Year: 1874

ones house, as mine has been Ill 'iihes VI "u'''o''
a refuge from the storm and tower OF detense'


Besides generous suffering l should have had
selfish reason for such, if l had dreamt that was
about TO become the instrument by which Mr. III
ton meant to fight his way back to the prosperity
which he had forfeited 1t now appears that on the
Goth of December, 1870, Mr.. Tilton having learned
that had replied to his threatening letter by ex
pressing such an opinion of him to set Mr. Bowen
finally against him. and bring him face 70 face with
immediate rum extorted from his wife then suffering
under a severe illness, document incriminating
me, and prepared elaborate attack upon me.


MR.. TILToN WITH HIS wIFE's CERTIFICATE.


On Tuesday evening. Dec. 30, 1870, about o'clock,
Francis ID. Moulton called at my house, and with
intense eamestness said, g wish you TO go with me
to see Mr.. Tiltonp replied that could not then,
as ! was just going to my praver-meeting with
the most positive manner he said, You must go;
somebody else will take of the meeting"
went with him, not knowing what trouble had
agtated him. but vaguely thinking that might now
learn the solution of the recent threatening letter
On the way asked what was the reason OF thls
visit TO which he replied that Mr. Tilton would in
form me- or words to that effect. On entering his
house Mr. Mouton locked the door, saying some
thing about not being interrupted. He requested
me to 20 into the front chamber over the parlor.
was under the impression that Mr. Tton was going
TO pour out upon me his anger for cOlleaguing with
Bowen and for the advice of separation gwen 10 MS
wife, | wished Mr. Moulton TO be with me as
witness but he insisted that should go by myself
Mr. Tilton received me coldly but calmly. After
a word or two, standing in front of me with mem
orandum IN his hand, he began an Grafton. lie
charged me in substance with acting for long time
in an uniriendly spirit that had sought his down
fall had spread injurious rumors about him; was us
ing my place and influence to undermine him; had
advised Mr. Bowen to dismiss him, and much more
that | cannot remember. lie then de
clared that 1 had injured him III
his family relatiOns had joined with
his mother-in-law in producing discord in his
house. had advised separation, had alienated MS
wife's affections from him. had led her to love me
more than any living being, had corrupted her moral
nature and taught her to be nsincere, lying, and
hvpocritcal, and ended by charging that ! had
made wicked proposals to her. Until he
| reached this ! had listened with some con-
tempt under the impression that he was at
| tempting to bully me. But with the last charge he
produced paper purporng to be certified statement
Of previous confession made to him by his wife of her


love for me- aud that had made proposals to her OF an
impure nature said that this confession had been
made 10 him July months previous that his sense
Of and affection would not permit any such docu
Ipen to remain in existence; that he had burned the
original and should destroy the only copy; and he
| then the paper into small pieces II had
| been shocked at such statement was
| absolutely thunderstruck when he closed the
| interview by requesting to repair at once to
his house when he said Elizabeth waiting for me,
from her lips the truth OF his stories in so far
as they concerned her This fell like thuuderbot on
me- Could it be possible that his wife whom had re-
gardcd as the type OF moral goodness, should have
made such false ana atrocious statements And yet if
she had not how would he dare to send me To her Tor
! confirmation OF his chargesl


Iwent forth like a seep-walker, while clouds were
flying the sky. There had been a snow storm, which
was breaking away. The winds were out and whistng
through the eahess trees, but all this peace COM
pared to my mood within. believe that MoultOn went
with me to the door of TltOns house. The housekeeper
(the same of whom Mr.. Tilton had complaned)
seemed have been instructed by him, for she EVIL
IDENTIFY expected me- and showed me at once up TO Mrs
TtOu's room. Mrs. Titon lay upon her bed, white as
marble, with closed eyes, in trance, and with her
hands upon her BOSOM palm to PALM like one IN prayer
As back upon it, the picture is like some forms
carved in marble that had seen upon monuments in
Europe


THE RETRACTION WRITTEN.


She made no notion and gave sign Of recognition
OF my presence sat down near her and said, Elza-
beth Theodore has been making very serious charges
against me- and sends you for continuation" She
made no reply sign. Yet it was PLAIN that she was
conscious and listening repeated some OF his state
ments-that had brought discord to the family mad
alienated her from him. had sought to break up the
family had usurped his influence, and then as well as
could, 1 added that he said that l had made
improper suggestions TO her. and that she hdd
admitted this fact to him last July. said, Elizabeth
have Won made such statements hint" She made
no answer repeated the question. Tears ran down
her cheeks and she very slightly bowed her head In
acquiescence. said "YOu cannot mean that you
have stated all he has charged" She opened her eyes
and began in a slow and feeble way TO explain now
sick she had been how wearied out with importantly;
that he had confessed his alien loves and said that
he could not think that she was better than he
that She might win him reformation if she would con-
fess she had loved me more than him. and tha they
would repent and go with future concord. cannot
give her language but only the tenor of her representa-
tiens Ireceyed them mpaently spoke to her in tho
sron gest language her Isald to her. Have


ever made any improper advances to you y She sald
mo" Then asked Why did you say SO TO your hus.
band2" She seemed deeply distressed. my friend'
Cby that designation she almost always called mel
am sorry but could not help II, What can do g
told her she could in writing what she had now
told me- She beckOned for her writing materials which


handed her her secretary standing near by, and


she sat ND in bed and wrote brief


In sort OF postscript she denied explicitly that had
ever offered any improper solicitation to her, that being


the only charge made against me by Mr ItOn or sus-
tanned by statement about the confession which he
had read to dreamed OF no worse charge at that
time That was horrible enough. The mere thought
that he could make it and could have extored any
evidence on which base it, was enough to take away
nv senses Neither my consciousness of its utter false
hood nor Mrs Tton's retraction Of her part In
II could remove the shock from my heart and head
Indeed, her admission TO me that she had stated
under any circumstances to her husband go wicked


fasehood was The crowning blow OF ALL 1t seemed TO
me as if she was going die, that her mind was over
thrown and that was in dreadful way mixed up


in IT, and might be left by her death with this terrible
accusation hanging over me-