Sunday together in
Glasgow, and the depression of that
city on the holy day cannot be i'm
agined. l have heard that some Scotch
men get full Of bad whisky on Satur-
day night for the sole purpose OF be-
ing properly dismal on Sunday, but
perhaps that is not true. But the
street cars do not run; there is no sign
of animation; the very houses look as
dull as If they We're untenanted To a
person accustomed to the cheer and
bright faces of Americans on Sunday
the town seemed enveloped in the
gloom of death.
In the morning l awoke very early
veritably believe that the appalling
silence disturbed my sumbers. l felt
so lonely and dismal that instructive
ly went over to Mr.. Beecher's room
better drowsy American than a
whole city full of wide awake Scotch
men on "A Scotch Sunday. Mr. Beech
in spite Of the morning being quite
chilly he lay with one toe uncovered.
MIR. Beecher, aren't you afraid Of
catching coldT' I said.
"Oh, no." he replied. 81 always sleep
that way" l was greatly mystified at
this and asked him the reason. He
laughed-and what a laugh he had.
1t was as big and solid and enduring
as the Berk shire hills amid which he
was born. Then he replied:
Marshall, that toe is the key to tho
situation"
A Dry Inshman.
In Ireland we went about a good
deal together in jaunting cars and ex-
tracted a lot of high grade Hibernian
wit from the drivers
One day we were driven to our hotel
In Belfast through drizzling rain
When l paid the driver / said:
"Are you wet, Pat?" With merry
wi n ho ia1
Sure, your honor, If ! was as wet
outside as ! am inside I'd be as dry
as a bone
Mr.. Beecher's quickness at repartee,
Of which Americans knew well. was
entirely equal to Irish demands upon
1t. One day in Ireland, after he had
made an address to a Sunday school, a
bewitching young colleen came up to
where we stood chatting and said:
Mr.. Beecher, you have won my
heart"
well" replied the great man quick
ly, with sunburst Of smile, you
can't get along without a heart, 70
suppose you take mine?'
Beecher and lngersol.
Which reminds me Of the day when
he and Colonel Bob Ingersoll were on
the platform together at public meet
ing and Beecher went over and shook
hands heartily with the great agnostic.
though he knew that the act would
bring storm Of criticism from people
with narrow guage souls. Then Inger-
soil brought up one OF his daughters
and introduced her, saying
"Mr. Beecher, here is girl who new
er read the Bible" Bob delighted In
fun that time, for Beecher quickly re-
piled:
"If all heathen We're so charming
am sure we should all become mission
aries"
After the war Beecher made lee
ture tour of the south and appeared at
Mozart hall, Richmond, with an ad-
dress entitled, The North and the
South" He was rather doubtful as to
the reception he would have, but he
knew what he wanted and was deter
mined to get it. No applause welcomed
him as he appeared on the platform,
but few hisses were heard in the gal
lery. In the better rows Of seats were
some grim ex-Confederates - General
Fitz- Hugh Lee, General Rosser, ex-
Governor Smith, Governor Cameron
and others. Beecher fixed his eye d.
rectly on Lee and said Il quote a news
paper report Of the Incident:
"I have seen pictures of General Btty-
Hugh Lss, sir, and l assume you are
the man. Am ! right?'
The general, slightly taken back by
this direct address, nodded sttddy, while
the Aud1Anoe bent forward, bsoAthlose