152 THE REV. J. Q. WOOD. 



a great deal of opposition had to be overcome before 

 even these small screws could be inserted. In one or 

 two extreme cases, indeed, my father was compelled to 

 inform the obdurate janitor that unless the screws were 

 at once inserted he should decline to deliver his lecture, 

 on the ground that his drawing-frame could not be 

 erected, and should lay the matter before the committee 

 an expedient which never failed to produce the desired 

 result. 



Taking down and packing the frame after the lecture 

 was over was also a rather long process, and was seldom 

 completed much under three-quarters of an hour. First 

 the canvas had to be thoroughly washed and dried, 

 and this always took some time, as coloured chalks 

 have a way of obstinately clinging to the canvas, and 

 cannot be removed without some little trouble. Then 

 the frame- work had to be taken to pieces and carefully 

 packed together ; the screws put into one bag ; the 

 cords rolled up and placed in another ; the canvas care- 

 fully and neatly folded, and placed on the top of all ; 

 and then, after several straps had been tightly drawn 

 round them, the whole had to be transferred to the long 

 leather case, and securely laced up therein. So that, 

 with a lecture occupying fully an hour and a half, 

 visitors to be interviewed, and their questions answered, 

 perhaps a reporter to be posted up in some part of the 

 lecture which he had missed, and then the screen to be 

 taken down and packed, it was often close upon eleven 

 o'clock before my father could leave the hall. And as, 

 very often, he would be obliged to take his departure 



