70 AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND 



such wine. When you had a small glass on your stomach 

 it immediately went to your head, just like a pan of 

 milk on the fire, ran over and set instantly the moment 

 you take it off. The sensation you felt in your head 

 was celestial / . . . . but of short duration but ! . . 



From this lengthy dissertation I expect that those 

 who may read it will think that I am a worshipper of 

 wine, naturally. Speaking so enthusiastically of wine 

 and drinking it. I am no more a devotee to liquors than 

 you are of drinking cold water to excess. This sort of 

 apology made let us speak no more of it. But of what 

 shall I speak of ? Not of the Orchid Club, although I 

 have another sitting to recount, but not immediately. 

 "We have had enough of Orchids, too much, for since 

 many years I have often, in a measure, cursed them, for 

 they have been the principal cause of the neglect in 

 which all other kinds of plants have fallen, and there 

 are many more interesting that good many Orchids 

 hardly worth the water they drink ! ! I pray you ! in- 

 feverished orchidists or orchidophiles or both, do not 

 take it too hard if I jeer your hobbies ! Our orchido- 

 mania, it has hurt my pantomania if I am permitted 

 to use such an expression, seemingly " far-fetched and 

 dear bought ! " "With reason I say dear bought; for 

 many of the plants I have bought of late years are 

 now commercially speaking worthless ! and I charge 



