USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Leicester > History of the Second Congregational church and society in Leicester, Massachusetts > Part 4
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I made ready, went to Boston and took the 8 o'clock A. M. Newport stage. Among the passengers was John M. Forbes, whom I had not seen since we were school-fellows at Round Hill (Northampton). He has been many years in Canton, China, and in excellent business.
I learned that he was going to New Bedford to make arrangements for his marriage with Miss Hathaway. We dined at Taunton. I reached Fall River at about 4 o'clock P. M. and went to stay at the house of Mr. N. B. Borden.
Sunday, Dec. 22. Rather an unpleasant day, and the morning audience was small. I was told the Fall River people never turn out to meeting well on Sunday morning. The place is wholly a manufacturing one-cottons and satinets chiefly-during the week they get pretty tired, and make it a rule whether tired or not, to be abominably lazy on Sunday morning. The afternoon audience was much larger. I was introduced to H. Battelle, Esq., a lawyer; Dr. Hooper, and several others, principally store-keepers.
Monday, Dec. 23. Left Fall River, having engaged to return for two Sundays, and spend the intermediate week.
Saturday, Dec. 28. In company with William H. Chan- ning, who was going to preach at New Bedford-the Rev. Orville Dewey being absent in Europe-I left for Fall River. William Channing and I parted company at Taunton. I again went to the house of Mr. Borden, who is agent for the
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Pocasset Manfg. Co., and remarkably well-informed man, of very independent mind.
The Fall River Unitarians so far as I became acquainted with them are completely free inquirers; there is too little religious sentiment in the Society. Indeed this is by no means peculiar to the Unitarians there, but is characteristic of other denominations. Much more I might say after nine or ten days' aquaintance. I was invited to remain and preach to them as a candidate, but could not bring my mind to the thoughts of a life passed among such influences. Be- sides I was under a promise to the Society at Leicester to return to them. Was in Fall River three Sundays, on the second of which I preached in the evening, as well as twice during the day.
1834. Wednesday, January 1. Went over to New Bed- ford, distant fourteen miles. This was my first visit to the town with which I was pleased beyond my highest expecta- tion. It is beautiful, for situation, plan and style of build- ing. The afternoon and evening I passed with William Channing, and the night at an ordinary public house. This is a time of great pecuniary embarrassment and distress with the New Bedford merchants and a large proportion of them have failed.
Thursday, 2. William Channing accompanied me on my return to Fall River; spent one night and went back to New Bedford.
Monday, 6. Returned to Boston.
Sunday, 13. Preached but half a day, which was a labour of love for Frederick T. Gray at Friend St. Chapel.
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Sunday, 20. Preached but half a day, also a labour of love, for Rev. Wm. Newell at Cambridge.
Have engaged with the committee of the First Parish in Milton, from which the Rev. Sam'l Gile has just been dis- missed, to supply their pulpit for eight Sundays. I had supposed this was to be done entirely by exchange with neighboring clergymen, but was desired to preach for them myself part of the time, and did so three Sundays.
January, Sunday, 26. Preached at Roxbury, for Rev. G. Putnam.
February, Sunday, 2. Preached at Milton.
Sunday, 9. Was unable to preach anywhere, owing to a severe cold on my lungs, and was told by Dr. Jackson on no account to preach. J. Q. Day of Cambridge took my place that day.
Sunday, 16. Preached in Boston, for Rev. Mr. Barrett. Sunday, 23. Preached at Milton.
March, Sunday, 2. Preached at Milton.
Sunday, 9. Preached at Dedham for the Rev. Mr. Lamson.
Sunday, 16. Preached at Charlestown for the Rev. James Walker.
About this time gave up my room in Cambridge and moved into Boston.
Friday, 21. Father left us for Washington, to present his claim to the Government for property destroyed at Buf- falo, while in the use of the Government, during the last war (1812-14).
Sunday, 23. In the evening I attended a crowded lecture of Mr. Gannett's on the atonement. He began to deliver a
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course of Doctrinal lectures at his vestry in Berry Street, doubting if many would attend. The lectures, however, were very fully attended, and the room uncomfortably filled. At the request of his hearers, he procured the Athenaeum Hall. Here he gave four or five lectures, but this room was also so crowded that great numbers were disappointed every evening in hearing him ; and those who did hear were much crowded-almost suffocated. The remainder of the course was given in his church in Federal Street.
