90 THE REV. J. G. WOOD. 



the bones of the palm were also badly broken, the 

 thumb and first finger alone escaping injury. 



At the time, and in the hurry of the moment, my 

 father was scarcely alive to the extent of the damage 

 which he had sustained. He knew that bones were 

 broken, but not that the mischief was so severe. And so, 

 instead of giving up his journey instead even of seeing 

 a medical man, and driving into Woolwich afterwards 

 he caught his train and went on ; passed the night in 

 great pain, the wounded hand, of course, swelling to 

 three times its original size, and somehow managed to 

 conduct the services next morning, although more than 

 once in imminent danger of fainting. He even cele- 

 brated the Holy Communion ; how, it is not easy to 

 imagine. At eleven o'clock he conducted the full 

 morning service, and preached. And then, at last, he 

 made up his mind to come home and have his injuries 

 attended to. Of course, by this time, the condition of 

 the wounded hand was such that it was almost im- 

 possible even to examine it. Only with the greatest 

 difficulty were the fractured bones set, and the dis- 

 locations reduced. And for many weeks it remained in 

 splints and bandages, while not for nearly a year could 

 it be used again for writing. Indeed, it never quite 

 recovered its former steadiness and strength. Nervous 

 tremors and twitches would suddenly seize it ; at times 

 it would tremble so severely as to be practically useless. 

 And to the end of his life my father could never write 

 without steadying the right hand with the left, and 

 seldom even lift a cup of tea to his lips without employ- 

 ing both hands in the operation. 



