18 



great city, and, of course, he did not attempt to resist the strong 

 attraction that such lectures had upon his mind, but attended 

 them with great delight and lasting profit. Duty called him back 

 to his native land, and to his native town of Brighton, and he 

 soon found congenial spirits in the then flourishing Athenaeum, 

 and for many years, until its dissolution, occupied a place on its 

 Committee, and for a time filled the office of Moderator in its 

 Discussion Society. 



Simultaneously with his efforts in connection with the Athe- 

 naeum he was endeavouring to promote the success of the Young 

 Men's Christian Association of this town as a member of its 

 Committee, and was appointed (in conjunction with Mr. Henry 

 WiUett) as a delegate to the International Conference of Young 

 Men's Christian Associations that met in Paris in 1855, during the 

 period of the first French International Exhibition and the visit of 

 our beloved Queen and Prince Consort to the capital ; and last, 

 though not least, for a period of twelve years he had had the 

 great privilege of being a Member of their excellent Society, and 

 in their midst had passed many of the happiest hours of his life, 

 acquiring information that he was sure had elevated his mind,, 

 and becoming acquainted with the wonders of creative wisdom 

 that had often led his mind from nature up to nature's God. 



He must be pardoned if he had trespassed on their time 

 and patience with these purely personal details, as he felt it due 

 to himself, as well as to them, that he should, as best he could, 

 justify his position in the presidential chair that night by showing 

 that it was quite consistent with his whole past history — that 

 whatever duty presented its claims upon his service in connection 

 with an inquiry after further knowledge, his one principle had 

 always been to accept that duty and to try and fulfil it to the best 

 of his power. 



By their help and relying on their kind sympathy, he now 

 sat down, promising to do his best to fulfil his duty as President 

 of their valuable and important Society. 



