The Woodhull-challin-beecher Libel Suit

In chapter XXV. of Mrs. Stowe's story ' My Wife and I ", now being published n the Vhrixtutn Union, is the following racy conversation, and on the samoWoodïull & Claflin found their libel suit tennist Mr. Beocher. Tho italics are Mrs. Woodhull's : At this moment our conversation ras nterrupted by tha entranco of Jim Feliow8. Ho secmed quito out of breath and excited, and had no aooncr passed the eompliments of the evening thun he began. " Wcll," said hu, "Hul, I have just come from tha Pólice Court, wliero there's a precious row. üur fïiend 'Dacia Dangyereyos is upfor blackiiiuüing and swindiing, and there's a terrible wash of dirty linun going on. I was just in timo to get the very earliest notes for our paper. " " Good !" said Mr. Van Arsdel. "I hope the eroature is caught at last. " " Never believe that, " said Jim. " She luis u many lúea nu u ent. They never'll et a hohl on her. 8MÜ talk 'em all 'round. " " Dingiisting ! " said Idn. " Ah ' " said Jim, " it's ]art of the world as it goes. She'll come offwithflying colors, doubtless, and her coek's Jeathcrs will be jUi'ihtiuij i'V tht merrierfor t. " How horribly disagreeable," said Eva, to have sueh a vomno aroimd. It makes om; ashatoed of one'ssoi. " " I think, " said Ida, "there's not sufficient resemblauec to a real woman in her to niake iuueh tiouble on her account. Sho's an amphibious aninuil, belonging to a transition period of human society. " " Well, " Siúd Jim, " if you bi'lit've it, Mzs Corulias and two or three ladies of het Mt are aotnally going to invite 'Dacia to their talon, and patronizo her." " Imposs blo ! " said Ida, flusliing crimson ; "it cniutot be!" " Oh, you don't know, Mrs. Cerulian, " said Jim; " 'Dacia called on her with her aewspaper, and conducted herself in ;i most sweet and winning manner, an) Cast herself at her foet for patronage ; and Mrs. Ceruliiiii, regardina her through thosc glory spectacles which she usually wearg, took her up immediately as a prom iing candidato for the latter day. Mrs. Cerulian does not sec anytlnngiii 'Dacia's paper that properly interpretedneedmake any trouble ; bccause you see, as she ;iys, i-i rything onrjht to he lote, everywliere, above and below, under and over, up and down, top and side and bottom, ought to bo lree, lom. And then wheu there's general all-overness and all thoroughness, and an entire mixcd-up-ativeness, then the iufínito will come down into the fínite, and the finito will overflow into the infinite, and, in short, Miss 'Dacia's eook's feathers will sail right up into Hoaven, and we shall soe her cheek-by-jowl with the angel Gabriel, promensuling the streets oí tho ncw Jerusalem. Ihat's the programme. Moanwhile, 'Dacia's dolighted. She hadn't the romottst idea of being an angel or auything of the soit ; but since good judges have told her she is, sho takcs it all vory contcntedly. " " üh, " said Ida, " it really can't be true, Mr. Fellows ; it roally is imponible that siich ladies as Mrs. Cerulian's set - ladies of family and position, ladies of real dignity and. delicacy - are going to iudorse the principies which go to the iniiuediato dissolution of civiliztid society." " Thnt's just wlmt they are going to do, " said Jim ; " And they are having a high ull glorioua time doing it. " " But the fact is, " said Mr. Van Arsdel, " Mrs. Cerulian is a respeetable woman of a respeetable family, and this girl is a tramp ; that's what she is, and it's absolutely impossiblo that Mrs. Cerulian uan know what she is about. " " Wcll, I delieately suggested somo guch thing to Mrs. Cerulian, " said Jim, "but bless me, the way she set me down ! Says she, " Do you men ever inquire into tho character of people that you unite with to cariT on your purposos? You ioin with anybody that will help you, without regard to antecedent ! " "She don't speak tho truth, " said Mr. Van Arsdel. " We raen aro very particnlar about the record of those we juin with to carry on our purposes. You wouldn't iind a board of bankers taking a man who had a record for swindling, or a man that edited a papur arguing against tho righta of property. Dootors won't adrait a man among them who has the record of a quack or a nuilpractitioner, Clergymen won't adinit a man among them who has a record of liceutiousness or infidel sentimenta. And if womeu will aduiit women in uttcr disregard to their record of chastity, or their lax principies as to the family, they act on lower principies than any body of mon. " , " Besides, " said I, "that kind of tolerance cuts the very groundfrom unier the whole woman movemont ; for the main argument for proposing was to introduco into politics that superior delioaoy and purity whioh women manifest in ïauiily life. But if women are to bo loss oareful about delicacy and dooorum and family purity thim men are, thequagmire of politics, foul enough now, will become putiid. "