Year: 1875


should tell 1t, and yet in a low, pleas
ant, woman's voice, which went even
ly, and without hurry or hesitation,
from point to point.


Mr. Beecher laid down on the
lounge and he said, This is probably
my last conversation with you. feel
that if Mr.. Tilton publishes my letter
of apology 1t is useless for me to try
any longer to live this down. / have
never felt that had much to hope for
from Theodore. He is fsithIess man
and seems to lose sight Of this, that if
the letter is published he strikes his
wife even more than me- said, Mr..
Beecher, there is something better for
you to do than that go down to your
church and confess your crime, and
they will forgive you He said, No /;
L cannot do it. For the sake of khe
woman who has given me her love.
for the sake of my family. for the sake
of my church, for my influence
throughout the world, can never do
1T. will die before | confess it, /
said, Mr.. Beccher, sooner or later the
truth in this case will come out, and
you had much better take your case
into your own hands and give to your
church a confession | am sure they
would forgive YOU He said No. that
cannot do. My children would de
spise me. ! could not go back to my
home. My church would NOT forgive
nae. There would be nothing left for
me to do. My work would he finish
ed. 1t would be better for me to go
out of life than to remain longer in it.
My position is that of moral
teacher, which i could no longer hold.
L have resolved to take my life first
l have powder at home Oh my libra
ry table which I have resolved to take
and sink quietly out of life. | have
nothing to live for. After "
ing on the sofa little while he got up
and walked about the room in very
excited manner, with the tears
streaming down his cheeks, and said
he thought it was very hard that after
life of usefulness that heshOuid be
brought to this thing | said it was
very hard, and that there was only
one way out of 1t, and that was by
confessing the whole after walking
up and down for some time he sat
down on "a chair / stood behind him,
and put my hand on his shoulder, and
l said, MIR, BeecheT, if you will only
go down to the church, Frank will 20
down with you he will stand by you
through everything, no matter what
comes, and [ will always be your
friend, if you will only go down and
confess IL is the only way out of it :.
you nave been guilty, and you have
got to face the consequences. ;
He said; You never give me any
comfort you are al ways to me like a
section of the Day OF Judgement; ]
never ask any consolation from yOu'
I said. / don't see how you can be
living q lie Sunday after Sunday > |
said i have never heard you preach
since | knew this that did not feel I
was standing by an open grave
have believed in you every since | was
a giTl-heiieVed in you - the one ga0d
man in the world row il has destroy
ed my faith in human nature ; do
not go 10 church a8y more +; all my
interest in the church is gone, ahd [
cannot respect yOI Unit! YOU so down
to the cllufch aLd confess your crime
He told me very positively
that he would take his life, and be-
lieved him when he said So.
He WAS setting in q chair, the tears
streaming down his face; | stood be-
hind him, and leaned over and kiss
ed him on tGc foTehead.n


Thus one of her interviews with
If Beecher was described and re-de-
scrjhed and described again in the
pleasant tones Of pleasaut-faced wo-
man, whose dOwncHst eyes wandered
from her lap 10 thc -teD0grapncr's pen
Gil anG back again, whose hands rest
less!y toyed with and twisted the
braids Of her dress. but whose vuice
fell smoothly and umbFokeGly upon
the complete quiet Of the courtroom
till recess and the final adjournment
were the relief Of . heavy oppression
to the many people who bad 30 bust
ness in the 0ver-crowded room but
curiosity. The trial was adjourned to
Tuesday, Monday being holiday