LECTURES IN BOSTON. 357 



me by the warming influence of his manners, so cordial, 

 courteous, and winning, that I could hardly believe him to 

 be the same gentleman whom I had met twenty years be- 

 fore. The evening lecture was very fully attended. The 

 weather was very warm, but people go an hour beforehand 

 in order to secure good seats, and appear very attentive 

 during lectures of seventy-five and eighty minutes. Not to 

 lose time while they are waiting, individuals often bring 

 their work, knitting, sewing, reading, and proof-reading, 

 not to mention newspapers. After lecture I went for a lit- 

 tle while to a party at Mr. Gary's, and was to have gone to 

 Mr. Abbott Lawrence's, but I was too much fatigued. Good 

 letters came this evening from my dear wife, from Prof. 

 Olmsted, and other friends. The interest in the course 

 appears unabated and indeed increasing, and on all sides 

 they assure me that I am doing a great deal of good. I 

 bless God for all the mercies that have attended me in this 

 anxious undertaking. Everything has gone delightfully, 

 and the pecuniary result is very important to the interests 

 of my family. 



Friday, April 3. At Mr. Amos Lawrence's, by appoint- 

 ment, I met Rev. Mr. Taylor, the noble and warm-hearted 

 chaplain of the seamen. He, with much interest, is an 

 attendant upon the course ; wished to hear me on the 

 relation of Geology to the Mosaic History. The family 

 and a circle of friends gathered around, eager listeners to 

 the statement of his difficulties by Mr. Taylor, and to my 

 efforts to remove them, in which I was generally success- 

 ful; and when we were through, the honest and honor- 

 able man and fearless minister caught my hand, and said 

 warmly, " My dear friend, I am satisfied, may you live 

 a thousand years." 



Saturday, April 4. At half-past six I went to Mr. 

 Abbott Lawrence's in Somerset Street, to family tea, 

 myself the only guest. All the Lawrences were my friends, 

 and Mr. and Mrs. Abbott Lawrence had shown a particular 



