that a great man had gone.

[Illustration: LYMAN ABBOTT]

Who would take his place? Could anyone take his place? Was it not true
that the relations between him and his church were so intimate, so
vital, that the sundering of them by his death would inevitably involve
the dissolution of the church? These were the questions asked everywhere
by the public and probably in the consciousness of the members of the
church itself, at least of a considerable number. Fortunately there was
one already identified with the church for many years, who had come to
it as a boy, had been very intimately associated with Mr. Beecher, and
had entered most fully into his spirit and life. Dr. Lyman Abbott had
already won for himself an independent position in the church and the
literary life of the country. Glad to call himself a disciple of Mr.
Beecher, he had been by no means a copyist, and held his own place. Far
more than would have been possible for anyone not so intimately
acquainted with the life of the church, he was able to fill the gap at
least for the time being, and it seemed the natural thing when he was
called to fill the pulpit and guide the church activities until it could
decide on some permanent arrangement.

Probably there has never been seen a finer instance of loyalty to a
church's best traditions than the experience of the following months. As
was inevitable, the audiences fell off very materially. Still the church
was fairly well filled and for the first time in years the ushers had a
reasonably comfortable time. Yet examination proved that the loss was
only of the strangers. Not a pewholder withdrew. There was no diminution
in the active work of the church. Prayer meetings, Sabbath School,
mission services continued as before. Even the finances did not suffer.
It was naturally impracticable to keep up the high premiums on pews.
Hitherto the Tuesday evening succeeding the first Sunday in the year had
been a sort of gala time, when loyalty to Plymouth and its pastor and
good-natured rivalry had combined to bring from the more wealthy members
sums mounting into the thousands of dollars. The current year was safe,
but anticipating the change that would be necessary, the leaders, indeed
practically the whole church, renewed their pew leases at the same
figure, so that there might be no question of financial disquiet for the
new pastor, whoever he might be. Subsequently the whole method was
changed, pew premiums giving pla