Feb. 6th. Comes my taylor's man in the morning, and brings my suit home, and all a bubble to tell how handsome it be. Whereupon, after much ado, feeling he hath won my humour, he did present the bill which being so large I swore not to pay. But he, with much technique, did win me over. I, much vexed; for such business doth displease me; and was glad at my heart to be rid of him.

Thence to the office all the morning and was pleased to note Professor Whitehead doth lecture on Saturday in Emerson A at 12. This did awaken in me some thoughts how happy I would be if as a merry Vagabond I did help impress some uninspired ones that it be men who count and not courses; that it be inspiration that doth move us along as well as sheer knowledge. Indeed, methinks, there be all too much emphasis on subject matter and too little on the personality of him who doth teach and who doth learn. For what doth a man profit if he gain the knowledge of all the world and yet hath not the feelings of a gentleman or lacks vision and understanding?

Now comes a notice from the news room to tell me Professor Burbank will lecture on Functions of Government and Public Expenditures in Harvard 5 at 9 this morning; and methinks, for those whom such matters interest, this will be very good.

Whereupon, my little business done, I to the Square where I did meet-who hath of late acquired a new machine which doth record voices and he did ask me to come and speak into it, which I did. But Lord! how much it did surprise me, for my voice doth sound more like the braying of an ass which doth need more rope, than what all these years I did presume my eloquence to be.

Thence to the Tower to read "The Last Puritan" which is probably exceedingly good; but my mind soon did wonder of other things. If truth be only to see things as they are-which be its business I am told-and hath no care for how things ought to be, then the poet doth err: Truth is ugly; common; dust. It be no pursuit for one who hath in his heart the improvement of man. Indeed, if this be true, what doth one gain to seek the truth if it doth not lead to more than the impassive real. Better an illusion to raise man up than a truth which doth make him as spiritless as a rock. With my head much troubled by these thoughts, I out for a little walk and by and by to bed.