permanent pastor
could be found, on condition that I should preach at Dennis on Sunday
afternoons, using the same sermon I preached in my own pulpit in the
morning. The arrangement worked so well that it lasted for six and a
half years--until I resigned from my East Dennis church. During that
period, moreover, I not only carried the two churches on my shoulders,
holding three meetings each Sunday, but I entered upon and completed a
course in the Boston Medical School, winning my M.D. in 1885, and I also
lectured several times a month during the winter seasons. These were,
therefore, among the most strenuous as well as the most interesting
years of my existence, and I mention the strain of them only to prove my
life-long contention, that congenial work, no matter how much there is
of it, has never yet killed any one!

After my battle with the Free Religious Group things moved much more
smoothly in the parish. Captain Crowell, instead of resenting my
defiance of his ruling, helped to reconcile the divided factions in
the church; and though, as I have said, twice afterward I submitted my
resignation, in each case the fight I was making was for a cause which I
firmly believed in and eventually won. My second resignation was brought
about by the unwillingness of the church to have me exchange pulpits
with the one minister on Cape Cod broad-minded enough to invite me to
preach in his pulpit. I had done so, and had then sent him a return
invitation. He was a gentleman and a scholar, but he was also a
Unitarian; and though my people were willing to let me preach in his
church, they were loath to let him preach in mine. After a surprising
amount of discussion my resignation put a different aspect on the
matter; it also led to the satisfactory ruling that I could exchange
pulpits not only with this minister, but with any other in good standing
in his own church.

My third resignation went before the trustees in consequence of my
protest from the pulpit against a small drinking and gambling saloon
in East Dennis; which was rapidly demoralizing our boys. Theoretically,
only "soft drinks" were sold, but the gambling was open, and the resort
was constantly filled with boys of all ages. There were influences back
of this place which tried to protect it, and its owner was very popular
in the town. After my first sermon I was waited upon by a committee,
that warmly advised me to "let East Dennis alone" and confine my
criticisms "to sa