14. Mr. Beecher and his Father at time of Call to ” ” 210 Brooklyn, 15. Pinky’s Freedom-Ring 295 16. Mr. Beecher in 1850 367 17. Mr. Beecher at the Close of the War 445 18. Mr. Beecher and his Sister, Mrs. H. E. B. 525 Stowe 19. Cottage at Peekskill 619 20. Old Apple-Tree 621 21. Mr. Beecher on his Farm 625 22. House at Peekskill 631 23. Hall in New House at Peekskill 633 24. Mr. and Mrs. Beecher at the time of Visit to 667 England in 1886 25. Lying in State in Plymouth Church 679 PREFACE. A few months prior to his death our father undertook the preparation of his Autobiography. This was earnestly encouraged by his family, who shared with the public the desire that he should tell the tale of his life in his own words, giving those pictures of his inner self, the impressions made on him by his varying experiences, that he alone could give, and which, to a large extent, he alone knew. Confiding and free-spoken as he was in his joys, in his griefs he withdrew within himself, bearing in patient silence a load of sorrow unknown even to those nearest to him. But it was not to be. He had only jotted down a rough outline of his plan, and written a part of an intermediate chapter, when he laid down his pen for a little rest, never to be resumed again. In his contract with our publishers but a single volume of not less than six hundred pages was contemplated. Unconscious of its magnitude, we undertook to complete the contract. Accepting the limitations of a single volume, we began to collect the necessary material, and, when too late to change the form of the work, discovered that two volumes would hardly contain the history as it opened up to us, so closely interwoven has his life been with the nation’s history, and so full of important incidents. In the work of condensation, to bring our story within the space prescribed, we found it necessary to omit many of his letters, hoping that in the not far-distant future we might publish a supplemental volume containing all of his important correspondence. The book before us we have sought, as far as possible, to make autobiographic, telling the tale in our father’s words; happily the many letters furnished us by friends, or retained in the family, his public writings and utterances, supplemented by the many personal reminiscences which he gave us at various times, has enabled us to do so to a large extent.