Monday, 24. I began this day officiating in Frederick T. Gray's place as a Minister to the Poor, in Boston. Mr. Gray was desirous of getting some one to take his place for a month while he should be engaged in visiting the poor families in the neighborhood of the Friend Street Chapel, for the purpose of inducing them to send their children, and to send them regularly and punctually to the Sunday School.
An excellent Sunday School is already established; but it is known that a much larger number might attend if some little effort were made to induce their parents to see to it.
I could not take the place for a month; for I had had re- peated application to return to Leicester, and had promised to be there about the middle of March.
I engaged for a fortnight; but did in the end stay nearly three weeks.
It so happened that the very day I began Mr. Gray was. taken sick, and lay for some time very sick with lung fever, from which he did not recover sufficiently to enable him to resume his duties for more than two months.
My duties were, to stay at the office of the Visitors of the Poor for five hours, of three days of the week, -Charles
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Barnard taking the other three days,-and receive and record all applications made during that time; inquiring particularly into the cases and their necessities. The other three days, and parts of the first named, were occupied in visiting the poor in their own homes, or, as it should rather be said of the most part of the places where I went, holes.
These two weeks I now consider as among the most im- portant of my life. I learned some lessons, which as they can never be forgotten will be always of benefit and use, so long as I am able to do, or purpose, anything.
Of the numerous cases which came under my notice I will mention the worst; that of Mr. and Mrs. Cleveland and four or five children, Irish, living in a little dark cellar of a ten- foot house in Stillman Street, not less than eight feet below the level of the mill-pond land, and considerably below the level of tide-water, so that more or less water came with every tide into their den. The tide used to ebb and flow where they lived.
This place even they could not have to themselves; an Irish woman with two children shared it. The whole family were sick with colds, and most of them so hoarse that it was with difficulty I could understand what they said. They were rather a shiftless set; Episcopalians from the north of Ireland, and appeared far more intelligent than the greater part of the Irish who come to this country; who are for the most part from the South of Ireland.
The father, by trade a mason, declared himself unable to work, by reason of disease.
After a while, by much talking, I got them out of the infernal pit in which they lived, and into a decent ten-foot
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house in the same street. They had heard of a lady in Cambridgeport who wanted to take a little girl to live with her. I went to see this woman, and after one or two confabs had one of the girls of this family bound to her.
All the cases of really abject poverty and squalid distress with which I met were foreigners ;- Irish.
Our poor lists are augmented three-fourths by the foreign- ers who come amongst us, bringing all the laziness and indifference about themselves, and disregard of decencies which they have imbibed in the degraded and enslaved coun- tries of the Old World.
It was an opportunity I would not have lost on any consideration, for acquiring a kind of information quite indispensable to me, and which I could hardly have got at any other time, nor in any other place.
I was gratified to see the readiness with which the Visitors of the Poor of all the various denominations in the city came forward to confer together with regard to the best means of relieving the wants of the poor.
These Missionaries hold Meetings once a fortnight at the Office of the Visitors of the Poor.
Without saying more now on this subject so interesting in itself, and about which I heard, and of which I saw so much during these weeks, I will refer to two pamphlets lately published, which show the state of public sentiment, and the noble spirit alive and warm in the birthplace of my fathers, and my own home,-the "fair City" Boston.
The pamphlets are as follows: Report on a Union of Churches in Boston, for the Support of the Ministers to the
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Poor, and Report of a Committee of Delegates from the Benevolent Societies of the City of Boston.
Early in March died Stephen Higginson, Esq. of Cam- bridge. An excellent obituary notice written by Hon. John Lowell, may be found in the Boston daily Advertiser of the day.
Saturday, March 9, 1834. Miss Laura Flint and Sally Flint, daughters of Dr. Edward Flint dined with us to-day. After dinner we visited the New England Institution for the Blind.
Thursday, 13. I attended a meeting of the Temperance Society in the Ninth Ward; made a little speech, and much to my astonishment was chosen a Director of the Society.
Friday, 14. With Charles Barnard went over to South Boston, and visited there the House of Correction and Refor- mation, and the House of Industry,-in other words the City Poor House. The House of Correction is the City Jail. My visit was a most interesting one. We were shown in the Jail, the kitchen, and cooking apparatus; the cells, work- shops, and hospital.
In the House of Reformation of Juvenile Offenders we went into the school, eatingrooms and dormitories. In the House of Industry we visited the schools, hospital, rooms for lodging &c. &c. We saw several idiots, and one insane woman. We saw also the body of an aged Catholic woman who died the day before ;- a member of some Religious Order, and dressed in the grave clothes peculiar to the Order; blue, trimmed with white, a border of white, and a covering for the face. These grave-clothes had been in her possession for years.
