Monday, October 13, 1890

7:00 P.M. Found W. in his room "just fixing himself to read." Did not look cheery and said he was not. "I have had a dull weary day," he explained, "and a good many visitors. Have seen three or four and denied some. And do you think the room too warm?" Probably saying this last from something he saw in my face. In the stove a bright wood fire, crackling briskly—the door half open—the light rising and falling from the spasmodic flame. "I had Warrie build it for me. He takes his fiddle lesson tonight. Before he went I complained of feeling very chill, so he at once set that going for me. Now I'm afraid it's going too much!" He told me further, "There were two came this morning—I did not see them—a man and a woman. I was tired—tired. You know, Horace, at times my brain simply will not stand that. These folks seemed only to wish to know for certain whether I was to be present at the Hall next week. I don't know what the folks told them." W. continued, telling me that Miss Emily Ingram had been here "yeseterday or day before"—had "brought a young man who went off in the Saratoga." Also that "Mrs. Johnston will be over Saturday, with one other woman." I had a postal from Ingram inquiring about lecture. Answered this evening. No word from Baker today.

Showed W. the following from Law:

(copy) Law Office, Robert G. Ingersoll, 45 Wall Street, New York, Oct. 10th, 1890. James D. Law, Esq., 2020 Broadway, Camden, N.J., My dear friend:

Much obliged to you for the copy of your excellent poem on Walt Whitman. It shows that you have "a spark of Nature's fire."

I hope to see you in Philadelphia on the 21st.

Thanking you again and again, I remain ever,

Your friend, R. G. INGERSOLL.

I feel very proud over this you may be sure, and hope to shake the Colonel by the hand. My Whitman epistle is really about the best I ever did, and I am only sorry it is written in a language practically dead.

J.D.L.

He read and remarked, "He is a plain good fellow: I have liked him." But I have never heard W. say anything about that poem.

I received also a couple of notes from Bucke—much more cheerful—one of them enclosing Whitman piece for Conservator, entitled "The Case of Walt Whitman and Col. Ingersoll Summed Up By the Former's Biographer." I shall probably cut off all headline after "Ingersoll." Here are Bucke's notes:

Re Ingersoll address London, Ont.,10 Oct 1890

I have yours of 8th. I wrote you a pretty doleful letter this morning re arm etc. I feel however that if I cannot go to Phila. it will be one of the great calamities of my life and I will "brace up" if there is any brace up to me. Will write you tomorrow and enclose you a line for publication if there is anything left in me after the work and the worry of the last few weeks. You ought to make the papers fairly crackle over this business—Oh heavens! Wouldn't O'C. have come out grand had he been spared us.

Patience, Patience—the Lord is alive still—let us wait and see the deliverance decreed.

RMB Re W. W. & Ingersoll London, Ont., 11 Oct 1890

I enclose a hasty scrawl, leave it with you to use it as you think best—as a letter or what not. It is not polished but it has some sap in it.

I must be down, dead or alive, that is settled—I think I will leave here Sunday, 19, reach Phila. Monday morning. I could not leave here before Friday evening at earliest on account of an engagement—write me—what could I do if I reached you say Saturday instead of Monday?

Would there be any object in the earlier date?

RMB I have not a minute—sat up last evening to write enclosed.

W. read Bucke's piece in proof entire, exclaiming several times, "Good! Good!" then, "Strong! It is strong!" and when he handed it back to me, "Oh! The hot eloquent Doctor!" Said he had heard of something in Boston Herald about a lecture—"and there was a squib in the Transcript."

W. has had a letter of acknowledgment from Colonel.

Campbell says he has great demand for tickets today: but tickets did not appear from printers, whom we saw this evening and who promised to deliver in morning.

Morris at Bulletin where they ran him off some slips of advertisement—McCulley (?) there congratulated Morris that we'd got a lot of gratuitous advertising. Peacock (proprietor) who was near, exclaiming, "Yes! Damn Baker!"

Williamson from New York writes for further particulars about lecture.

I wrote Baker this evening.