242 THE EEV. J. G. WOOD. 



institutes a task which ought, of course, to have been 

 performed weeks before. This, apparently, he did 

 without further delay, but took no particular pains to 

 secure engagements. And he also, without enquiry, 

 allowed himself to be entrapped into an arrange- 

 ment which subsequently fell through, and which, 

 in itself, was quite sufficient to ruin the success of the 

 tour. 



Yet the season began fairly well, and the prospects 

 were apparently bright and promising enough. The 

 first lecture was given at Newton, Mass., on the 1st of 

 December, and was followed by the second part of " Ant 

 Life " at Southborough two days later. The first part 

 of this lecture, curiously enough, had been given during 

 the former tour, on February 8th of the same year ; and 

 although four subsequent lectures had intervened at the 

 very same Institute, the subject had not until now been 

 concluded. 



Next day came the first part of the same lecture at 

 Peabody, Mass., in the Peabody Institute. This was 

 delivered under circumstances not the most agreeable, 

 as a fancy fair upon a somewhat large scale was being 

 held in the room immediately beneath, and the audience 

 was largely recruited from the " rough " element, the 

 members of which indulged in much horse-play, and 

 not a little noisy comment upon the lecture. On the 

 following evening came "Pond Life," at Haverhill, 

 followed by " Bee Life," at Southborough on the 9th. 

 There is a characteristic entry in the diary concerning 

 this latter lecture, and one which well illustrates my 



