ginningtostudymeclosely，soonswungmeintoactiveworkwithher，ofwhich，later，Ishallhavemuchtosay。ButbeforetakingupasubjectasabsorbingtomeasmyfriendshipforandassociationwiththemostwonderfulwomanIhaveeverknown，itmaybeinterestingtorecordafewofmypioneerexperiencesinthelecture—field。
Inthosedays——thirtyyearsago——thelecturebu—
reauswerewhollyregardlessofthecomfortoftheirlecturers。Theyarrangedascheduleofengagementswithexactlyoneideainmind——togetthelecturerfromonelecture—pointtothenext，utterlyregardlessofwhethershehadtimebetweenforrestorfoodorsleep。Soithappenedthatall—nightjourneysinfreight—cars，engines，andcabooseswerecasualcom—
monplaces，whilethirtyandfortymiledrivesacrossthecountryinblizzardsandbittercoldwereequallyinevitable。Usuallythesethingsdidnottroubleme。TheywerehighadventureswhichIenjoyedatthetimeandafterwardlovedtorecall。Buttherewasanoccasionalhiatusinmyoptimism。
Onenight，forexample，afterlecturinginatowninOhio，itwasnecessarytodriveeightmilesacrosscountrytoatinyrailroadstationatwhichatrain，passingabouttwoo’clockinthemorning，wastobeflaggedforme。Whenwereachedthestationitwasclosed，butmydriverdepositedmeontheplatformanddroveaway，leavingmealone。Thenightwascoldandverydark。AlldayIhadbeenfeelingillandintheeveninghadsufferedsomuchpainthatIhadfinishedmylecturewithgreatdifficulty。Nowtowardmidnight，inthisdesolatespot，milesfromanyhouse，Igrewalarminglyworse。Iamnoteasilyfrightened，butthattimeIwassureIwasgoingtodie。Offinthedarkness，veryfaraway，asitseemed，Isawafaintlight，andwithinfiniteeffortIdraggedmyselftowardit。Towalk，eventostand，wasimpossible；Icrawledalongtherailroadtrack，collapsing，resting，goingonagain，whippingmywillpowertothetaskofkeepingmybrainclear，untilafteranightmarethatseemedtolastthroughcenturiesIlayacrossthedooroftheswitch—towerinwhichthelightwasburning。TheswitchmanstationedthereheardthecryIwasabletoutter，andcametomyassistance。Hecarriedmeuptohissignal—roomandlaidmeonthefloorbythestove；