[Boston—Saturday, 30 September 1865]
Sep 30. Jamie went to dine with the Saturday Club. Prof. Nichol was his guest. Sam. Ward (Julia’s sister [sic, for brother]) was Longfellow’s—Lowell, Holmes, Hoar, Emerson and a few others only were present. Judge Hoar related an amusing anecdote of having sent a beautiful basket of pears to the Concord exhibition this year. He said Mr Emerson was one of the judges and he thought he would be pleased with the pears because a few years ago he was in the garden one day and observing that very tree which was not then very flourishing and told Judge Hoar that more iron and more animal matter were needed in the soil. Forthwith said the Judge I planted all my old iron kettles and a cat and a dog at the foot of the tree and these pears were the result. I have kept two favorite terriers ready to plant if necessary beside but the fruit for the present seems well enough without them.
Judge Hoar said also that he knew a man once with a prodigious memory, before dinner he could recall General Washington, after dinner he remembered Christopher Columbus!
