26 



At a meeting of subscribers, called August 3d, 1831, it ap- 

 peared that one hundred lots in the Cemetery, had at that time 

 been taken by subscription ; and that, therefore, agreeably to the 

 terms, the subscription had become obligatory. The following 

 gentlemen were then chosen to constitute the Garden and Ceme- 

 tery Committee : — Messrs. Joseph Story, Henry A. S. Dearborn, 

 Jacob Bigelow, Edward Everett, George W. Brimmer, George 

 Bond, Charles Wells, Benjamin A. Gould, and George W. Pratt. 

 At the same time it was resolved that a public religious consecra- 

 tion should be held upon the grounds, and the following gentle- 

 men were appointed a committee to make arrangements for that 

 purpose : — Messrs. Joseph Story, Henry A. S. Dearborn, Charles 

 P. Curtis, Charles Lowell, Zebedee Cook, jr., Joseph T. 

 Buckingham, George W. Brimmer, George W. Pratt, and Z. B. 

 Adams. 



At a meeting of the Garden and Cemetery Committee, August 

 8th, it was voted that General Dearborn, Dr. Bigelow, and Mr. 

 Brimmer, be a sub-committee to procure an accurate topographi- 

 cal survey of Mount Auburn, and to report a plan for laying it 

 out into lots. This sub-committee engaged the services of Mr. 

 Alexander Wadworth, Civil Engineer, with whose assistance they 

 have now completed the duty assigned to them. 



The public religious consecration of the Cemetery, took place 

 on Saturday, September 24th, 1831. A temporary amphitheatre 

 was fitted up with seats, in one of the deep vallies of the wood, 

 having a platform for the speakers erected at the bottom. An 

 audience of nearly two thousand persons were seated among the 

 trees, adding a scene of picturesque beauty to the impressive 

 solemnity of the occasion. The order of performances was as 

 follows : — 



1. Instrumental Music, by the Boston Band. 



2. Introductory Prayer, by Rev. Dr. Ware. 



3. HYMN, 

 Written by the Rev. Mr. Pierpont. 



To thee, O God. in humble trust, 



Our hearts their cheerful incense burn, 

 For this thy word, " Thou art of dust, 



And unto dust shalt thou return." 



For, what were life, life's work all done. 

 The hopes, joys, loves, that cling to clay, 



All, all departed, one by one. 



And yet life's load borne on for aye ! 



Decay ! Decay ! 'tis stamped on all ! 



All bloom, in flower and flesh shall fade; 

 Ye whispering trees, when we shall fall, 



Be otir long sleep beneath your shade ! 



