table and that our pastor be requested not to invite to the desk any person who is guilty of the sin of slaveholding.

This report was accepted and adopted without a dissenting vote, and the pastor requested to forward a copy of these to the offices of the Boston Recorder and New England Puritan for publication.

There has been a common impression upon the minds of many, that during these years and leading up to the time of the Civil War, the C. C. church was lukewarm, if not actually hostile, to the anti-slavery movement. Whatever may have been individual opinions at that time, the stand thus taken by the C. C. church was unmistakable, which twenty years later was sealed by the blood of many of her members and their children.

It is also significant that we are able to record the fact of another great ingathering, immediately following this action, whereby seventy-four names were added to the church rolls.

December 8, 1843, the church officially approved the action of the society in the undertaking to build a new church. The old church was at once sold and removed to the corner of Main and Laurel streets, where it was used for business purposes until the erection of the present Dickinson block.

The new house of worship was dedicated January 22, 1845, and the basement was utilized for business purposes, being known as Granite Row on account of the material used in its construction. By this union in the service of God and Mammon as well as by the accession of many strong financial helpers, the society prospered in a material way while the strong undercurrent of spiritual life held the church to the ideals which the fathers had aspired to.

Yet, as with the individual life, so with the church, which is no less the individual collective, the struggle of warring elements was felt during the following decade. The tension upon the all-absorbing slavery question was

so great as to tax all the wisdom of the leaders of the church. It was during these days that Harriet Beecher Stowe was setting the nation aflame with her serial, Uncle Tom's Cabin, gathering its opening scenes from her own home-locality around Lane Seminary, Ohio, whose president was her father, Dr. Lyman Beecher. It was during these days that Rev. Mr. Bullard's sister-the wife of Henry Ward Beecher-records the way by which her husband aroused the conscience of the nation when from Plymouth church pulpit, one Sabbath morning, he sold the slave girl into freedom, and by his ringing denunciation of the nation's crime. With such family connections the course of the C. C. pastor may seem incomprehensible, yet it only the more vividly illustrates the divine evolution of great questions of right and wrong.

On July 1st, 1852, the council which dismissed Mr. Bullard closed with these words: "The council would also fervently pray that God would overrule this important crisis through which the Church is now passing to the advancement of His own glory."

April 19, 1853, the church extended a call to Rev. G. Buckingham Wilcox, who accepted it and was installed June 15, 1853.

We have imperfectly completed a recital of some of the events of the first half century of the church's life. The latter half is so rich in results and events which are interwoven in the city's life as to deter one from making the attempt.

One department of church worship which has held prominent interest ever since Moses and his sister Miriam established the service of praise with the children of Israel in the wilderness, calls for brief mention-music. This fact is evidenced in connection with the C. C. church as we read the first item in the first treasurer's book:

"Dec 1824 Paid Walter Johnson for providing for singing and for money advanced to Rev Mr Putnam $363" This is followed by entries of various amounts, paid to Amos Sheldon, Alpheus Kimball, Isaiah Putnam, Amos Durant and others. The amounts paid were modest as compared with those of to-day. For instance: "Paid

C. H. Searle for services as chorister for 1829 $1000; Capt. Durant services in singing same year $700; Joseph Upton $500; W Johnson $300."

The only musical instrument mentioned in these records previous to 1845, when the new church was dedicated, was the bass-viol. "Paid Capt. Durant for repairing bassviol"; "Paid Alvah Crocker for use of his bass-viol four years"; and in 1841, "Paid John T. Farwell for use of his double-bass-viol and strings"; "Paid Leander Thurston for playing bass-viol."

In 1831 Alvah Crocker was engaged as chorister at the munificent salary of $13.00 a year, who held the position four years and was succeeded by Joseph Upton, Jr., who remained for fifteen years, and was followed successively by his brothers John, Thomas and Edwin Upton. Then came George Kimball, a talented New York musician, and N. A. Merriam. Once more Joseph Upton assumed the leadership for a short time; Prof. E. H. Frost, James P. Putnam and Simeon Fuller following.

A few years previous to the establishment of the organ in the new meeting house in 1845, Roby Safford was employed as "musician."

For many years John A. Farwell, eldest son of Dea. John T. Farwell, was organist, also his sister Maria, Andrew Whitney two years, Prof. S. H. Long until 1860, when Miss Ellen Eveleth, now the wife of Rev. Alexander McKenzie, D. D., assumed the position. She was succeeded by Miss Mary Upton, and later Prof. E. H. Bailey.

With Calvin Upton occupying the position of organblower, Capt. Joseph Upton and six of his children as members of the choir, it may be understood that the Upton family contributed very materially and efficiently to this branch of worship.

Mrs. Thomas Hale, a sister of Uncle Cyrus Thurston, was the earliest leading soprano, followed by Miss Dorothy Kimball, the present Mrs. E. Foster Bailey, then Mrs. Abel F. Adams, Mrs. Joseph Baldwin and Miss Ruth Trask. Mrs. James P. Putnam (also of the family of Uptons) was the leading contralto during these earlier years.