At last the professor who was chiefly interested implored me to give the address myself, or the whole thing would go by default.

Under these circumstances I had no choice but to do so.

But as I sat in the committee room while the order of the meeting was being arranged, and heard my audience shouting, singing, crowing like cocks, whistling like parrots, caterwauling like cats, and keeping up a continuous uproar, I thought to myself, "I have got to go into that, and control it somehow so as to be heard"; I confess I did feel wrecked upon God.

Professor Maclagan, who took the chair, agreed that a prayer was impossible, a hymn was equally out of the question.

The only thing was to push me at once to the front; and almost immediately after a few very brief words from the distinguished chairman I found myself face to face with an audience that evidently meant mischief.