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Sunday, 16. In the evening I preached for Frederick T. Gray at the Friend Street Chapel, and afterwards heard part of Mr. Gannett's sermon before the "Society for Promoting Theol. Education in Harvard University."
Monday, 17. Sarah and I went out to Mr. Palfrey's.
Wednesday, 19. In the evening there was a little singing party at Mrs. Russell's ; the singers from the Divinity School were there, and several ladies.
Thursday, 20. Attended meeting of the Suffolk County Temperance Society.
Saturday, 22. This morning, long anticipated came at length, and at 9 o'clock I left for another sojourn at Leicester.
We arrived in Worcester at about 5 o'clock, having gone a most roundabout course. I found Mr. Bisco waiting for me with a chaise, and, putting my baggage into a wagon going up, we started forthwith for Leicester.
Arrangement had been made for me to stay at Capt. Southgate's, where I was most kindly welcome by himself and Mrs. Southgate.
Sunday, 23. The audience at Town Hall had increased considerably since last Autumn. They have made no visible progress with regard to the meeting-house since I left; the foundation was laid last Autumn. I have found my Leices- ter friends all well.
Tuesday, 25. Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Flint dined at Capt. Southgate's.
Wednesday, 26. This is the day of H. F. Ede's Installa- tion at Nantucket.
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Sunday, 30. Preached at Brookfield on an exchange with Mr. Noyes.
April 1, 1834. Mr. Clapp and his family arrived from Boston. He has been very unwell this winter, with a severe attack of lung-fever.
Thursday, 3. Fast Day. In the morning I preached a sermon of my own ; in the afternoon read one, delivered by Rev. H. Colman at the dedication of a Church in South Orange. Evening attended annual meeting of Temperance Society.
Sunday, 6. Preached all day. Pleasant weather, very mild. Had the largest audience I ever have seen here. Passed the evening at Mr. Waldo Flint's.
Tuesday, 8. The workmen began getting the frame of the meeting-house upon the ground soon after I came to Leicester, and to-day it was raised. At about eight o'clock a large number of people were collected upon the floor of the frame ; I was summoned and offered a prayer. They then proceeded to the raising, and though the frame is entirely of oak, and therefore of immense weight, raised it completely with no other injury than the bruise of a finger which one man received.
Thursday, 10. Heard an excellent Temperance Address from Emory Washburn, Esq., of Worcester.
Friday, 11. This day completes my 24th year. . In the afternoon I went to call upon the Rev. Mr. Nelson. Found the family concluding a very early tea, for some friends who had come from a distance. At Mrs. Nelson's invitation, I took a cup with them.
Saturday, 12. Met a pleasant little party to tea at Dr.
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Flint's. Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Flint, Mr. and Mrs. Salis- bury, of Worcester ; Miss Laura Lovell of Charlestown, New Hampshire ; Miss Sarah Hubbard; Miss Laura Flint and Miss Susan Flint, beside one or two gentlemen not named. Sunday, 13. Preached at Leicester. Evening attended a meeting of the Leicester Bible Society.
Tuesday, 15. Took a very pleasant ride this morning on a saddle horse of Mr. Clapp's; the first horseback ride I have taken for five or six months, if not more.
Thursday, 17. In the afternoon I heard a sermon from Rev. J. S. C. Abbott of Worcester. It was well written ; pretty well delivered-half of it being thoroughly Calvinis- tic, the other half just the reverse. I aftewards rode down to Worcester; took tea at Mrs. Salisbury's and in the even- ing attended a meeting of Unitarians at Dr. Bancroft's Church. It was rather a failure.
Friday, 18. Took tea at Miss Henshaw's with Capt. and Mrs. Southgate and Miss Webb. At Miss Henshaw's we also found Hon. David Henshaw, her brother, Collector of the Port of Boston.
Sunday, 20. Preached at Leicester.
Monday, 21. Took the noon stage from Worcester, and arrived in Boston at about 8 P. M. Found all well at home ; saw father for the first time in eight weeks. He returned home a fortnight ago. After tea and talk, ran up to Beacon Street. N. B. I kept no minutes of my visit to Boston.
