eal from the lips of this modern man of God. Garrison,
eleven years later, after the lips, which were eloquent then with their
great sorrow, were speechless in the grave, told the story of that
ministers' meeting. And here is the story:

"He (Lundy) might as well have urged the stones in the streets to cry
out in behalf of the perishing captives. Oh, the moral cowardice, the
chilling apathy, the criminal unbelief, the cruel skepticism, that were
revealed on that memorable occasion! My soul was on fire then, as it is
now, in view of such a development. Every soul in the room was heartily
opposed to slavery, but, it would terribly alarm and enrage the South to
know that an anti-slavery society existed in Boston. But it would do
harm rather than good openly to agitate the subject. But _perhaps a
select_ committee might be formed, to be called by some name that would
neither give offence, nor excite suspicion as to its real design! One or
two only were for bold and decisive action; but as they had neither
station nor influence, and did not rank among the wise and prudent,
their opinion did not weigh very heavily, and the project was finally
abandoned. Poor Lundy! that meeting was a damper to his feelings." There
is no doubt that Garrison was one of the very few present, who "were for
bold and decisive action" against the iniquity. The grief and
disappointment of his brave friend touched his heart with a brother's
affection and pity. The worldly wisdom and lukewarmness of the clergy
kindled a righteous indignation within his freedom-loving soul. This was
his first bitter lesson from the clergy. There were, alas, many and
bitterer experiences to follow, but of them he little recked at the
time. As this nineteenth-century prophet mused upon the horrible thing
the fires of a life purpose burned within him. And oftener thenceforth
we catch glimpses of the glow and glare of a soul bursting into flame.
The editorials in the _Philanthropist_, which swiftly followed Lundy's
visit, began to throw off more heat as the revolving wheels of an
electrical machine throw off sparks. The evil that there was in the
world, under which, wherever he turned, he saw his brother man
staggering and bleeding, was no longer what it had been, a vague and
shadowy apparition, but rather a terrible and tremendous reality against
which he must go forth to fight the fight of a lifetime. And so he
girded him with his life purpose and flung his moral earnestne