7.15 P.M. Found W. in the parlor in the dark—alone. He greeted me cordially, said I should "sit at the other window—see out-of-doors." Said he felt very well, but the weather continuing as it had, he had been closely confined. Inquired after the sleetiness—if it was at all improved &c.
The electric light at the corner threw a strong glare along the street and he remarked the changed systems of lighting cities—questioning me how far the electric had become the general light in Philadelphia and "wondering if the lights along the bank of the river—up and down"—did not "make a rare touch pictorially—with all that follows?" He referred to "democratic" streets—such a street as Columbia Avenue—in which the masses came out nights to do their shopping—and the fact that such a street was being "duplicated in Camden—in Kaighn's Avenue." Such thoroughfares had always had an especial interest for him—"especially in the older days—in New York, when I was free to wander as I chose"—and "did wander."
"What of politics?" he asked me. Adding—"How far do you assent to the feeling that it is said Cleveland and all his entourage holds, that Cleveland is bound to be the Democratic candidate at the next Presidential election?" And to my opinion that the feeling was prevalent among private Democrats, whatever of public I did not meet, he spoke of C.'s "good bearing" and his own conviction that we had "not heard the last of him." Much amused over Puck's cartoon of four representatives of the Party of Moral Ideas &c.
No proof yet either from Phillips or Brinton. I had a short note from Morse today. W. informed me of a short note in from Kennedy. "He says he gave the Danish piece to his man at once upon receiving it, but that some one of the man's family died about that time and he went away and was not able to attend to it at once. The man reports it as very favorable. No doubt he'll render it for us."