250 AUTOBIOGRAPHY 



I wanted to reach. I learned by this experience 

 not to get so far in advance of my hearers as to 

 wholly lose their sympathy; yet in the intervals 

 between sessions I still had to flock by myself. 

 Year after year I attended these meetings, winning 

 favor gradually until, after fourteen years, it hap- 

 pened that the meeting was again held in the same 

 place where I had first attended and the same presi- 

 dent was in the chair. Before going to this con- 

 vention I hunted up that first paper which had 

 been so ridiculed and brought it down to date. 

 That same old paper I read at the meeting as if it 

 were quite new and it was discussed in a friendly 

 and intelligent manner. 



At the close of the discussion I disclosed the fact 

 that this was the same address that I had delivered 

 before them fourteen years before. I reminded 

 them jokingly of the chilling occurrences of that 

 meeting, remarking that they had made it so hot 

 for me then that it had taken all these years for 

 my temperature to become normal. The Honor- 

 able Harris Lewis, a man of great wit, was then 

 the leader in dairy matters ; he was a man who ap- 

 peared larger when seated than when standing and 

 when he arose deliberately everybody laughed, as 

 they usually did, anticipating a humorous remark. 



