[Boston—Friday, 21 October 1870]
Friday. Jamie dined at the Somerset Club to meet Mr. Mundella again—a brilliant affair. Mr. Richard Fay a man of unlovely repute gave the dinner. As Holmes came away with Jamie & Longfellow he said to them “I didn’t want to go to this dinner. I don’t like the host and I tried to get off but then I remembered that Christ went to supper with rogues—and thought I might—” The consummate naivête and self regard of this was so irresistibly funny that it almost destroyed my dear boy & L. with laughter. Shortly after they fell to talking of William Everent and Longfellow spoke of having been to his lecture on Virgil, a perfect performance as he considered it, but no audience. “Yes” said Holmes “Yes I don’t doubt it was very good, but he is such an unpleasant person; he is just one of those fungi wh. always grow upon Universities.”
Jamie was impressed too with the culture of William Amory at that dinner and at the general elegance.
Friday. Vanderhoff lunched with us. He is going to read Edwin Drood in public and was full of it. He entertained mother inexpressibly. I believe she gave him the palm over all our guests this week.
