Year: 1874

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people that the scandal drama makes known
to us-an uncommonly queer lot. Romances
and novels are tame by comparison in their
displays OF this sort, for here nearly every one
sketches his own picture in and sketches it
with unconscious fidelity. Beecher, Tilton
and Mouiton are not the worst products OF our
civilization, and indeed the famous pulpit
orator seems to carry himself in the whole
transaction with more decency and dignity
and with more of all the good qualities of
humanity than some of the innocent ones
whose sensibilities are outraged at his offence.
His attempt to strike down MoUlton at the
last is in the passion Of the story; for 1t is
fight for life and he must perish or ruin that
witness. And if he is guilty, if he has yielded
to temptation as Grandfather Adam did, it
was natural temptation, and though to fall
in that way be unpreacher-lke it is not inhu-
man; while some in the story who are not on
trial must fall as Satan did never to rise again,
because their sin is that they nursed and
encouraged in their hearts fiendish malig-
nifty. How innocent, relieved by such vice,
is the mind of this poor erring woman, who





'.love babe -


Not the least remarkable of the figures in
the story are Messrs. Bowen and Storrs,
whom We class together not because there is
any natural resemblance between them, but
because they equally deprecated exposure and
equally seem animated by an interest that
may perhaps not unfairly be described as
of
Mr.. Storrs. He calls him 'hollow and faith
less"-a man who makes 'tacticap express
sions of affection; but who has ''game,
which is to force Tilton and Beecher into con-
hict that they may destroy one another, while
all the time he seems actively eager to prevent
the conflict He will use Tilton as fail to
strike at Beecher. Do they have these kind
of men and hold them in high honor in the
churches? Storrs, it seems, knew this whole
story through and through-knew all the
secret, and was the rival preacher of a rival
church and he is evidently contemplated by
Beecher as man who WAS resolved not to
lose SO grand an opportunity to remove from
the field q man by whose transcendmg genius
for the pulpit he was himself utterly over
shadowed and nullifed. Here is figure that
gives the story one of the elements of the
Grecian tragedy. But this lofty hate, if it
exists should not gloat in its triumph too OBJ
viously; for other offences are denounced in
the Decalogue as well as adultery


If Beecher was in any manner whatever in
Storrs way, and if Storrs has any reason to
feel satisfied with the general results of the
exposure, this cannot be true of Bowen; for
though we may, in tine light of all the facts,
conceive him as well satisfied that Beecher's
reputation should be damaged, because
Beechers talents as q writer and the EclQt of
his name made other mems papers prosper
Gus, we cannot suppose that be can be pleased
to have had the story go so far as to show his
own proportions in it. Not Mrs. Tilton, not
even Shearman, has less reason to be satisfied
with the figure they cut than this man Bowen.
! Ifyou have had quarrel with distinguished
writer in which he accuses you Of endeavor-
ing to wrong him in your accounts, and
thenceforth refuses to contribute the articles
that made your paper salable-if, in the bitter
ness Of resentment at his accusations and the
impending ruin of your paper, you accuse him
savagely of immoral practices, and then, when
brought face to face, sneak away with infinite
cowardice, or try to lick the hand that spurns
you, whoever you may be you may surely
count that thenceforward all men and women
will turn away from your very name with
loathing


Woodruff, the profane prestess of an un-
clean doctrine, is one of those who appear in
the story as eager only to profit by the possess
sion of the secret. With her it is traffic. She
has wares to sell, and she wants the endorse
ment of o man whose name is well known to
the effect that the wares are good and service
able to his certain knowledge. She is regarded
askance by the decent world and how shall
she overcome that? All, if she can get this
Beecher, this man whose name is tower Of
strength in all the moralities, who can darken
the common sense counsel of the popular mind
with the brlliancy of peculiar knowledge, to
come on the same platform and introduce
her, commend her, vouch for her, her point
will be gained, her doctrine will be examined
on fair terms, her wares will have a ready
market, and with this purpose in view she
uses her knowledge of this secret to force the
preacher to her level. If he comes down she
will hold her tongue; if he does not come
down she will blurt il all out. These are the
terms, clear and simple. But he was the
stronger; for he could see that to come to her
level was just as bad as to have it all out,
while when it did come out her platform was
very bad vantage ground from which to
fight the consequences of such story. But
she caught the feeble Tilton. He had the
common aversion, too; but upon personal
acquaintance she impressed and conquered
him. How this points with fresh circum-
stance the old moral that we first endure,