Year: 1859

ready to respond to the kindlier feelings of the
heart; and give full play to the virteus of love,
truth, gentleness, humility, generosity, charity,
and all tue higher and nobler attributes of hu-
man nature / would have you forget the
sharpness of Wall street, and forget how to
oyerreaeh your neighbors.


The word play as used by Beecher is very
appropriate. He acts TO the life. When he
talked about the glori6cation of physical nature
he represented the pugilist; when the Dandy
was in review he walked with dandy; when
he talked about the man deeply read in the love
of the ancients with his head crammed with
knowledge he walked the man of Learning and
contemplation; when he talked about the mon
ried men of Wall street he walked the character
to perfection and you saw the money bags fol-
lowing in his train. In all these matters IS
Beecher great. He has the genius to gather up
the facts pertaining to the every day duties of
life, and the talent to weave them into pleasing
discourse, set all over with glittering metaphor
and happy and easy figures, and thus impress
es upon every one who comes within his reach
the ideas of his ethical life. 1t is this, coupled
with his truthful action, and sincere manner,
which gives him power.


A distinguished clergyman once said to Gar
rick, the greatest actor of his day, Will you



tend to represent fiction should have the whole
town crazy after you, and have crowded houses
whenever you appear, while 1, who speak upon
the concerns of the soul and the future state,
in which all should be deeply interested, am
compelled to speak to empty houses 2" To
which Garrick replied, " I represent fiction as if
it was reality, while you represent reality as if
it was fiction" That makes all the difference
in the world. Beecheris Of the Garrick school,
He represents reality for reality; you feel it,
know it, realize it there is no fiction in his
performances He also has strength his rea-
soning is strong, his logic compact. Were it
not so, all his other qualities could not sustain
him in society where men measure the intellect
of each other as readily and as accurately as
they measure tape upon their counters. His
industry must be very great for beside his du-
ties as Pastor he writes for the Press, and is
almost weekly lecturing at some point within
the circle of easy rides from New York If he
has not industry he must be blessed with an in
telectual intuition which is rare, and always
ready and equal to the highest mental perform
ances. Something like 1t was seen In Washing
ton, and jefferson, great deal in Patrick Hen
ry, and latterly very mu;h may be found in
Paul Morphy, and it may be in Henry Ward
Beecher.


/ NO OHG Cdl HcdSuIC Tue vast dluOuhs VI SSOA
Mr. Beecher is doing in the world. His con-
gregations number thousands every week, and
many of his hearers are brought together by his
widely extended fame from all sections Of the
country All are more or less impressed, for no
one can come within his atmosphere and not be
attracted 10 the good that is in him. He mostly
eschews Theology and handles Ethics, circum.
stance which has much to do with a successful
c,reer as a minister. Theology relates to the
dead Past and the speculative Future Ethics
to the living Present; and few there are who
care enough about the Past to be interested in
the discussions it creates, and fewer still are
those who can endure Metaphysics sufficiently
to sit with patience and listen to the insane
rawlings of the metaphysician; but when the
present is touched upon, its hopes, fears and
needs, with its manly aims and high and long
ing aspirations, its heart throbbings, its excel.
lence Of character and elevation of soul, then
indeed are willing listeners hundreds and
thousands are ready to sink down, like the
gentle Mary at the feet of Jesus, and drink in
the words of inspiration. If there could be a
Beeeher in every city, town and village in the
entire country, what revolution they would
work out in few short years, ia morals, in
religion, in everything There would soon be
a new world.


Yours truly, JUNIuS, JR.