Medford Historical Society Papers, Volume 8.

On my first home Sabbath, with the good lady whom a few weeks before I had taken for better or for worse (I've found her better), we arrived early at Mystic Hall, and taking a back seat, instead of being observed of all observers, we had an opportunity to see some of our new neighbors as they assembled. Miss Addie Morss served as organist and played the ‘Nuns' Prayer’ as a voluntary, and accompanied the congregational singing. A French gentleman, the Rev. Louis Charpiot, was the clergyman. He was of the Trinitarian Congregational order, and had but recently begun preaching in West Medford, being employed on the editorial staff of the Nation then published by Mr. Usher, who in the spring of ‘71 established the Medford Journal, since which time Medford has never been without a weekly paper. He had been preceded by Rev. M. B. Chapman, who had served for two years. Mr. Chapman was a Methodist, and a student in Boston University, and boarded with Mrs. G. A. Spaulding. He was even then described as a brilliant preacher and elicited the remark from a shrewd observer, ‘I want to hear him again and see if he had all his powder in one gun.’ Mr. Chapman married while at West Medford, and one day just previous, said to Mrs. Spaulding, ‘When I return I shall bring a lady with me. I think a great deal of her, I want you to, also.’ He is now known as Dr. Chapman and is one of the professors in Boston University.

Mr. Charpiot preached on Sabbath morning and evening; sometimes a lecture on current events was substituted for the evening sermon. I well remember his review of the Franco-Prussian war of 1870, and his biting sarcasm on ‘Napoleon the little.’ Mr. Charpiot resigned in September of ‘71, and after supplies by various clergymen, the Rev. W. E. Huntington was secured for the rest of the year. A young man of rare promise, his services were greatly enjoyed. He was the last of the Christian Union preachers and was of the Methodist Episcopal order. After serving the largest churches of