d the social parlours. They were handsomely furnished, and there
every Monday evening Mr. Beecher held an informal reception, when all
members of the church or congregation were cordially welcomed. The
prominent members of the church were present, including such men as
Messrs. Howard, Bowen, Claflin, Sage, Storrs, Freeland, Wheelock,
Fanning, Mason, Caldwell, Ropes, Southwick, Murray, Leckler, Sloat,
Corning, Hutchinson, Burgess, Dr. Morrill Studwell and others, and this
was often an opportunity to welcome distinguished visitors. One such
occasion I remember well, when a large number of distinguished people
gathered to welcome Mr. Beecher's sister, Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe.
She had just returned from England, where she had been introduced to
Queen Victoria as the first American authoress; the papers had announced
that two million copies of her book, "Uncle Tom's Cabin," had been sold,
and the congratulations and social enjoyment were great.

The same characteristics that distinguished the regular church life were
manifest in all its departments, as the Sunday School and Bible classes.
In all there was free play for individual ideas and development. One
Bible class in particular I would mention, that conducted for many years
by Mr. Wilbur, and which had more than one hundred members. In a
variety of ways, by freedom of discussion in the class, by excursions,
receptions, entertainments of various kinds, it bound the young people
together, helped greatly to build up the church, and particularly
contributed to its social life. How firmly it was established is
witnessed by the fact that it has never weakened, even in the changes
that have come in the membership, or the official direction of the
church. With three pastors so different in many respects as Mr. Beecher,
Dr. Abbott and Dr. Hillis, there has been no difference in the general
type of church life.

_THE CHURCH STAFF_

It is only of recent years that the Congregational and Presbyterian
churches have come to include in the regular staff of church officers,
assistant pastors or pastor's assistants. For a long time Mr. Beecher
and Plymouth Church followed the prevailing custom, relying upon
volunteer service for such extra work in the line of parish visitation
as was beyond the pastor's power. As the church grew, however, and as
the demands upon its pastor for outside work in the form of public
addresses, lectures, etc., increased, it became evident that som