parallel in small Basel. He was to me all that a great spirit can be to a lesser one, teacher and guide, father and consoler. I read the biographies by Albert Réville, the two volumes of John Weiss, then Frothingham, and, only within the latter days, Chadwick. Sometimes it seemed to me quite incredible that the ocean rolled between us, being one heart and soul with him. How could I help writing a book about him?-telling to the growing German world what a prophet this man was, how he spoke, fought, suffered, prayed, how he was overthrown, and how he conquered through defeat, how brave and how tender, a hero and a child! Now I have explained how I came to Boston. My little book led to my acquaintance with Mr. Wendte, who entered two years ago my study at a living Parker Memorial, and through him, as I believe, Dr. Eliot, your President, conceived the idea of inviting me. It was through my book on Theodore Parker that I dreamed in many a restless night that I saw the farm-house at Lexington and dear Boston and the Music Hall, and that I could grasp hands stretched out to me and look on faces which seemed as well known to me as the faces of dear old friends. Now the dream is realized. Goethe is right. The unexpected happens most frequently. What is an ocean? While floating upon it, it seemed to me very vast, sometimes naughty, but to spirits, souls, and hearts who possess one God and one faith in love, to Christian men and women who agree in the fatherhood of God, the brotherhood of man, the leadership of Jesus, salvation by character, and the unlimited upward progress of mankind, an ocean is nothing whatever. land, of liberal religious thought and work in my native country, I hope we will agree that the immense America and little Switzerland have much in common,- not only sun and moon and stars, rain, sunshine, and thunder-storm, but similar institutions, the same aspirations for freedom, political freedom, religious freedom, spiritual freedom, the same defeats and the same hope for victory, by the everlasting revelation of God, of truth and right and beauty to the mind and soul of mankind. We have in our Switzerland a holy spot, our Rütli at the Lake of Lucerne, where our forefathers swore a solemn oath, to trust in God and to fear no man. You Americans have your Rütli also, where the battle for freedom began, the battle for political freedom and for the Unitarian freedom and for the freedom of the colored. And I truly think this Rütli is Lexington and Boston. "Stand your ground. Don't fire unless fired upon; but, if they mean to have a war, let it begin here!" That I am favored to see this holy spot, to see beloved Boston, to see the American Unitarian Association, to look in your faces, to hear you sing and pray and preach, to sing and pray with you, one soul, one heart, enjoying a great, an unmerited, a giant hospitality in your family, I thank you, I thank you all. Br. 1902. TREASURER'S STATEMENT April 30. To balance, cash on hand. 1903. April 30. To amount of receipts on sundry accounts, viz.: — DONATIONS: Amount received from societies, Sunday-schools, INVESTMENT CHURCH BUILD- Boston, Mass., additional. $140,819.20 $19,911.30 60,786.82 13,116.21 153,935.41 10,309.88 $1,000.00 TREASURER'S STATEMENT Ct. 1903. April 30. By amount of payments on sundry accounts, viz.: NEW ENGLAND STATES: Amount expended MIDDLE STATES: Amount expended in this of this mission WORK IN CUBA : Amount paid for investiga- purpose HUNGARIAN UNITARIANS: Amount paid AMHERST CHURCH: Amount paid for inter- INCOME PERKINS FELLOWSHIP FUND: INCOME FROTHINGHAM FUND, NO. 2: $16,418.61 12,023.47 16,612.83 4,847-39 11,262.47 3,414.21 550.00 200.00 842.21 396.28 2,450.00 300.00 928.50 464.25 |