220 THE REV. J. G. WOOD. 



word that I said. The fact is, that not only does he hold a contract 

 to shoe the tram horses, but he is a politician, and holds an elective 

 post. Next year he will have to vacate, and start a " boom " for 

 re-election. And he fears lest his opponent may say that he is not 

 worth a cent, but was "knocked out" by a Britisher. 



On December 22nd a visit was paid to New York, 

 where a lecture was to be given at the Cooper Institute. 

 The drawing -frame had been " expressed," and sent on 

 before ; and on arriving at the hall my father found, to 

 his utter astonishment, that the janitor had succeeded 

 in putting it up, and that all he had to do was to 

 re-stretch the canvas, which no one but himself ever 

 succeeded in spreading quite to his requirements. The 

 hall was again crowded to overflowing, and the lecture 

 a great success. And then there came a " recess " until 

 the second lecture at the same institute on the 29th, 

 which was spent at one of the New York hotels. 



Here a rather amusing incident occurred. My 

 father was always very fond of tea, and .extremely 

 particular as to the manner in which it was made ; and, 

 whenever possible, if he had any doubts as to the 

 capabilities of the maker, he would brew it for himself. 

 The hotel system he seems to have despised altogether. 

 This is what he says : 



Hotel tea-pots are rubbish. They are very small and inconvenient 

 everywhere, but here they are simply absurd. They are scarcely 

 larger than a cricket-ball, and hold about half of an ordinary 

 breakfast-cup. The handle is so small that you can only hold it 

 between the finger and thumb. This, added to my damaged right 

 hand, almost prevented me from using it. So, on Wednesday, I 

 went out and bought a pint Japanese tea-pot. . . At breakfast yester- 

 day morning I produced it. The effect was general consternation, 



