ILLUS: There was a man many years ago named Henry Ward Beecher. He was a prominent preacher here in America. He was invited on an occasion to attend a meeting of an atheist club where the noted agnostic Robert Ingersol was speaking. So Mr. Beecher, the preacher, accepted the invitation. Ingersol got up and as he was accustomed to doing he lambasted the Christian faith, made fun of everything holy and sacred. When he sat down amidst thunderous applause he looked over at Beecher the preacher and said, "Beecher, do you have anything to say in defense of Christianity?" Mr. Beecher stood to speak. He said, "Ladies and gentlemen, you will forgive me if I seem just a little bit shaken.
On the way over to the meeting today I saw something that really shook me up. I saw a blind man standing on a curb and a little boy who was getting ready to lead him across the street. About that time a big ruffian of a man came along. He shoved the boy aside and took the poor blind man’s crutches and tore them to pieces. Then he battered and beat the blind crippled man to the ground." It was more than Ingersol could stand. Ingersol stood to his feet in an outrage and he said, "Do you know who he is, Mr. Beecher?" The preacher said, "It is you, Ingersol. Man is a poor, blind beggar. He has few supports in
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