THE BAR AND THE CLERGY. l8l 



The town records contain the following entry : 



Jonas Longley Parker, son of Jonas L. Parker and Elizabeth, his 

 wife, born in Groton, Feb. loth, 1810. Murdered and robbed at 

 Manchester, N. H., at about y^. past nine o'clock in the evening of 

 the 26th of March, 1845, ^g^d 35 years. 



BRIDGE CARRIED AWAY. 



S@* Fitch's bridge over the Nashua river at Groton, was carried 

 away by the freshet, a day or two since. 



" Lowell Weekly Journal and Courier," March 7, 1851, 



THE BAR AND THE CLERGY. 



Rooms of the Historical Society, Oct. 27, 1887. 



My dear Dr. Green, — I write down at your request the 

 anecdote of Luther Lawrence which you heard me narrate some 

 time ago. 



Luther Lawrence was an intimate friend of my father, who 

 esteemed him very highly. I have seen him at my father's house 

 in my early childhood ; and I remember often hearing my father 

 speak of him, after his death, especially of his wisdom and hu- 

 manity in his provision for the well-being and moral character of 

 the operatives, during the early days of the cotton manufacture at 

 Lowell. 



The story is this : Mr. Lawrence, when a young lawyer, lived at 

 Groton. He started one day to go to Boston in a chaise. Mr. 

 Dana, better known as Judge Dana, then also a young lawyer, was 

 his companion. They stopped late in the forenoon at Watertown 

 to bait their horse and get some dinner. There was an ordination, 

 I believe, perhaps a dedication, going on in the town, a great affair 

 in those days. People had come from far and near. The green 

 about the church was filled with carriages, and the church crowded. 

 Dr. Channing was to preach the sermon. 



Mr. Lawrence observed to Mr. Dana that he would like to hear 

 the sermon, but he supposed it would be impossible to get in. An 



