I GO TO BATH : , 



to those in whom they put their trust, than agri- 

 culturists, whether landowners or tenant-farmers. 



For some years after I had settled down in 

 Bath, I continued to hold certain of my Oxford 

 appointments, which meant much travelling to 

 and fro. But I could not urge the Bath and West 

 Council to fall in with the request of my old 

 Society that I should run that Society as well as 

 the Western one, as I knew enough of human 

 capacity to feel that that would soon mean two 

 vacant secretaryships, owing to the interment of 

 an official who had bitten off more than he could 

 chew. So, sorrowfully relinquishing a trust, which, 

 though unwillingly undertaken in the first instance, 

 had been fruitful in friendships and much else 

 worth having, I transferred myself and my 

 belongings to the classic city of Bath, in the trustful 

 hope since most amply realized that I might 

 find as good friends in the West as those with 

 whom I was parting. 



Where, as in the case of a big show, success 

 depends upon completeness of organization, I 

 may say, for the benefit of anyone with aspira- 

 tions in this direction, that the first axiom that 

 the showman's mind should get a good grip of is 

 " Never leave anything to chance " ; a neglect 

 of this may be fatal. I will illustrate this by 

 narrating one of the last incidents connecting 

 me with the Oxfordshire Society. Full of grati- 

 tude to those who had stood so well by me, and 

 only too anxious to show this in any way, I 

 willingly responded to the wish of the Society 

 that I would help them to find my successor. It 

 so happened that on the staff of the retiring 



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