7.30 P.M. With W. about 20 minutes. Harned came in, returning the Sarrazin and Liberty pieces, which W. had loaned him. W. very well, though saying jokingly to H.: "I took a nip of the sherry today—felt a little depressed and took that to off-set the depression." Harned expressed pleasure in the photo W. had given him and W. remarked: "It is well our tastes for pictures are like our tastes for food—very various. That enables all to get suited, because results are very various, God knows!" Remarked concerning Dr. Brinton's inquiries after him by me—"Tell him I am still above the surface—still afloat—that I am not yet engulfed: though I don't know but we'll all be engulfed if this rain perseveres." As we sat there Harry Fritzinger came in, rubber-suited and W. bent forward for a kiss, which was given. He then indicated us in the dark: "Harry, this is Mr. Harned and Horace."
He had got the envelope ready for me, inscribing such instructions as he thought necessary. "It is just the thing—the man took hold like an inspiration." Though he had not yet inscribed my picture he said: "It is ready at any time you choose to take it." Spoke of where Morris had translated Sarrazin "infirmary"—"When he meant hospital, no doubt. I changed it to hospital in the manuscript. Made very few changes indeed—this one of them." And he added: "I should imagine there were various words that would need such attention on closer scrutiny. This is one of the drawbacks of literal translation—still, I am the responsible man this time." "Talcott Williams was here to see me today—stayed, I suppose, half an hour or so. He looks well—talks well." Had he made the inquiry about the Press labor letters? "Well I declare! I forgot all about it—it never struck me till this moment! That's a sample of the way my memory works nowadays!"