16 



addition of the names of men of active thought and inquiring 

 mind, bent upon the possession of the advantages they held out 

 to them. Even that very evening had been no exception to the 

 rule of steady increase — they had just elected three more new 

 ^lembers from whose presence and help he trusted they might 

 find benefit. 



The information furnished to Members at their monthly 

 meetings and mu'oscopical evenings had continually been of a 

 most interesting and instructive character and full of pleasant 

 variety. And as to their soii-ees — but one opinion could exist ; 

 it was acknowledged that they had been a series of splendid 

 .successes. But the very fact that all this was so true only added 

 to the natural timidity with which one stepped forward at their 

 bidding to attempt to occupy so prominent a post as that of 

 President of such a Society ; and he assured them that he felt — 

 and they would agree with liim that he would be quite unfit for 

 the office if he did not feel — a hea\'y responsibility j^ressing upon 

 him as he yielded to their request and took this duty upon him. 



He had delighted, in his quiet, retired position as a private 

 Member, in listening with increasing enjoyment to the ever fresh 

 and interesting facts and reasonings brought forward by many of 

 their very able and efficient Members ; and it would have pleased 

 him well still to have quietly retained those advantages. But as 

 it was now their will that he should for a time leave tliis 

 enjoyable position of retirement, and take upon himself the very 

 prominent duty upon which he now entered, he could only 

 promise that he would fulfil the duties of the office to the best of 

 his ability, stimulated by the consciousness of the fact that he was 

 accepting a positon that had been filled with honour by the many 

 able men that had preceded him in the presidency — some of 

 whom he had the pleasure of seeing before him — and possessed 

 by an earnest desire that nothing during his term of office might 

 occur to tarnish the honour now resting upon it. But he should 

 feel encouraged by the recollection of the sympathy they always 



