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MYRRHA,
The Greek Bride.
A Story in Verse.
K.V Mary K. Bryan.
[i‘*v engraving.]
Hie Moslem's evening call to prayer
>o longer clove theeclioiug air:
1 he sunset's purple citadel
Dissolved as at some silent spell
Into a fairy sea of rose,
J hrough which the star of evening grows
As some white lily in a lake,
" hose dreaming waters never wake.
I he mosques anu minarets that rose
Against that sky of calm repose,
Show darker, and more gloomy falls
The shadow of the palace wails
Across the dark Bosphorcau tide
That laves the palace's marble side
Falace, whose guarded walls shut in
So much magnificence and sin:
The feet of dancing girls that whirl
Like blossoms in the fatal swirl
Of eddying waves: the sumptuous forms
Of slaves whose purchased beauty warms
The sultan's proud voluptuous veins
That purer tenderness disdains;
Music that leads Its silver strains
To scarceiv-veiled, lascivious themes,
That stifle nil ennobling dreams,
Smothering them as with hot perfume
Shed from some poisonous tropic bloom.
But darker deeds than sloth and lust
Bender these palace walls accursed.
Often the shuddering uight has seen
Victims of spite or jealous spleen.
Borne, bound, and shrieking piteous prayer,
Or dumb in proud and white dispair,
Bragged to the brink—a splash, a moan,
The waters close, a soul lias flown.
The Moslem' tyrant's power is shown.
Xo marvel that it darkly tails.
The shadow from these palace walls.
Barkening and motioniess it. lay.
Upon the calm, unheaving bay.
Till, in a breath, 'tis broken, swift.
But noiseless as a leaf may drift
A boat, swan-breasted, shoots inside
The shadow-outline streaming wide,
Close to the wall it presses ; where
A slender balcony carved and fair,
juts high above; it pauses t here;
The boatman rises; nobler shape
The Turkish mantle may not diape:
Those limbs were worthy knightly mail,
That turbaned brow so proud and pale
Were better helmeted; 1 lie fire
In those gray eyes is from the pyre
• if joy consumed—a burning ire
Beneath the ashes of keen pain.
He stands a moment—then a strain
Escapes his lips—a Turkish air
Low sung, hut marvelous sweet and clear.
It floats up to the palace walls,
And on the wondering ear it falls
Of one who on a divan lies
With weary angu'.Bh In her eyes,
Mocking the roses in her hair.
The pearls that make her neck more fair,
The robes, whose gem-embroidered zone
Only a favored slave may o’.vu;
She hears that song in Turkish sung,
But that was never Turkish tongue,
Oh wild despair—that tune, that air,;
She would fly from it—did she dare!
But still its music chains iter ear.
Myrrha. the sun has left-the sky,
Come witli the light ot thy dark eye.
Come, oh come.
Myrrlia, there’s sorrow in the sea,
I want thy voice’s melody ;
Come with thy tones, the pure, the free,
And bid these maddening visions flee,
Come, oil come.
Yes, it is Ills, ’tis Otiio's voice,
mce it had made each poise rejoice,
ut now !—Yet. stilt her step it draws
• ut to the balcony—there, a pause—
>iic quick look down, iter eager eyes
Have pierced at once the Turk's disguise.
Whiter she grows beneath his gaze—
ler young Greek lover of old days—
I lavs ere the Turk's red, pit) less hand
Had torn her from her native land.
The blazing ruins of her home
And caged her here, beneath this dome,
That is to hera living grave.
To be the Sultan's toy and slave,
To bear caresses from the hand
lied with the life-blood of her land;
To feel ttiat hand's relentless power,
Closing around her hour by hour,
Bespite her prayers and struggles, till
It crushes hope and strength and will,
And leaves her like a dove whose wings
Scarce shudder in the serpent's rings.
Ah! who that comes within tiiesc walls,
Where snbtlle sin enwinds, enthralls.
Where music, perfume, luxury, all
Bears the lulled spirit to its fall.
Where the drugged cup that white hands fill,
Is handmaid to ttie tyrant’s will,
While subtler poison steeps the mind—
"Who enters lieie, leaves hope behind,’’
Her life within these walls!—in gleams
It. flashes on her like the dreams.
Born of wine-fevered blood, and brings
A stab of keenest shame; she wrings
Her Jeweled hands, “Why came you hero?”
