John Chambers was not only a natural orator and master in the pulpit, but he also made an admirable presiding officer. This was not only on account of his superb and commanding figure, his leonine countenance and his eagle eye, but also because of his ability to understand an audience and take in all the possibilities. He knew just at what moment to test its powers. His glance seemed to be an individual recognition of every face. It was not until he was well into the fifties that he ever used spectacles or eye-glasses, and even when his brows were frosty he was able, by employing the best oculists and the right lenses, to see apparently everything and everybody in the house. Many a time he turned what threatened to be a total failure of a meeting into a brilliant success. By some witty remark, a thrilling announcement, a touch of blarney--of which he was always easy master, or a dramatic action accompanying some winsome invitation, he made himself master of the assembly. By original and ingenious methods of silencing, shortening, or politely extinguishing bores, "platform burglars" or a long-winded or unskilful speaker, he saved the day, or rather the night. He was always the refresher of weary audiences. I remember when a certain one of a delegation on some really worthy charitable enterprise, after addressing an audience not specially interested in the matter presented to them, made the remark (in conclusion) that "thus far what they had received had not paid their travelling expenses". This roused the big heart of John Chambers, and when that was warmed Christians had to look out for their pocket-books. Striding forward from the sofa, he cried out: "Why, brethren, this will never do! Let the trustees come right up and empty out the baskets" [a collection had already been taken] "and go round again". A burning plea of but two or three minutes for the cause followed from his lips. Then the previous contribution was tumbled out of the boxes on the carpet, and a new and magnificent offering was made, which happily proved a superb precedent, so that the delegation went back happy.