[Manchester—Wednesday, 13 September 1865]
Sepr 13. Cool & fair—still no rain, fruit destroyed by drought. Little baby in the next house, buried.
Dear Mr & Mrs Bartol, Miss Mary & Lissie gone. Was on the beach at ½ past 5—extremely beautiful.
Jamie saw Prof. Nichol who told him he knew well C. Algernon Swinburne. They were at Oxford together. He is in figure, a painfully small man with a profusion of long yellow locks with the length of which he appears to wish to eke out his height. He possesses a true gift for language and has already published a volume before Atalanta which was naturally, less good and unsuccessful. At one time he was filled by a worship for Browning which however he does not possess now, his detractors say, because Browning will not praise him. His conceit and ambition are said to be overwhelming—(perhaps they are unavoidable for a man bent upon success and fame in the direction he has taken).
Nichol also knows & loves Dobell. Thinks him (as a character) one of the loveliest of humanity. Dobell spoke of us kindly.
Jamie has his hands more than filled with business affairs. Their business receipts are at present about $30,000 per months, their regular expenses $15,000, incidental ones at present are continually occurring, such as paper to be obtained at immense prices and the like. The terrible drought has caused paper to rise to 8 c’ts in a day above its already high price. Business is a fearful weight to carry, under such auspices.
