268 THE BOOK OP THE LANTERN. 



Iii lectures of a popular and entertaining character, 

 it is often desirable to introduce a little music; but if 

 this is done at all it should be done well, the lecturer first 

 of all satisfying himself as to the capabilities of the 

 musician. They should then arrange together where the 

 music is to come in, and the player should have furnished 

 to him by the lecturer a set of cues, with hints as to the 

 nature of the music to be played at the occurrence of those 

 particular words. To show that this precaution is not an 

 idle one, let me state that recently I heard a lecture de- 

 livered in which a few bars of music came in at stated 

 times. On one of those occasions the lecturer was showing 

 a tomb erected to the memory of some celebrity who had 

 recently departed. He described this tomb and said a few 

 touching words with reference to the high character of the 

 departed one ; and, he had no sooner finished, than the 

 pianist at his elbow struck up a merry waltz ! 



The lecturer should be careful to select an intelligent 

 operator. The man employed should be one capable of 

 concentrating his attention upon the work which he has 

 to do. The gases will require attention, the lime wants 

 turning every few minutes, or the light from the lantern 

 soon drops; but, at the same time, too much should 

 not be thrown upon the hands of the operator; for in- 

 stance, the lecturer should make it a standing rule to go 

 carefully through the slides which are to be shown before 

 the lecture commences, so that each one is not only in its 

 proper place, but each is so arranged that the operator will 

 hardly be able to put one in the lantern except in its right 

 position. A landscape, or more especially a portrait, ap- 



