ANECDOTES OF HENRY WARD BEECHER.

West Coast Times, Issue 6560, 2 August 1887, Page 4

ANECDOTES OF HENRY WARD BEECHER.

In 1869 Mr Beecher preached at Lenox Mass. "Oh, dear," exclaimed Miss Heron, the actress, who was present, "I did hope when I left New York I should leave the stage behind me."

When Park Benjamin was invited to attend Plymouth Church, and complained of not knowing the way, Mr Beecher told the poet to take the ferry and follow the crowd. "I would come," replied Benjamin, only I make it an an invariable rule never to go to any place of amusement on Sunday."

In 1860 Mr Beecher was invited by the Mercantile Library Association of St Louis to lecture, but with the understanding that he should "eschew all matters pertaining to politics and reMqionJ" The characteristic reply was : " I am too much of a patriot to eßchew the one and too good a Chistrian to neglect the other," and in closing, "hoped that before long the young men of St. Louis would be able to listen, without shrinking, to the free speech of an honest man."

His lecture was on " Young America," and up to November of that year he had received 500 invitations for the winter lecturing tour.

One pleasant Sabbath morning, so the story runs, on the way to church, Beecher went up to a number of boys playing marbles and exclaimed, " What, boys, playing marbleß on the Sabbath day! Why, you frighten me.' Upon which one of the little sinners answered : " Frightened, ba ! Wby the d 1 don't you run then V

When Mr Beecher tried to Btop running horsescars in Brooklyn on Sundays, for the sake of the conductors and drivers, he unbeknown questioned a conductor, who replied, "If that sanctimonious hypocrite Beecher would shut up his establishment the thing could be done."

Mr Beecher inquired of some boys crying papers, " What's the news to-night?" " Oh," said one of the urchins, " give me three cents and I'll show you ." Dr Todd is credited with the famous division, " Saints, sinners, and the Beecher family," and also with the assertion that no man had done more to build up the Evangelical faith than Dr Lyman Beecher, and that no men had done more to pull it down than his sons.