She falters with white lips, and clear
The answer floats up to her car: ‘
“I came to flua you and to save.”
•■Too late— you find mein my grave.
Bead to myself, to Greece, to you,
It is too lRte to chide or sue.
Go, leave me to my doom; the air
Is foil oldanger, heed my prayer
And fly at once, even now some spy
May mark you with his deadly eye
A victim for the sultan’s power;
Go!”
“Mot without you. Oh! my flower.
The storm lias stained, my bird whose breast
The tiger's cluw has torn; attest
Ye listening stars that rather I
Would brave the tyrant's rage and die
Than leave her whom 1 loved in youth.
Whom still I love through wrong and ruth,
Whose stains my !ips shall kiss away,
Whose wrongs my sword witli blood shall pay
When dawns that now portending day
That whelms the Turk in bloody fray,”
He pleaded whilotlie light grew pale
and glimmered on his far-off sail,
Pleaded till to her eyes there came
A flash ofhope’s long-quenched flame
shining albeit through a tear,
She spoke. “At midnight then be here.
And I will come—but oil, I fear
The most for yon. Greece claims your life.
I et her, not. Myrrha, he your wife,
Unworthy—” “Hush,” ho cried, “ tis well,
Tis promised; when the midnight hell
Sounds:its first stroke, I will he nigh
you or with you to die.”
Twelve times the mighty bell that hung
Within the mosque’s high dome has swung.
The night is dark, the moon is new,
YetOthoto his trust is true,
llis boat waits by the palace wall,
His ear lias caught a light footfall,
A murmured word, his heart grows warm,
His arms upreacli to clasp the form
That softly from the casement swings,
Why does its touch a shudder bring?
He folds it in a quick embrace,
His warm lips press the unanswering face
So cold—! He tears the hood away,
That sight would make a demon pray 1
The form he holds is; senseless clay.
The staring eyes, the parted lips!
That life has suffered fierce eclipse
By murder’s hand; tiie pearls still deck,
In milky loveliness her neck
But what is this— that tighter yet
Clasps tiie round throat? with blood ’tis wet!
The fatal bow string! All! just heaven
lie knows by whom her doom was given;
The despot s spies had seen, had heard!
With madness ali his soul is stirred,
Siezing tiie rope that lowered tiie dead
He scales the wall; the.turbaned head
Of mocking watcher cleaves he there
With his strong arm and sabre bare.
They fly in fear, he follows fast,
The hall of royal stale is passed
The Sultan’s chamber reached at last;
But at its door .a hireling horde
With thick set bayonets guard their lord
And Otho pierced by many a blade
Falls ere his full revenge is stayed,
Kalis in tiie blood his sword lias made.
And the Bosphorus moans above
The young Greek soldier and his iove.
Fate adds a drop to the dark cup
Of vengeance that the years fill up
For the proud Moslem's lip to drain
In shame, disgrace and better pain.
Movements in Southern Society.
Tne Kemper Literary Association of Baltimore,
had their quarterly reunion last week. Instrumen
tal music, singing—quartets and solos readings and
recitations formed part of the entertainment. Ko-
freshments of fruit and cream were nicely served
and all seemed to enjoy the occasion.
The Harrisburg, Va., Guards have gone into
camp at Hanley Springs, where f'rire will be a
grand military ball given in their litat.ir on the eve
ning of Friday next. -'the .
A grand tournament was annotY ( ^ r as going to
be held on Aug. 6th in a beautiful g ? r..e on the farm j
of Mr. Harry Dorsey, near Ellscoti “f jy, Md.
A correspondent from Winckestei*. /a., writes on
date of August 3rd: Everything is ir a state of an
ticipation and preparation for the grand mass meet
ing which will be held here to-morrow. The body
of county people will be feasted on watei melons
and addressed by Gen. Mahone, Hon. Barbour,
Capt. Riddleberger, and others. i
The Myrtle Socials of Baltimore, Lida gala day
at Fairy Grove last week. A number of ilieir party
crowded into a mamuioutli ’bus and went out glee
fully, passing the time in boating, fishing and danc
ing.
