she
said further, "He has heart disease, and is far from well." Soon after
this followed his death, and the splendid public testimonial given in
his honor. I was one of those admitted to the funeral exercises, in
which friends spoke of him most lovingly. I also saw his remains lying
in state in Faneuil Hall, on the very platform where, in his ardent
youth, he had uttered his first scathing denunciation of the slave power
and its defenders. The mournful and reverent crowd which gathered for
one last look at his beloved countenance told, better than words could
tell, of the tireless services which, in the interval, had won for him
the heart of the community. It was a sight never to be forgotten.

I first heard of Theodore Parker as the author of the sermon on "The
Transient and the Permanent in Christianity." At the time of its
publication I was still within the fold of the Episcopal Church, and,
judging by hearsay, was prepared to find the discourse a tissue of
impious and sacrilegious statements. Yet I ventured to peruse a copy of
it which fell into my hands. I was surprised to find it reverent and
appreciative in spirit, although somewhat startling in its conclusions.
At that time the remembrance of Mr. Emerson's Phi Beta address was fresh
in my mind. This discourse of Parker's was a second glimpse of a system
of thought very different from that in which I had been reared.

Not long after my marriage, being in Rome with my husband, I was
interested to hear of Parker's arrival there. As Dr. Howe had some
slight acquaintance with him, we soon invited him to dine with us. He
was already quite bald, and this untimely blemish appeared in strange
contrast with the youthful energy of his facial expression. He was
accompanied by his wife, whose mild countenance, compared with his,
suggested even more than the usual contrast between husband and wife.
One might have said of her that she came near being very handsome. Her
complexion was fair, her features were regular, and the expression of
her face was very naif and gentle. A certain want of physical maturity
seemed to have prevented her from blossoming into full beauty. It was a
great grief both to her and to her husband that their union was
childless.

Theodore Parker's reputation had already reached Rome, and there as
elsewhere brought him many attentions from scholars, and even from
dignitaries of the Catholic Church. He remained in the Eternal City, as
we did, through t