Another writer, who had the rare privilege of meeting the great man socially, said: "Nothing indeed pleased him better than to be a boy again, and to mingle in the sports of the young, especially if they took a turn congenial at all to his own pursuits. He has been known to join a youthful party on a November evening to assist in a display of fireworks. There he might be seen running to and fro in a garden at night, with his pockets crammed with combustibles--now kindling lycopodium or burning potassium--then letting off blue fires, green fires, purple fires--sometimes dropping ignited crackers at the feet of the boys with an air of affected astonishment, or probably chasing the girls in order to streak their cheeks with phosphorus." As a lecturer to children Faraday was indeed particularly successful and especially interesting. His first course of Christmas Juvenile Lectures was given in 1827--his last, on "The Chemical History of a Candle," was given in 1863, and during that time he gave in all nineteen of these courses. The first consisted of six lectures on chemistry, and the first lecture of the course was illustrated with no fewer than eighty-six experiments, which were, it is scarcely necessary to say, carried out on the platform. In his note-book Faraday made the following entry with regard to this course, "The six juvenile lectures were just what they ought to have been, both in matter and manner; but it would not answer to give an extended course in the same spirit." One secret of Faraday's success as a lecturer, both to juveniles and others, was the carefulness with which he always tried to ascertain what was the best method. In early years he would have a friend (Magrath, or some other) among the audience, who was to tell him afterwards of any peculiarities, either of manner or style, that wanted correcting; and Miss Reid tells us that in the early years of the Juvenile Lectures her uncle used to encourage her to tell him everything that struck her; and, when she did not fully understand him, where her difficulties lay. He would then enlarge upon those points in the next lecture, and thus he made a child's remark serve him in making things clear to children. He used also, at first, to have a card, on which was distinctly written the word _Slow_, before him; and if he forgot it and became rapid, his assistant Anderson had orders to place it before him. Sometimes also when his lecture hour was nearly expired, he would arrange to have a card with the word _Time_ on it, placed within his view.