he hearer, giving him food for thought for days
afterward. Mr. Beecher talks to his people of what they have been
thinking of during the week, of trials that have perplexed them, and of
joys which have blessed them. He takes the merchant and the clerk to
task for their conduct in the walks of business, and warns them of the
snares and pitfalls which lie along their paths. He strips the thin
guise of honesty from the questionable transactions of Wall street, and
holds them up to public scorn. His dramatic power is extraordinary. He
can hardly be responsible for it, since it breaks forth almost without
his will. He moves his audience to tears, or brings a mirthful smile to
their lips, with a power that is irresistible. His illustrations and
figures are drawn chiefly from nature, and are fresh and striking. He
can startle his hearers with the terrors of the law, but he prefers to
preach the gospel of love. His sermons are printed weekly in the
_Plymouth Pulpit_, and are read by thousands.

His literary labors, apart from his ministerial duties, have been
constant. He has published several books, has edited _The Independent_
and _The Christian Union_, and has contributed regularly to the _New York
Ledger_ and other papers. He has been almost constantly in the lecture
field, and has spoken frequently before public assemblies on the various
questions of the day.

Mr. Beecher is young-looking and vigorous. He has the face of a great
orator, and one that is well worth studying. He dresses plainly, with
something of the farmer in his air, and lives simply. He is blessed with
robust health, and, like his father, is fond of vigorous exercise. He
has a fine farm on the Hudson, to which he repairs in the summers. Here
he can indulge his love of nature without restraint. He is said to be a
capital farmer, though he complains that he does not find the pursuit any
more remunerative than does his friend, Mr. Greeley.

LIV. BLACK-MAILING.

To live at the expense of other people, and to procure the means of
living in comfort without working for it, is an art in which there are
many proficients in New York. Certain of those who practise this art are
known in city parlance as "Black-mailers," and they constitute one of the
most dangerous portions of the community. The Blackmailer is generally a
woman, though she is frequently sustained or urged on by a rough,
professional thief, or pick-pocket. The indiscreti