GEORGE SEWALL BOUTWELL. 15 



ready always to pay. I contended that it was his duty long 

 before to have rendered an account, and made payment. 

 Judge Chapman, with less reason than courts have usually for 

 their decisions, held that as he was always ready to pay, he 

 was not justly chargeable with interest. I drew a decree, the 

 judge signed it, Fowle paid, and Childs returned home that 

 night. For ten years the case had been on the docket, when, 

 if some one had made an examination of the papers it could 

 have been disposed of in a day. 



The controversy in New England between Trinitarians and 

 Unitarians had culminated in Groton about the year 1825 in 

 a division of the old town society and the organization of an 

 orthodox church under the Rev. John Todd. His successor, 

 a Mr. Kittredge, had charge of the Society in 1835, and for a 

 short time afterwards. He was succeeded by Dudley Phelps, 

 who was a man of ability and liberal in his religious opinions. 

 From 1838 to 1841 the post-office was in my charge, although 

 I held the office of postmaster only from February to April, 

 1841. Mr. Phelps was in the habit of sitting in the office and 

 reading every sort of newspaper from the Trumpet to the In- 

 vestigator. Although he was much my senior, and of differ- 

 ing opinions in politics and religion our relations were quite 

 intimate. For several years we were joint subscribers for the 

 four leading English reviews: — Edinburgh, North British 

 Quarterly, and Westminster. My recollection is that he made 

 the dedicatory prayer at the new cemetery, and that he was 

 the first person buried in it. He was a man of talent and the 

 father of two sons, who attained distinction at the bar in 

 New York. 



The Rev. Charles Robinson was the pastor of the old 

 society then Unitarian, but without question as to the plenary 

 inspiration of the Scriptures. He was a graduate of Harvard, 

 a man of learning, and a writer of good sermons. In the 

 delivery he was faulty to the last stage of awkwardness. His 

 perceptive faculties were dull to a degree without parallel in 

 my experience. 



In 1835 and for some time afterwards, there were four taverns 

 and three stores at which intoxicating liquors were sold and 



