8:05 P.M. W. received me in his own room. Had been reading; now, however, in semi-doze.
Talked freely in the few minutes I stayed. His "day has been poorly": such his report. Was, however, "determined to put the cheeriest face forward to the end." Desires to read Ingersoll's "Vindication of Thomas Paine." I mentioned the fact that I had found it in an old scrap-book, yesterday. "I have never read it: yet would like to. Paine is within my particular domain—I am [Begin page 444] after all anybody has to say about him." Now reminds me of it. Said he would probably ask me to run him off a hundred copies of the Kennedy piece. I suggested as to the Lippincott's matter—his and mine—that we get Stoddart to give us a number of copies in pages: printing simply our pages and stitching them. W. "struck with the idea." Would he write to Stoddart? "Yes—if you think best—or you?" But I thought he would have more weight and he promised.