The Phillips Brooks Memorial.

In the CRIMSON of Jan. 26, appeared a communication suggesting that the proposed new religious building be erected is a Memorial to Phillips Brooks. The idea was considered a good one and received hearty commendation from all who heard it. The communication was published in the Boston Transcript, which appeared on the Saturday after the Bishop's death.

It is gratifying to see the project now taken hold of systematically by the classmates of Phillips Brooks. Circulars have been drawn up under the direction of Mr. Edwin H. Abbot, secretary of the class of '55, stating in full the need and appropriateness of the proposed building and calling for voluntary subscriptions. These circular letters, together with clippings from the various papers containing articles relative to the subject, will be sent to all the living graduates of Harvard and every effort will be made to push the scheme through successfully.

What Phillips Brooks thought in regard to a religious building is well shown in the following selection from a letter to the Students' Committee, written just before he sailed for Europe last June.

"I have read your letter with great interest. The matter of a building for the religious societies of Harvard College has interested me for a great many years, and once or twice it has seemed as if we were on the point of securing what is certainly very desirable. I am glad to know that once more the young men themselves, who constitute the various religious societies of the college, are becoming awake to the necessity. I will do everything I possibly can in the autumn and winter, to help secure what is desired. Just what form this movement will take and what anybody can do to help it, I suppose will hardly be known before the fall. Pray count on me for whatever I possibly can do." Writing again in January of this year he said; "I shall hold myself ready to serve it in any best way that may be in my power."

The seriousness with which this work has been undertaken and the plan on which it is to be carried out is shown by the closing passage of the circular letter:

This Memorial should include the erection of Phillips Brooks House, costing, say, $100,000 and dedicated not only to the comfort and succor of all in the college world who are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness or any other adversity, but also to that joyous and rich life he always preached. It should be made the house and workshop for all forms of spiritual activity, benevolent action and religions aspiration in the University. To do this as he would do it, will take not less than $8,000 per year for its maintenance in full and free operation. It should also include a fund for voluntary service in Appleton Chapel, as well as for the proper accommodations of college preachers, while in residence, for which there is temporarily advanced out of the College General Fund about $7,500 per year. To meet these wants and perpetuate the work to which Phillips Brooks gave so much of his strength during the last twelve years, requires about $300,000, a small sum for those who saw what he did and admired its spirit.

This endowment will be applied under direction of six Trustees of the Phillips Brooks Memorial, of whom no more than two shall at any time belong to the same religious denomination. Rev. Andrew P. Peabody, Professor George H. Palmer and Robert Treat Paine, Esq. have been requested to act in this capacity and to select by unanimous choice their three associates. These Trustees will fill all vacancies in their number, and have full discretion to arrange and provide for the perpetual, non-sectarian administration and care of this charity. Bishop Brooks' classmates propose to give at least one tenth of this fund. They begin the subscription with $10,000 (ten thousand dollars) and may be relied upon to raise or furnish the last ten thousand out of each subsequent hundred thousand until the whole three hundred thousand dollars is secured, provided, the whole sum be subscribed before next commencement.

The undersigned will temporarily receive any contribution now made from love to the man or for the object itself. His class-mates believe this Memorial is the very thing Phillips Brooks himself would most approve.

EDWIN H. ABBOTT,Class Secretary.Boston, 50 State Street, Jan. 27, 1893.