CHAPTEE XVI. 



THE SKETCH-LECTURES (concluded) . 



The Season of 1885-86 Effects of the Two American Tours "Evolution" in 

 Lecturing A Revised "Unappreciated Insects " Summary of the Season 

 The Season of 1886-87 Appreciative Seamen An Amusing Incident at 

 Armagh A Troublesome Accident and its Results The Season of 1887-88 

 The Last Season of All Beginning of the End Lecture at the London 

 Institution Scottish Tour Ominous Anticipations Missing a Lecture 

 Serious Illness The Last Two Sketch-Lectures Journey to Coventry 

 Arrival, and Collapse The Doctor's Verdict Last Hours and Death. 



THE season of 1885-86 began rather late with a lecture 

 at New Southgate, on October 6th ; and it soon became 

 plainly evident that the two seasons of absence in 

 America had done their work. For the continuity of 

 the English lecturing had been broken ; engagements 

 without number had necessarily been refused ; other 

 lecturers in the same line had come to the front : and, of 

 course, the lost ground could not be at once regained. 

 Indeed, I do not think that the lecturing was ever 

 again quite what it had been before. The interest and 

 success of the lectures themselves were as great as ever, 

 but engagements came in less frequently, and there was 

 never again a season like that of 1881-82, when more 

 than one hundred and twenty lectures were delivered in 

 all. And it is difficult to attribute this falling off to 

 any other source than the prolonged absence from the 



