8.10 P.M. W. out when I arrived, but came, wheeled along by Warren in 10 minutes or so. Sat at the door for half an hour, talking. He asked after "news," saying he had written postals to both Bucke and Kennedy today.
Speaking of the Century W. said: "I noticed John at work there again"—a paper, "A Taste of Kentucky Blue-Grass" (John Burroughs)—but—"I did not read it—perhaps shall, yet." Touched also upon the discussion there between Henry George and Edward Atkinson on the Single Tax. He questioned if the magazine would have discussed the question some time ago—"but now it is quite the thing, therefore they do it."
Spoke of the "delicious change in the weather." Rained very hard most of the day, the rain leaving it much cooler. Asked after Morris who is doing literary work on the Bulletin for a few weeks.
W. went into a long rumination—vocal—as to war. "One of the great lessons of the war was, to see the regiments go out fresh—then after a long, long, long time trail back—defile the old way once more. It was solemn, gigantic, in what it suggested." Of armies—someone had remarked the lusty appearance of the German army in the Franco-Prussian war. W. inquired [remarked?]—"That must have been by comparison with the French—I think it would be the French." And again, when I asked—"or the American?" "No—hardly that. Besides, the skillful recruiting officer does not judge by size, weight, flesh—but by grit, endurance—he knows what—the deeper indications." Friedrich Wilhelm's giants alluded to, W. said: "It is to that old man we owe the hateful hussar cap—damnable to look upon, damnable to wear. The modern soldier—the soldier of our armies—the soldiers of Sherman, our William Sherman—contrast, take-off, are as much as may be relieved of weight on the march—and in dress, light goods. The English soldier still sticks to his red coat, but that must go, too, and soon. The point is now, no show—make for simplicity—have the end of the march in view—have in mind the Napoleonic doctrine—battles are won by bivouac" &c.
W. remarked that Aldrich was to retire from the Atlantic and Horace Scudder to take his place. What did I know of Scudder &c?