Miss Fannie Castleberry of Cuthbert, now visi
ting Mrs. IF. B. Seals, appeared on the streets yes
terday ill an artistic walking costume, consisting
of fine lace bunting of a peculiar shade—pale drab
with a tint of salmon. The vest of the basque was
of old gold brocade silk with cording of crimson gros
grain The same trimming was repeated on the
overskirt, that was farther trimmed witli cascade
bows of gros grain ribbon of old gold color. Fine
pleating finished an inch from the bottom with the
cording of crimson silk trimmed t'-e lower skirt.
The buttons that closed the basqmj j'ere oval sliap-
ed and so beautifully enameled as U y'ffl as lfpuint-
ed by hand. arri
DRAMATIC NOTES.
PERSONALS.
Myrrha, The Greek Bride.
“GO, LEAVE ME TO MY DOOM J THE AIR
IS FULL OF DANGER, HEED MY PRAYER.*’
ffentitle ©ossip.
Mother Eve was always a good little girl at
school. She never went out without leaf. ‘IFhat?
Never V That is not after ‘fall.’
Vinnie Ream’s latest and best work is a baby.
Isn’t it something unusual for sculptors to give
their work flesh tints ?
The fool goetii out in a sail boat when he doesn’t
know a boom from a breaker, but the wise man
picks up pebbles on the shore and flirts with the
girl in a pink dress.
Mrs. Mary Howitt has reeeived from the English
Government a pension of $500, in consideration of
her literary services.
Mr. C. D. B. Mills, of Syracuse, ‘looks to Woman
Suffrage to save us from the domination of the grog
shop, as the great power of faith against the politi-
j cal infidelity • if America. This uprising of Woman-
; hood will bring us the untiring patience, the meas
ure. less strength which a second time will save
I America.
j Some Lansing ladies deeorutad the Supreme
Court room with flowers the other day. I hief
Justice Campbell liked the noveatiou, and sent a
I courteous note to its authors thanking them for
! it.
The tent of the Princess Louise, who is salmon
fishing in the wilds of Canada, is thus described by
a prying newspaper correspondent : ‘The ground
is covered thickly with fresh spruce boughs, and on
either side of ihe mattress, which rests on the
boughs in the centre of the tent, is a strip of dark
Brussels carpet. A dainty little dresser in the corn
er of the tent supports a small handsome mirror and
the usual variety of toilet conveniences. The cot,
which, so far as its original purpose was concerned,
the prineessvdiscarded on her arrival in camp, has
been converted into a lounge, and this, with an easy
chair or two, completes the outfit of this simple but
cheery little woodland home of her royal high
ness.’
Julia and Pauline, figurantes at a theater, have a
little tiff.
T hate you so,’ you mean thing,’ says Julia, that
I wish you hadn't a brooch to your back.’
'I hate you so,’ retorts Pauline, ‘that if you
were drowning before my eyes, I wouldn’t lift my
little finger to give you a cup of cold water—
there !’
Act one, they meet in a pleasant dream;
Act two, lie’ll treat to soda and ice cream;
Act three, his cash, alas ! is nearly played;
Act four, his girl grows cold, sedate and staid:
His five, just as his love is ripe and mellow
His girl is flirting with another fellow.
Rain drove the large crowd at a school Celebra
tion at Harlem Georgia into the church, just as the
tempting contents of the many baskets had been
spread on the grass under the trees.
On the evening of July 26th Mr. 8. C. Evans of
Barton Ga., was married to J/iss Lizzie Donovan of
IFadley, Rev. S. James Austin officiating. After
a superb wedding supper, tiie bridal party left for
Toccoa and Tallulah Falls.
Some Atlanta ladies are thinking of organizing a
base ball club determining not to bo distanced by
New York and Philadelphia, where the ladies have
very effective clubs that lately played a lively
match game at Washington.
Forsyth has two wide a-wake literary clubs—the
Irving and the Waverly, with efficient officers and
regular attendance of members. Two of the Bun
ny South’s most talented contributors are now vis
iting that pretty little city—Miss L. Hussey of At
lanta and Mrs. Celeste Barksdale of Blakely Ga
Mrs. Larendon of New Orleans—the daughter of
Gen. Beauregard, is now in Atlanta visiting her
sister-in-law Mrs. Sisson. She was at the Fruit
Feast of the Pomologieal Society Tuesday evening,
wearing a costume of dark navy blue trimmed with
white lace. She has a fine intellectual face.
