CHAPTER XXX 



AN AMERICAN LECTURE TOUR— BOSTON TO WASHINGTON 



When I left home I had some idea of extending my journey- 

 across the Pacific, lecturing in New Zealand and Australia, 

 perhaps also in South Africa, on my way home. But my 

 voyage out was so disagreeable, making me sick and unwell 

 almost the whole time, that I concluded it would not be wise 

 to extend my sea voyages except under very favourable con- 

 ditions, which did not occur. One of these was the success of 

 my American tour, but owing to my agent not being a good 

 one, or, perhaps, to my not being sufficiently known in 

 America, I was kept throughout the winter in Washington 

 waiting for lecture engagements, which did not come till 

 March and April. 



On reaching New York (October 23), I had my first 

 experience of American prices by having to pay two dollars 

 for a cab to the American Hotel, not a mile off, where I was 

 obliged to go for the night. The next morning (Sunday) I 

 went to stay for a few days with Mr. A. G. Browne, a gentle- 

 man on one of the New York daily papers who had called on 

 me at Godalming in the summer. On the way to his house 

 we drove to the picturesque Central Park, in the company of 

 Henry George, the well-known author of ** Progress and 

 Poverty," who was then a candidate for the important post of 

 Mayor of New York, and who had been invited by Mr. 

 Browne to meet me. The next evening I attended one of 

 his meetings, and was called upon to say a few words to an 

 American audience. I tried my best to be forcible, praised 

 George, and said a few words about what we were doing 



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