50 MY LIFE [Chap. XXVI] 



way of narrating them. It was a rather curious coincidence 

 that on this occasion, when " psychical research " had first 

 been introduced to the British Association, I learnt from Mr. 

 Pengelly that he had himself had one of the most amazing 

 psychical experiences on record, which I may perhaps find 

 an opportunity of narrating when I give an account of my 

 own investigation of these subjects. 



After this year I felt that I had pretty well exhausted 

 the interests of the association meetings, and preferred to 

 take my autumn holiday, with my wife and two children, 

 either by the sea or among the mountains, where we could 

 quietly enjoy the beauties of nature in aspects somewhat 

 new to us ; the only exception I afterwards made being the 

 jubilee meeting at York, and even here the chief attractions 

 were the beautiful Alpine gardens of Mr. Backhouse, the 

 excursion to Rievaulx Abbey, and a visit afterwards to my 

 friend Dr. Spruce in his retirement at Welburn, near Castle 

 Howard. 