A Charleston paper says that an aggregate of four
hundred and thirty persons have availed themselves
of the low excursion rates and left Charleston within
hree days to spend a fortnight in the moun- j
ains.
Printers have a ‘devil’ of a time before they learn
the business.
At the lute Commencement of Williams College,
David Dudley Field presented the institution with
a meridian circle which will enable Professor Tru
man II. Salford to pursue the original astronomica-
investigations in which he is engaged. Tiie gar
land is surmounted by an eagle, which holds in his
talons a three-colored streamer on which is written
in golden letters the motto, ‘Not lost, but gone tie-
fore. ’
Louise, Victoria and Maud, the young daugh
ters of the PriDoe of Wales, rarely appear in
publio in any but the simplest of dresses.
They are sometimes seen with their mother at
the theatre in plain white linen or cotton sailor
dresses, with a little red trimming, and they are
often met riding and driving in neat sailor dress
es of dark blue woollen. They want with their
father and mother to the recont French Fair in
gowns of plain pink cambric, with sashes of
crimson harmonizing with the pink.
Miss Louise Pomeroy begins her next season on
August 18, at the Walnut Street Theatre, Phila
delphia.
It is stated that the “stars” are all alarmed at the
ravages of ‘‘Pinafore,” and many fear that they
will be driven next season to foreign climes.
Minnie Palmer’s success the past season has em
boldened her to star again the next. She will have
her own company under W. L. Allen’s manage
ment.
Oliver Byron Doud has at last procured a new
play, and calls it “Public Opinion.” He is now in
his own beautiful cottage, at Long Branch, study
ing up the parts.
Miss Mary Anderson is at Newport, and enjoy
ing herself very much. Old Neptune’s breezes have
added a ruddy tint to her cheeks, anil she is very
naturally the “observed of all observers.”
Merry Mary Anderson is devoted to horse back
exercise, but has not yet attained to that proficiency j
which gives her exemption from accident. She j
was recently thrown from her Bucephalus at Long j
Branch and slightly bruised.
Lotta has gone over to Europe, but will be back j
in five or six weeks: it’s the ocean trip, with its I
saline breezes, she is striving for. Lotta s health is
not good: her voice is weak and that old spinal af- !
fection continues to annoy her. She has secured
Ed. Marble as one of her supports next season.
Tiie Boston Herald remembers when the beauti
ful actress Kate Girard was only a New York
butcher’s daughter. She matured early, and three
or four years ago, when she was seventeen or eighty
een years old, her remarkable beauty began to at,
tract admiration. She dressed in a conspicuous
manner, and was scarcely over absent from the
throng of jieople on Broadway every pleasant af
ternoon.
Mrs. Bowers and Charlotte Thompson have form
ed a combination, with John Rickaby as manager.
Oliver Doud Byron’s sensations tiiis year will be
“Across the Continent,” aud “Hero,” a new play
by Charles Bernard, of Scribner's Magazine, en
titled “Public Opinion.”
F. W. Goatcher, the artist, has painted a novel
first scene for Malm and Bussell’s Fatinitza, and
also a handsome set for the harem act. In the first
scene there is a representation of sunrise after a
storm.
Lotta’s combination will open the season at Me.
Vicker’s, Chicago. The gentlemen thus far engaged
are C. D. Bainbridge, H. B, Bradley, W. II. IFallis,
C W. Parker, EJ. Marble, and George H. Tyle r
will be business manager.
The New York Dramatic Mirror gives this re
vised list of Boucicault's Booth’s Theatre Company;
John Clayton, leading man- Dominick Murray
character; A. D. Billings, old man: George De Vere,
character aud comedy; John Brougham, comedian;
Marie Prescott, leading lady; Mrs, E. L. Daven
port, old lady; Ada Gilman, soubrette: Rose Cogh_
lan (probably), star—“lead;” Maude Granger, juve
nile; Nelly Mortimer, comedy; J. A. Kennedy,
walking gent.
Madame J anauschek confirms the story that she
} nssed Matt. Canning (formerly of the Pitts.
\ [.’isTiand, says in explanation: *\Vehav e
been 1 ‘swindled openly and by the wholesale; $9,oo 0
is not too high to set the amount which we can
prove has been taken from us. In Chicago 8160 was
overcharged for expenses. In Galveston the same
amount again. In Syracuse the manager’s book,
there was sufficient received to more than cover
our expenses. These are but a few instances out of
many.’
