ention, being taken in his arms, and the others clung to
his coat and skipped alongside, chatting as fast as we could until we
entered the house. Words cannot express the joy of the meeting after
more than two years' separation. When mother realized that father had
come at last she was like one dazed and could not move. The children
in their happiness were surrounding the long lost wanderers. At last
father spoke, with tears of gladness in his eyes, "Where is Mary, your
mother, my children?" We had monopolized his attention and poor mother
was neglected for the moment. As soon as we had realized the oversight
sister Mary beckoned us all away and we gradually disappeared and left
the two to enjoy their happy reunion. After a half hour had passed,
and while they were softly conversing, we gathered in the main room
and, clustering around sister Mary, we began the song--

"Home again, home again from a foreign shore,
And oh it fills my soul with joy to meet my friends once more."

Rev. Mr. Woods and family were more than surprised to find such voices
among us, and their appreciation was so genuine we gave them one of
our dear old German hymns, a favorite of father's also.

[Illustration: First Presbyterian Church, Washington street, Stockton,
California, built in 1849, the first Protestant church in California.
Mrs. Blake-Alverson, as Miss Kroh, was contralto of the first choir,
organized in 1852.]

The singing seemed to give new life to his long struggle in the
ministry. His was the only church in Stockton at that time, besides a
Catholic church, and it was uphill work to get the men to come to
service. A new thought came to him that perhaps music in the church
might be an incentive for men to forsake one day thinking of gold. So
the choir was established and a large melodeon was secured from San
Francisco from one of the music stores which had been established.
Joseph Atwill began the music business on Washington street in 1850,
just one year before we arrived in November, 1851. It was soon noised
about that the family of Rev. H. Kroh were singers and that by the
first of the month there would be a choir in the Presbyterian church.
A melodeon was to be purchased. Miss M. Kroh was to play the organ and
direct the music and the sisters were to sing. During the time the
melodeon was on the way we had become acquainted with William Trembly,
a fine tenor; James Holmes, bass; William Cobb, tenor; Will Belding,
bas