May, 1834. Friday, 2. Took the stage at 1 P. M. for Worcester, arrived soon after seven ; passed the night at the Temperance House ; a very good house too. There was in the coach a Hartford gentleman, a man of fine intelligence ;
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very orthodox, but not austere or supercilious. He did not appear to say, as many do, "Stand by, I am holier than thou." Dr. Wisner was also in the coach, and an indiffer- ent man, altogether. The Hartford gentleman's name is Terry ; age fifty or fifty-two years. I have elsewhere made hasty minutes of a conversation held in the coach, on Tem- perance, Theatres, Infidelity, Atheism, Christianity. Cer- tainly great topics were discussed in those forty miles.
Saturday, 3. I took the stage at 7 A. M. and in an hour was landed at Capt. Southgate's door.
Sunday, 4. Preached at Leicester. Gave notice that on the next Sabbath, the Sunday School would be organized for the season.
Sunday, 11. The School was organized. About forty-five scholars have joined the School. Twelve teachers have come forward. The library contains about fifty volumes. I preached to-day at Leicester.
Friday, 16. In the morning I received an invitation from Mr. Clapp to dine at his house with the Rev. Mr. Green- wood, Charles and Francis Jackson. I had some real enjoyment, particularly in seeing Mr. Greenwood look so well, and in hearing him talk. He, with these two young companions, has been taking a horseback ride for a week.
Sunday, 18. Preached at Leicester.
Tuesday, 20. Met Mr. Clapp this evening. He intro- duced the subject of house-lots, and afterward said, "I suppose you know there was a meeting of the Society last evening." I told him I suspected as much, but Capt. Southgate had not mentioned it. There was a meeting, and some gentlemen will call and talk with me in the course of a few days.
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Thursday, 22. This P. M. Mr. Waldo Flint, Mr. Joshua Clapp and Capt. Southgate called upon me, as a Committee of the Second Congregational Society in Leicester. They remained talking nearly an hour, I should think, and the interview was a most gratifying one to me.
In brief, Mr. Flint said they were a Committee &c. to call upon me to ask if I could be induced to settle with them. He mentioned the meeting of the Society on Monday evening, at which it was found to be the unanimous wish of those present that I should remain. This Committee was appointed to see me, but had delayed calling until they should see all those who were not present at the meeting. Mr. Flint said that now every member of the Society has been seen, and the invitation found to be unanimous.
To this I replied as best I could, heartily thanking them for the kindness with which my endeavors have been met.
Mr. Flint went on to say, that the Committee would state the salary they should feel able to give. They offered Six hundred dollars. Rev. Mr. Nelson, they remarked, receives Six hundred and fifty. Mr. Clapp added that when they said six hundred they meant six hundred, and not five hundred or so, collected with difficulty.
I replied that I was deeply obliged to them, and should be happy to accept their invitation. As, however, I was to visit Boston next week, I would defer a definite answer until I conversed with my father.
They stated they had expected I should desire to confer with my friends, and therefore had called in this familiar manner to converse freely upon the subject, and to let me know the feeling of the Society, and had extended the invi-
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tation in this informal way because it was understood to be the etiquette for a Minister to absent himself after receiving a call, until his Ordination.
They "prayed" that nothing of the kind may now take place, and stand ready to give the invitation in writing, whenever I shall desire it.
Thus the matter stands.
Capt. Southgate mentioned in the course of conversation, that, in so far as he knew, or had heard, the ladies also are unanimous in their kind opinion of me, and the wish that I should settle with the new Society.
Mr. Flint remarked that they had had much to contend with, but now had no doubt they should do well ;- that they mean to try.
I told him I should be glad to try with them, and do what I can, but that my experience is small, having had only the past eight months in which any experience could be gained.
"We think, " said Mr. Clapp, "that the past eight months have been valuable to you. "
In the evening of this day, took tea at Mr. Clapp's, with a small company.
Friday, 23. In the morning, with Mr. Waldo Flint, made a visit to Mr. Silas Earle and his family. Called in the afternoon at Mrs. Waldo Flint's, where were, besides her- self, her Mother, Mrs. Dean ; Mrs. Salisbury ; Miss Laura Lovell and Miss Sarah Hubbard.
Upon returning to Capt. Southgate's about } past 6, I found George Davis in my room. He has been passing a fortnight in Boston,-his last bachelor visit. He took tea with me, passed the evening here, and found Mr. and Mrs.
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Clapp and Miss Mather, besides the family. He was highly pleased with what he has seen, and talked of nothing else.
He left at four o'clock the next morning for Worcester, to be in season for the Greenfield stage.
Saturday, 24. I took the evening stage from Hartford- got into Worcester about a quarter past 6 and went to the Temperance House.