“Pinafore” at the Exhibition. —TheChildren’s
Pinafore Company, whose performance at the I11-
ternatioual Exhibition Building have been enjoyed
by over 52,000 people, according to the official fig
ures of Manager Curran, made their final ap
pearance last week. Miss Jenny Busk and the boy
soprauo, Charles Minehen, were chief attractions.
Miss Anna Ware, so well known in amateur the
atricals in Washington, and of late so successful in
the professional line, has been tendered, and has ac.
cepted, a very fine engagement at the Madison
Square Theater, New York.
Some one writes of Sarah Rernhardt: “She is a
a genius; she is clever, but as far behind Rachel
Ristori or Jauuuschek in genius as she is beyond
them in vanity and humbug. She is plaving out.
She squeaks more and more in her passionate busi
ness. She yelps more in her elevated tenderness
touches, and runs more to molasses and water in
her pathos every week. ’
Page Mc.Carty’s burlesque of “Buttons” will be
the sensation next season in comic opera. The typ‘
ieal M. C., Colonel Blatherskite, is a fine photo
graph of the gay and sportive statesman and hi
political career with Mrs. Alias Ketchum, the pret
ty female buccaneer, his marriage and the racy
scandal are alone sufficient provender for an opera
bouffe, when well rendered, to be a success. The
third act is a prairie scene, opening with a chorus
of Chinese and Indians. A solo by Colonel Blather
skite, who enters with a “mule howitzer” and sings
with a “jackass obligato,” is a musical aud dram'
atic synonym of the frontier artillery business-
and the serenade in this act is really beautifnl,
while it is comically arranged as a concerted piece,
with the mother of the soprano at the back and the
two wives of the serenaders listening to the musi
cal courtship. In the first act, Mrs. Alias Ketchum
makes a very effective entrance, veiled, and goes
through a quartette—vocal, not instrumental—with
her three husbands, who, not knowing her, are
struck with her graceful bearing and the mystery
of the veil, and are disposed to push a regular
Washingtonian flirtation in the accepted style of
sporting statesmen.
Mr. Bandinann, Millie Palmer, and dramatic
company are expected to arrive from Liverpool on
the floth, to inaugurate the regular season at the
Standard with “Narcisse,” early in September.
Samuel Roberts, lately stage manager of the Ho
boken Varieties, married his wife, Maud, only four
teen years old, and of the same company, about
three months ago, and now Maud is alleged to be in
legal quest of tier personal freedom.
James Collier carries paper scenery with his
“Banker’s Daughter” Combination. Such of the
press as have regarded paper scenery as a novelty
are evidently strangers to the German and contin
ental theatres.
WIIAT J’KOPLE AKE I»OJN« AMI SAYiSiU
A LI. OVEIt I'll E WORLD.
Moody and Sankey are being revived.
It is evident that Bon Butler has no corns. He
runs too often. •
King Alphonso is at present a looker-on in \ ien-
na, in the search for a wife.
Mississippi has not a single national bank Its
only banks are those along the river.
The Indian agents are afraid to venture near
enough to Sitting Bull to swindle him.
Zaek, the statesman, always wears a nosegay.—
Boston Dost. Of a gay, bright, ruby color.
The old homestead of Abraham Lincoln, at San
gamore, Illinois, is out of repair, and serves as a
refuge for tramps.
Colonel King, of Texas, is the representative Bull
of Ba-hau. He has a cattle rauche 75 miles long,
aud enclosing 3,327 acres.
There is a man in Allentown, Penn., who has one
thousand parrots for sale. He should run them for
Congress if they talk well.
A Perry county farmer lias turned his attention
to coffee raising, and has three bushes loaded with
berries.
Daniel Lawreuce, a rich distiller who died at
Medford,Mass., recently, left 87,000 to the town of
Tyngsboro, Mass., for a poor fund.
Jurors of the United States Courts will recteve
two, instead of three dollars per day, under the
new law.
Col. Jas. S. Pinekard, of Forsyth , died on last
Sunday. He was a lawyer of some notoriety, a
useful citizen, ami a good man.
A Newark policeman has been obliged by Mayor
Yates to publicly apologize to Mrs. Marx, a Jewess,
for having said to her that Manhattan Beach would
be quite a pleasant place of resort now that the Jews
had been excluded.
