272 THE REV. J. G. WOOD. 



And by this time lie had usually accomplished a tale of 

 work which with most writers would hardly have been 

 completed in the entire day. 



But his day's labour was by no means concluded 

 yet. After luncheon, in those days, he always lay 

 down until half-past three or four upon a couch in his 

 study ; but then he went back again to his desk until 

 dinner at seven, and ordinarily again for a couple of 

 hours more before retiring to rest. So that fully twelve 

 hours out of the twenty -four, as a general rule, were 

 spent with pen in hand, recreation being reduced to 

 a minimum, and indeed almost to the vanishing point. 



At this time there was certainly some little amount 

 of regularity in his programme ; but in after years, 

 when a greater amount of sleep became an absolute 

 necessity, he used to get through his work by the simple 

 expedient of entering his study the first thing in the 

 morning generally about half-past seven and scarcely 

 leaving it, except for meals, until half-past eleven or 

 twelve at night ; and during almost the whole of the 

 intervening time he would be working in one way or 

 another. He might write all one morning, and never 

 touch a pen the next. But then he would be repairing 

 a drawing-frame, or practising his great coloured 

 sketches, or making out careful and elaborate notes for 

 book, article, or lecture. And even at meal-times 

 dinner alone excepted he was invariably engrossed 

 with a book. He read at all sorts of odd moments : 

 while dressing, or putting on his boots, in the train, or 

 out walking. If he paid a call, and happened to be kept 



