so great to me as when
Sherman spoke what he described as the soldier's welcome:

"How are you, old fellow, glad to see you!" he said.

The building of the new Tabernacle, my third effort to establish an
independent church in Brooklyn, went on rapidly. We were planning then
to open it in September, 1891. The church building alone was to cost
$150,000. Its architectural beauty was in accord with the elegance of
its fashionable neighbourhood on "The Hill," as that residential part of
Brooklyn was always described.

"The Hill" was unique. When people in Brooklyn became tired of the rush
and bustle of life they returned to Clinton Avenue. It was an idyllic
village in the heart of the city. The front yards were as large as
farms. New Yorkers described this locality as "Sleepy Hollow." On this
account, during my absence, there had developed in the neighbourhood
some opposition to the building of the new Tabernacle there. Some of the
residents were afraid it would disturb the quiet of the neighbourhood.
They opposed it as they would a base ball park, or a circus. They were
afraid the organ would annoy the sparrows. The opposition went so far
that a subscription paper was passed around to induce us to go away. As
much as $15,000 was raised to persuade us. These objections, however,
were confined to a few people, the majority realising the adornment the
new church would be to the neighbourhood. When I returned I found that
this opposing sentiment had described us as "the Tabernacle Rabble." I
was in splendid health and spirits however, and refused to be downcast.

During my absence our pews had been rented, realising $18,000. The
largest portion of these pews were rented by letter, and the balance at
a public meeting held in Temple Israel. The second gallery of the church
was free. The highest price paid in the rental for one pew for a year
was $75, the lowest was $20. In the interval, pending the completion of
the church, pew holders were given tickets for reserved seats in the
Academy of Music, where our Sunday services were held. There were 1,500
free seats in the second gallery of the new Tabernacle.

It was a great joy to find that the enterprise I had inaugurated before
sailing for the Holy Land had made such good progress. But we were
always fortunate.

I recall that my congregation was surprised one morning to learn that
Emma Abbott, the beautiful American singer, had left a bequest of $5,000
to the Brooklyn Tabern