The ruins of a prehistoric fortification, covering
an area ot two acres, has been discovered near Mos
hannon creek, Centre County.
Governor McClellan it at Long Branch. Why
will no shot gun boom for him for the presidency
It is said that Jeff Davis will make a large for
tune out of his “History of the IFar,” which will
be published by the Appleton’s. How strange that
the war should be a fortune to Jeff aud ruin to all
his folio wsrs.
Dr. Hugh G. Glenn, the Democratic candidate for
the governorship of California, is a heavy farmer.
He controls 45,000 acres of land. He is a \ irginiau
by birth, a Missourian by by education. In addi
tiou he is supported by George Gorham.
IFhy is it that the press of the country are so
anxious to get rid of George IF. Childs by sending
him on the English mission.' \\ ho shall furnish us
with obituary fun when this grave humorist is
gone.”
The spiritualists have determined upon propaga
ting their creed in true, Methodistic style. They
haveselected a beautiful grove at Neshaminy Creek,
Penn., and established a camp meeting there, lhey
are m earnest siud the progress of their work will
be watched with more than passing interest.
“ umi - 01 line t-“a ... neatly enquiring wny
the U. S. government does not punish George Rey
nolds, the Mormon, who sometime ago was con
victed of bigamy in the United States’ Court. Rey
nolds seems to be having a very good time of it, and
at last accounts was rather enjoying his martyr
dom.
A Baltimore man by the name of Gunnison has
twice endeavored to get a meeting of the Republi.
can citizens of his ward to decide whether Grant or
Sherman shall be the Presidential candidate next
year. Tiie first meeting was attended by two re
porters and a colored man, aud the second effort-
brought out one white limn and four reporters. Mr.
Gunnison feels a little discouraged in his efforts to
get the campaign in running order on one side or
the other, but he will try once more. Perhaps if
he will drag the Federal offices around Baltimore
he might be able to get the party together.
Captain Eads, having got the Mississippi jetties
off his mind, is looking around for some new enter
prise to take up his time, and has revived the scheme
of building a ship railway, instead of a ship canal
across the Isthmus of Panama. The idea is to lay a
track forty or fifty feet wide, construct a car big
enough to float a ship and a locomotive powerful
enough to draw the load, and then just take the
vessel out of one ocean, carry it across and dump it
into the other. The scheme will probably strike
the average reader as rather chimerical, and it is
not likely anything will come of it, but in these
days hardly anything is to be set down us impossi
ble.
The gallant captain of a Pinafore gang in an in
terior town of New York eloped with the daugh
ter of its mayor, a foolish little provincial girl with
brass button proclivities. It was discovered that
he was a married man, after his arrest and return
to the town, and the rustics paid him a visit the
first night of his incarceration. Since that time li«
has been melting himself in the sun and humbly
murmuring, “Sing they the bag of feathers and the
tar.”
Dr. Hawthorne, of Montgomery Ala., has been
called to the Colliseum Place Baptist Church New
Orleans.
Senator Whyte will not run himself for any of
flee. For he himself hath said it. However, he
will permit his friends to perform that agreeable
duty.
Lueretia Mott has been elected President of th
Pennsylvania Peace Society. She is now S6 years
old, and has been a public spea ker since she was
25.
A London manager was lately compelled to pay
damages to a lady whose sealskin coat had become
spoiled in consequence of the newly-painted chairs
not having had sufficient time to dry. As all the
city theatres are being repainted, local managers
may feel interested in the above item of news.
A witness on the stand, in reply to a question as
to what the character of Mr.— was for truth and
veracity, said: “Well, I should say that he handles
truth very carelessly.”
A .Kentucky farmer writes to the local newspa
per complaining of the low price of dairy products,
and adds: “Ishall not sell my eggs for 8 cents a
dozen—it don’t pay for the wear and tear of the
hen.”
A noted politician was so fond of being “dead
headed” everywhere, that when some of his friends
were debating how to get him to attend church, one
of them seid: “Charge an admission fee, and he’ll
be after a pass before breakfast.
Mrs. Langtry is thought to be as brave as beauti
ful, for the reason that she has determined to visit
the United States, notwithstanding Henry Ward
Beecher is running round loose.
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