RECEPTIONS. 233 



If it would only rise perpendicularly, one would not mind it so 

 much. But, in accordance with the total depravity of inanimate 

 objects, it mostly falls among the horse-cars, or on the opposite side 

 of the road, where recovery is hopeless. On February 29th Tremont 

 Street was literally strewn with goloshes, the owners of which had 

 wisely left them to their fate. 



Before leaving America my father was entertained 

 by several of the leading societies, and various " Recep- 

 tions " were given in his honour. Concerning two of 

 the most important of these latter he briefly remarks 

 that modesty forbids him to enter into particulars ; 

 with regard to a third he is a little less reticent. A 

 newspaper cutting is pasted upon the " log,' 5 to the 

 following effect : 



The monthly meeting of the Papyrus Club was held at the 

 Revere House, Saturday evening. Professor J. G. Wood, the 

 English Naturalist, and Mr. Paton of the New York Tile Club, were 

 the guests, and each responded to toasts in their honour. After 

 dinner exercises were contributed by Mr. Barrett Wendell, Mr. F. 

 J. Stimpson, Mr. John A. Lowell, Mr. T. Adamowski, and Mr. Otto 

 Bendix. There were about fifty members and guests present. 



Then comes the following annotation : 



This is not quite correct. The " reception " was given to me. 

 Mr. Paton belongs to an affiliated club in New York, the members 

 of which interchange hospitality. Note the curious use of the word 

 "exercise," which has evidently come down from Puritan times. 

 Prayers, hymns, songs, speeches, musical performances, &c., are all 

 termed " exercises." Any way, the president " exercised " his 

 laudatory powers to the fullest degree, and, according to newspaper 

 phraseology, I was " handsomely ovated." 



On the 9th of April my father left New York 

 on board the Cunard steamship Servia, amid many 



