-252 THE REV. J. G. WOOD. 



lecture followed until the end of May, when " Pond 

 Life " was given at New Southgate, closely succeeded 

 by " The Bird," " A Country Walk/' and " Life Under- 

 ground " at Yarlet Hall, near Stafford. Finally, on the 

 9th of July, the first part of " The Whale " was given 

 at Dulwich College ; and the second part of the same 

 lecture, delivered two days later, brought the disastrous 

 season of 1884-85 to a close. 



Only forty-four lectures had been delivered in all, 

 or little more than a third of the average annual number; 

 and the proceeds even of these had been almost entirely 

 swallowed up by the heavy expenses attending the 

 American tour. No wonder my father made up his 

 mind never again to undertake another transatlantic 

 journey, although he had been warmly and repeatedly 

 pressed to do so before leaving Boston. One such 

 experience was sufficient for a life-time, and he sted- 

 fastly adhered to his resolution, although subsequent 

 overtures were more than once made with the 

 view of inducing him to break it. Lecturing in 

 England was more certain, more satisfactory, and 

 attended by far less of personal inconvenience. The 

 fee paid for each individual lecture might not be so 

 high, no doubt ; but this difference was practically 

 equalised by the saving in travelling expenses and the 

 cost of living, which latter is in America at least one- 

 third more than in England. And, besides, there was the 

 comfortable knowledge that, even if a general parlia- 

 mentary election were to take place, the British public 

 would not in consequence be rendered utterly and 



