New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-05-29

mechanics, and usually active participants IN tho
military affairs of their day. His gfsndasher,
John Parker, was a soldier in the lat French var
Of 1899, and was present at the cap talatlon Of
Quebec. He was a Jealous friend of liber'y add
was captain Of the soldiers 10 the Battle of IAy
ington, April 10, I775 lie formed the first line
and drew the first sword in the war Of the Reyoh.
ton ordering bis men to load their muskets with
powder and ball. "Don't fire" said he, unless
fred upon; but if they wish to have war, eth
(" begin here" After the British left the fed, b.
succeeded 10 taking prisoner grenadler Of TIE
AID Regiment and obtained the first fre-arm cap
tured in the strugglefor Independence. This mus
ketcame into the possession Of his grandson, whose
visitors will well remember the satisfaction with
which he was wont to exhibit it among the curiosi
les Of his ample library.
The father of Theodore was a millwrght and
numpmaker. man of robust habits and sturdy
sense. a great reader, fond OF mathematics,
with which branch of science he was wed
acouanted, an independent thinker, Unita-
r;an in belief and possessing remarkable
mowers of expression and argument. His
mother was a higbly.cultivated woman for that
day. a model of personal beauty, fond Of Liter
Azure. and with an enthusiastic taste for poetry
From his parents, Theodore inherited an earnest
and thoughtful mind. Much of bis time from the
earliest childhood was spent in reading when at
home. and before he was eight years old, he had
finished Homer and Plutarch (n transatonsh
Rollins Ancient History, and in two years after
had become familiar with Pope, Milton, Cowiey,
| and DRYDEN. reading, in fact, all the poetry hs
could find. AT the age of IL, he took to metaphys-
les. a pursuit from which he did not desist TO the
last wear of his life. His memory was so reteht"e'
that he could repeat whole volumes OF poetry,
and would often learn by heart poem Of
four or five hundred lines from single
reading He began to write poetry d.
the age of eight. He early became Interested In
the study of botany, and soon learned the names
and habits of most of the plants in the vicinity.
Before the age of ten, he knew all the shrubs and
trees Of Massachusetts,, and had made catalogues
of all the vegetable productions which grew on big
fathers farm In his tenth year ne began 10 STUDY
attn at the common school in the Winter, reading
the usual elementary books required Tor admission
10 college. and at eleven commenced the study
Greek. In the Winter of 1876, he had passed
beyond the range of knowledge possessed by D.
teacher, and pursued course OF self-instrucloh In
| Natural Philosophy, Astronomy, Chemistry and
Rhetoric. In the Spring of 1897, he attended Lex
| ington Academy for one term, and In loZ-Zo ne
taught school himself for IL weeks. This employ
ment he continued for four successive winters,
working on the farm ard the shop at home dur
inc the rest of the year. In the Fall of 1890 he
| entered the Freshman class Of Harvard College,
intending to labor at home until he was u, and
then oin the class. At that time he finished the Col
ege course as far as the end of the Junior year. ana
! read large amount of Latin and Greek and Math-
uatcs not required by the regular College course.
r, the Soring of 1881, he went to Boston as
%. ,ber in private school on salary OF $40
moth anu board. He taught Latin, Greek
NJ tics. and Natural Philosophy, and at TINS
or;od had -ead Virgil twenty times, Horace nearly
.non,, and I'D stored his memory with the finest
passages of each. Here ne iouha a 'ea'usf II
French and Spanish, which DC learned 20 iesu AuD
write with accuracy, aid soon after entered upon
the study Of German. In tS52, he opened private
school in Watertown. where re remained ior TWO
wears. and at the same time studying tue hisner
branches Of mathematics, and ent, rug 80.
extensive course of Greek and Lat.u VA
metaphy sizes, and German literature. WIN 'Do>
be united the study of Hebrew and theology aha
having decided that it would be OF little use 10 JUL
his class as an undergraduate, he ensered 'ns
Divinity School at Cambridge in 1884, WITH an
advanced standinp Of one wear Here he rema med
little more tbSn two years pursuing wide range
of study beyond the routine of his class, including
the principal modern larguages-especally Italian,
Portuguese, Spanish, and Modern Greek.
Mr. Parker left the theological school in 1896,
was settled over a small rural parish in West Rox-
bury in 1897, visited Europe in lsi3, returned in
1S44, was invited to preach in Boston in lS45 and
became minister of the Twenty eighth COngrega-
tioDal Society in Boston Feb. 10, lS46. From that
time his career has been prominently before the
public. His congregation soon grew To be the
largest in the City of Boston, including not only
wide and devoted circle of personal friends, but
an immense hrong of strangers, who were attracted
by his fame to listen to his discourse. The great
purpose of his preaching was the application OF
common sense to theology, and of sound ethics to
practical life. None of the exciting interests Of
the day escaped his attention, and none which prom
Used to benefit society, promote the cause Of
knowledge, and advance the progress of man. failed
to win bis sympathy He was plain, 0utspoken,
and uncomprC missing in the utterance of his con-
victions; not without natural love of controversy;
but in all the intercourses of private life he