154 THE EEV. J. G. WOOD. 



used to make a tracing, if possible, of the object he 

 wished to draw from some thoroughly trustworthy wood- 

 cut. Then he would copy this two or three times upon 

 a slate, which hung by a cord from his table, always 

 attempting to do so with the fewest possible lines, and, 

 as he frequently used to say, " making every line tell 

 its own story." Then, having contrived this to his own 

 satisfaction, he would make a very careful sketch in 

 colour upon the back of one of the small paper strips 

 which contained his brief lecture-notes. And finally, 

 chalks in hand, he would go off to his frame and 

 practise that drawing diligently, until he could exe- 

 cute it accurately without hesitation and without a 

 mistake. 



No doubt these coloured sketches contributed more 

 than all else to the invariable success of the lectures. 

 Every drawing elicited a round of applause, and the 

 newspapers always commented admiringly upon the 

 great artistic power which could produce such a result 

 with such simple means, and apparently with such 

 perfect ease. In the words of Dr. Oliver Wendell 

 Holmes, who was present at one of his lectures upon 

 " Pond and Stream " during his first American tour 

 and who afterwards wrote to him a letter of warm 

 admiration : 



I looked as well as listened, and saw the stickleback and his 

 little aquatic neighbours grow up on the black canvas from a mere 

 outline to perfect creatures, resplendent in their many-coloured 

 uniforms. The lecture had much that was agreeable, but the coloured 

 chalk improvisation was fascinating to the old and young alike, and 

 was as it deserved to be heartily applauded. 



