Sly personal acquaintance with Newman Hall began during the darkest period of our Civil War, in August, 1862 Up to that time I had only known him as the author of that pithy and pellucid little booklet, “Come to Jesus,” which has belted the globe in forty languages, and been published to the number of nearly 4,000,000 of copies.  When our Civil War broke out, Dr. Hall (with John Bright and Foster and Goldwin Smith) threw himself earnestly on the side of our Union He made public speeches for our cause over all England, and opened his house for parlor meetings addressed by loyal Americans who happened to be in London.  He invited me to address one of these gatherings, but the necessity of my return home prevented my acceptance.  Two years after the close of the war he made his first visit to the United States.  He was received with enthusiastic ovations.  Union Leagues gave him public welcomes, Congress invited him to preach in the House of Representatives; he delivered an address to the Bostonians on Bunker Hill; and every denomination, including the Episcopalians and Quakers, opened their pulpits to him everywhere.  But the crowning act of his unique Americanism was the erection of the “Lincoln Tower” on his Church in London, as a tribute to Negro Emancipation, and a memorial to International amity.  The love that existed between my brother, Dr. Hall, and myself was like the love of David and Jonathan.  The letters that passed between us would number up into the hundreds, and his epistles had the sweet savor of “Holy Rutherford,” When he was in America, my house was his home, when I was in London, I spent no small part of my time in his delightful “Vine House,” up on Hampstead Hill.  The house remains in the possession of his wife, a lady of high culture, intellectual gifts and of most devout piety.  One reason for the close intimacy between my British brother and myself was that we were perfectly agreed on every social, civil and religious question, and we never had a chance to sharpen our wits on the hone of controversy.  Our theology was all from the same Book, and our main purposes in life were similar.  Many of my American readers heard Dr. Hall preach during some one of his three visits to the United States.  What marrowy, soul-quickening sermons he poured forth in a clear, musical voice, and with a most earnest persuasiveness.  Preaching was as easy to him as breathing.  Including the Sabbath, he delivered seven or eight sermons in a week.  Undoubtedly he delivered more discourses than any ordained minister during the nineteenth century.  Peers and peasants, scholars and dwellers in the slums alike enjoyed his preaching of God’s message to immortal souls.  His favorite theme was the sin-atoning work of Christ Jesus; and the numbers converted under his faithful preaching were exceedingly great.  One of his discourses in this country on “Jehovah Jireh,” was especially helpful, and one on “Touching the Hem of Christ’s Garment,” was a gem of spiritual beauty.  He generally maintained an even flow of evangelical thought, but sometimes he rose into a burst of thrilling eloquence, as he did in Mr. Beecher’s church, when he made his noble appeal for Union between England and America.  From his youth he was fond of street preaching.  I have seen him gather a crowd, and hold them attentively while he sowed a few seeds of truth in their hearts.