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becoming Worse! When I think of every roof
in this great city covering each its little hells of folly
and unhappiness, of all that the sun shines on doing
the like, I might well be saddened but for the
knowledge that men have lived brave, sweet, divine
lives and thus born testimony of the good of which
we are capable. Otherwise Tennyson�s Lotus-eaters
gods rule. Then, too, to know that all the countess
villains of men who have preceded us have had to
meet the same questions. I can turn a key and take
out a sculptured Ninevite head � to think that
my Assyrian brother who wrought on that two thousand
years before Christ walked in Judea � to think that
he had to face the same Sphynx riddles that I do
this day. The dead millions can�t help us too! Yes
they can. Charles Lamb�s life might bid us all
hope, to say nothing of Christ�s. Turned
out with Leslie and met Haney at the street cor-
ner. Leslie soon left us and Haney and I walked
about the whole warm summery evening, going once
to the �Store� (tavern) for beef. Much said of
Parton. I had met him this afternoon, he waiting
outside a store reading a paper, while Mrs Skew-
ton was shopping within. Haney told me some things
about the horrible woman�s reasons for first
taking a dislike for him which I won�t put down.
Oh that that woman could be bodily removed to ano-
ther planet, that past relations could be cancelled