AN AGENT AND HIS WORK. 135 



no occasion lectured at his own risk. Terms were 

 always made with some local organiser, who paid a 

 definite fee without reference to the receipts, and prac- 

 tically took the entire responsibility into his own hands. 

 By this plan the services of a travelling agent were 

 rendered unnecessary, and travelling expenses corres- 

 pondingly minimised. 



During the ten seasons over which the sketch- 

 lectures extended (1879-1888 inclusive), lecturer and 

 agent worked together upon the most friendly terms, and 

 the arrangement proved a success in every way. Cir- 

 culars were sent, early in the summer, to all the schools, 

 colleges, natural history societies, and lecture commit- 

 tees in the kingdom, and the dates of lectures so 

 arranged that prolonged tours could be made, with only 

 the minimum of travelling between the different towns 

 en route. All correspondence was conducted by Mr. 

 Robinson, arrangements made, fees settled, and even the 

 train service worked out, and the particular trains to and 

 from each town decided upon. Thus weeks before a 

 lecture my father would know when, where, and whence 

 he had to go, the dimensions of the platform, the size 

 of the hall, and the character and situation of the light, 

 and could make his own private arrangements accord- 

 ingly. All these details both agent and lecturer entered 

 in a huge ledger, with in rny father's case a kind of 

 abstract Istly, in his diary, 2ndly, in a pocket note- 

 book, and, 3rdly, in a " memoriser," or folding engage- 

 ment card. 



The next thing was to see about accommodation, 



