90 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. V. 



In writing home, particulars are given of the appearance 

 of the two friends at the Chemical Section : " We were 

 received as courteously as we could have wished, and at- 

 tended to with interest and patience. You know that I 

 spent my time up to the last moment of leaving, in writing 

 out an abstract of my Thesis for the Association ; but, after 

 reaching Birmingham, we found that long papers were iri 

 bad odour, and they admitted so many ladies to the section 

 meetings, that we gave up the idea of reading, and resolved 

 to speak our papers to the people. This idea was only 

 formed the night before, and I had no time to arrange my 

 thoughts ; but we were fortunately driven desperate, and so 

 achieved wonders. Our names were read out last, the day 

 before we were appointed to read ; accordingly, Samuel and 

 I were sitting together after the section had begun, talking 

 about our matters, when in came Playfair bounce from the 

 section to say that my name had been read out, and they 

 were waiting for me. Away I ran, and before I very well 

 knew where I was, I was mounted on a rostrum before some 

 hundred strangers. Though somewhat flurried at first, I 

 speedly acquired courage and coolness enough to progress 

 satisfactorily, in which comfortable progression I was greatly 

 aided by the attentive, watchful looks of some of the more 

 intelligent among them. When I came down, Playfair said 

 I had done ' nobly.' If I were not writing for a fond 

 mother's eye, I should be ashamed to say all this but I 

 know you will be anxious to know everything about this 

 journey. Professor Graham, Dr. R. D. Thomson, the Bir- 

 minghan secretary, and Professor Clark of Aberdeen, all ex- 

 pressed their interest in the paper, and their satisfaction 

 with its proofs. We both of us intended to have read or 

 spoken before them other communications, but business 

 increased on our hands ^that ..is section business), and we 



