The New York herald., 1922-10-23
DR.. Lyman abbott,
Editor of'Outlook,' ,
Dies at Age of 81
Won Fame in Pulpit and Was
Known as Leader in
Social Uplift.


with his four sons and two daughters
at his bedside. He was in his eighty
seventh year. He suffered an attack
OF bronchitis early in the summer at
his country home at Cornwall on Hud-
son and never reganed his strength.
Two weeks ago he returned to the city,
but grew steadily weaker.
Although he was interested in every
movement, social political and rel-
gious, that affected public thought dur
ing more than half a century, DIR. Alb
bott was known chiefly as editor of
the Outlook, which title he held until
his death, and as the successor of
Henry Ward Beecher as pastor of
Plymouth Church in Brooklyn.
Arrangements for funeral services,
which will be private, had not been
completed last night public memo
rial service will be held the evening of
Tuesday, October 81. in the Madison
Avenue Presbyterian Church under the
direction of the Rev. Henry Sloane
Coffin, pastor.
Leaves Six Children.
DR. Abbott's children are Lawrence
+. Abbott, president of the Outlook Pub
fishing Company Ernest Abbott, secre-
tary of the company Herbert Abbott,
professor OF English at Smith College
DR.. Theodore Abbott. a physician of this
city: Mrs. Francis Jordan of Brooklyn
trfc
with her father and a niece in the home
in Lexington avenue. In 1857 DR.. Alb
bott married Miss Abby Frances Ham
lin, daughter of Hannibal Hamlin. She
died In 1907 while she and DIR. Abbott
were on trip to Germany six weeks
before the golden anniversary of the
wedding they intended to celebrate. Her
body was buried in Hildesheim.
DR.. Abbott's last public appearance
was on May !. when he occupied the
pulpit at the morning service in St
Georges Protestant Episcopal Church in
Stuyvesant square. 1t was in that SER
mon that he made the following com.
parison between the spirit world de-
scribed by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and
the vision of st. John the Divine, as
presented in Revelation:
II shall get no courage to live from
this shadow In the clouds. which is but
a faint reflection of this life with its
people the same as those on earth,
clothed as we are and filling their days
as we ill ours. But from the other
vision-the vision of purity and love and
OF sacrifce-I will get courage to look
across the river"
Was Nephew or Historian.
DR.. Abbott was born in Roxbury.
Mass, December IS. 1895, and was the
third(son of the Rev. Jacob Abbott, who
was Congregational clergyman and an
author. His uncle John s. C. Abbott,
also was Congregational clergyman
and wrote the widely known history of
Napoleon. Two of DR. Abbott's brothers,
Benjamin Vaughan Abbott and Austin
Abbott. were lawyers, and third
brother. Edward Abbott was once editor
OF the Literary World. The four sons
arc said to have written more than two
hundred books.
In 1853. when he was IS years old,
DIR. Abbott was graduated from the
University of the City of New York. Hc
studied law and went into partnership
with his two lawyer brothers. both Of
whom had been graduated from the
same institution. During the next three
years ne worked in collaboration with
his brothers on two novels-"Cone Cut
Corners" and Matthew Caralay.'
Soon after he began practicing law
DR. Abbott became interested in theol-
ogy, and accordingly began studying
with his uncle. John 5. c. Abbott, who
had a pastorate at Farmington. Me. He
was ordained a Congregational clergy
man in 1860. and his first pastorate was
at Terre Haute, Ind. where he re-
rained until 1865, when he was elected
secretary Of the American Union Greed
men'9 Commission. His duties brought
him to New York and took up all his
time until 1868. For a time he was
pastor of the New England Congrega-
tional Church here. but resigned to de-
vote his entire time to literature and
Journalism.
Literary Work varied.
lie was editor of the Literary Record
in Harper's Ma1nsiue for several years,
and at the same time was editor of the
Illustrated Christian Weekly, published
hy tho American Tract Society and in
;cndcd as an antidote TO the flashy IL
lustrated weeklies of that period. His
most important books. most of which
were written during the next few years,
are: "The Result of Emancipation IN
the United States" "Old Testament
Shadows Of New Testament Truths, "A
Layman's story" Dictionary of Re
ligious Knowledge" "a Study in Human
Nature" "The Theology of an Evolu-
tionist" 'The Evolution of Christianity. ="
Social Problems" and Problems OF
Life"
DR.. Abbott gave up the edtorship or
the Illustrated Christian Weekly TO be-
come editor of the Christian Uuion, on
which he had been associated with the
Rev Henry Ward Beecher. In fact the
lives of DR.. Abbott and DR.. Beecher ran
parallel IN many respects. After TIE
death of DR.. Beecher DR.. Abbott in 1890
became pastor of Plymouth Church IN
Brooklyn and remained there until 1893,
when he resigned 10 take up his later
work as editor OF the outlook
Or. Abbott and DR.. Boecher were
among the first prominent clergymen in
the United States TO take tho position
that religion has vital application TO
the social and civic problems OF the
time. He and Col. Theodore Roosevelt
were close friends. and during all the
Colonel's years in public life DR.. Abbott
was one OF his warmest supporters. ~
tho end OF his second term as President
Col Roosevelt became an associate edi.
tor on the outlook with DR.. Abbott.
IL was while he was pastor of Ply
mouth Church that many of Or. Abhotts
opinions brought upon MIN the charge
that he was "heretlcal." In ono sermon
nc said that evolution Is not merely the
Darwinian theory Of the survival OF the
fittest but rather the doctrine OF growth
applied 10 life, and that all life proceeds
by natural processes from lower to
higher forms by forces acting from
within. He described himself as a
"theistic ovolutionist"