The Popular Science Monthly. 305 



time, but may get impatient with the system itself, and 

 condemn it as unsatisfactory. By all means get a quick 

 writer. Ever yours, HERBERT SPENCER. 



The laborious work connected with the magazine 

 did not prevent Youmans from once more trying to 

 give a few lectures ; but this time he broke down at 

 the very start, and was soon back in his editorial office 



again. 



ASHLAND, November 20, 1872. 



DEAR SISTER : Things are precious bad. I ought not 

 to have undertaken this job. I am sick through and 

 through with the ugliest cold I -ever had headache, sore 

 throat, soreness of chest, and a universal aching to the 

 marrow of the bones. I could not get a fire in a room at 

 Akron, and was freezing all day. I got into a sweat dur- 

 ing the lecture, and that clinched the thing. Had to leave 

 at 5.30 in the morning. No vehicles to train, so I got a 

 bed in a nigger hole near the station and shivered in it all 

 night. I had a good deal of fever, and did not get a wink 

 of sleep. It was an awful night, but I got the cars and 

 slept through a fifty-mile ride or dozed through it. I did 

 not think I should be able to lecture at all, but I went to 

 bed and rested as well as I could, and of course I had to 

 try it. I contrived to talk an hour, and could not stand 

 up any longer. I had a good deal of broken and uncom- 

 fortable sleep last night, but am awful stiff and sore this 

 morning ; and more I have to ride back into the country 

 several miles in a cold snowstorm to Lodi. I shall under- 

 take it. So things go, and I will telegraph you. I have 

 long known that I am very shaky, but I did not realize 

 how little remnant of vitality and resistance there is left. 



Having thus seen how The Popular Science 

 Monthly came into existence at the time when it was 

 becoming more than ever apparent that our friend's 

 14 



