whether they had any especial troubles of their own.

Arthur Tappen, I have never heard his eulogy pronounced. I pronounce it
now. There were other merchants just as good--William E. Dodge in the
iron business, Moses H. Grinnell in the shipping business, Peter Cooper
in the glue business, and scores of men just as good as they were.

I began my work of enlarging and improving the Brooklyn Church almost
the week following my installation. My first vacation, a month, began on
June 25, 1869, the trustees of the church having signified and ordered
repairs, alterations and improvements at a meeting held that day, and
further suspending Sabbath services for four weeks. I spent part of my
vacation at East Hampton, L.I., going from there for two or three short
lecturing trips. I find that I can never rest over two weeks. More than
that wearies me. Of all the places I have ever known East Hampton is the
best place for quiet and recuperation.

I became acquainted with it through my brother-in-law, Rev. S.L.
Mershon. His first pastorate was at the Presbyterian Church in East
Hampton, where, as a young man, I preached some of my first sermons.
East Hampton is always home to me. When a boy in grammar-school and
college I used to visit my brother-in-law and his wife, my sister Mary.
Later in life I established a summer home there myself. I particularly
recall one incident of this month's vacation that has affected my whole
life. One day while resting at Sharon Springs, New York, walking in the
Park of that place, I found myself asking the question: "I wonder if
there is any special mission for me to execute in this world? If there
is, may God show it to me!"

There soon came upon me a great desire to preach the Gospel through the