Sunday, 25. In a sulky, handsome and strong, and with an able-bodied horse, a good traveller, I set forth after breakfast for Sterling, distant twelve miles, to preach there on an exchange with Rev. Mr. Osgood. The road was a charming one, through a very fertile, fresh-looking country. I have rarely, if ever, passed through any part of Massachu- setts, which appeared to me so productive. At Sterling I introduced myself to Mr. Dustin, at whose house Mr. Os- good boards. The day was cloudy, and threatening rain, and for this reason there was not as many as usual at meet- ing, I was told.
Still, there was a large number present ; the meeting- house is an immense one, will seat more people than any other in the County, it is said. After P. M. service I re- turned to Worcester, and after tea made a call on my class- mate Edwin Conant. He is flourishing young lawyer in this very flourishing town. Last autumn he married a remarkably pretty girl, Miss Estabrock of Royalston ; something of an heiress, I believe. I sat an hour and more with them, really enjoying the sight of a classmate domesticated ; and so cleverly too.
Monday, 26. Left Worcester in the 7 A. M. stage, and arrived in Boston at 2 P. M.
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Tuesday, 27. In the morning attended Anti-Slavery Convention, Mr. May of Brooklyn, President; and in the evening the meeting of the Am. Unitarian Association ; - pretty good. Rev. Jason Whitman, General Secretary, read an excellent Report.
Wednesday, 28. At 8 o'clock A. M., went to the meet- ing of the Berry Street Conference. A long and somewhat desultory debate on the question, "How shall the Ordinance of the Lord's Supper be made more effective," continued until past noon.
At 3 o'clock P. M., attended at Bowdoin Street Church the Anniversary of the "Academy of Music." Hymns and songs, and musical exercises of various kinds were sung by the children. It was the most interesting entertainment of this character, I have ever attended. The instructors are Lowell Mason and George J. Webb.
Met "Brother Wood", who is about having a call to Mil- ton, and went with him to the meeting of the Convention of Massachusetts Congregational Clergymen. They had to make choice of two preachers, and the majority, in their courtesy, chose them both from their denomination. The first man chosen I have never heard of, and do not recollect his name. The second is Dr. Skinner of Andover.
At 7 o'clock P. M., we went to the meeting of the Sunday School Society ; and a better meeting of any kind was never held in New England. The Report was a good one, by Edward Blake ; but the speeches were admirable. Charles Barnard did infinitely better than I ever knew him to do be- fore ; he made no unfortunate remarks, nor did he broach any eccentric doctrine. Robert C. Waterston made a won- 5
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derfully stirring appeal, speaking of the incalculable benefits of the Sunday School to the children of the poor, who are the most exposed of any class in the community to the cor- rupting influences of infidelity and immorality. He gave some facts.
Rev. Mr. Ripley, of Boston, made some remarks; the most eloquent I ever heard from his lips. Mr. Miles, of Hallowell, and others did better than common. An inspira- tion seemed to overspread the meeting, and fill all hearts.
Thursday, 29. Again at 8 o'clock A. M. I went to a meeting of the Berry Street Conference; where various points of interest were discussed, and at eleven o'clock to hear the Convention Sermon, preached by the Rev. Mr. Gile, of Milton ; - a heavy affair, insinuating calumnious things against those whose opinions are not like his own, forsooth. Later, passed an hour at the Atheneum Gallery ; after which attended the monthly meeting of the "Sewing Soci- ety," established for the purpose of supplying Doctor Tuck- erman and his assistants with money for their "Poor's Purse." This afternoon they collected, by the sale of vari- ous articles, $70.00.
1834, June. Sunday, 1st. At the Friend Street Chapel in the forenoon, afternoon and evening. I assisted the Rev. Mr. Gray at morning and evening service. In the afternoon I myself preached. Before going there in the evening, attended the Quarterly Charity Lecture preached by Mr. Capen of South Boston.
Monday, 2. Artillery Election. Spent the day in Cam- bridge and elsewhere.
Tuesday, 3. Rev. George Chapman died yesterday.
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Wednesday, 4. A beautiful day. After dinner Miss Sarah Russell and I drove out through the most beautiful part of Brighton, got an advantageous position, and saw the Loco- motive Steam Engine with eight passenger cars in its train, pass over the Rail Road. We crossed over into Newton, got upon the Worcester turnpike, rode through Brookline, took tea at Uncle Benjamin Goddard's and then drove home. In the evening, I made a pleasant call at Uncle May's. (Col. Joseph May. ) Rev. Sam'l J. May is on an Anti-Slavery Tour in Essex County, and at Portland.
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