22–28 February 1864

Yesterday at the Club with Cabot, Ward, Holmes, Lowell, Judge H oar, Appleton, H owe. Woodman, Forbes, Whipple, with General Bar- low,' and Mr. Howe, of Nova Scotia, for guests j but cramped for time by late dinner and early hour of the return train, — a cramp which spoils a club. For you shall not, if you wish good for- tune, even take pains to secure your right and left hand men. The least design instantly makes an obligation to make their time agreeable, which I can never assume. Holmes was gay with his "preadamite mentioned in the Scrip- tures,— Chap. First," and Appleton with "that invariable love of hypocrisy which delights the Saxon race," etc.