19th. Betimes up, and to the State House all the morning hearing many tricky speeches to repeal the Teacher's Oath Law; this, bless my soul, continues to be the best three ring circus in Boston: Never in my life have I seen a chairman so easily fussed as Senator Miles; a State Representative more naive than McDermott; speakers so well-meaning and yet so careless of their words; or an audience with so many fat, bubbling women.

Lord, what things come out of men's mouths! I hear one man compare the Oath Bill to a law compelling him to be faithful to his wife (in which case he wouldn't, says he)! Another talks of free love; another says the bill is like a law compelling his heart "to leap up at a rainbow in the sky"; another asks the American Legion how it would like all its members required to be examined for communicable diseases! To which there were many objections and many cheers.

But this sort of business, I am glad to set down in my journal, is a waste of precious time. Those uninspired Representives cannot be moved Delicate discourse on communism, constitutions, free love and growing babies--however interesting--will never change ideas petrified with political emotion. Some people can be convinced only in terms of numbers and majorities; our representatives, it seems to me, are of that unfortunate sort. If the bill is repealed; which, bless my soul, I doubt, it will not be because of ideals, appeal to reason or even to common sense but because the committee is made to fear a majority is against it. This be sorry business and as a merry Vagabond it makes me feel dirty even to talk about it.

Thence, by and by, I back with--who asks me to lunch at Leverett House and I was glad to go. I learn there be much festivity there on Friday night and I know it will be merry, but, I think, I to hear President Conant's address at Sander's Theatre instead.

Anon, I to Mr. Hersey's class and there did hear one pretty Dorothy Speare, author of the film, "One Night of Love", discover "Aristotle in Hollywood". I was much surprised to learn that Mae West neither smokes nor drinks and goes to bed at nine. How these flickers fool one!

By and by I to the Tower to read my thesis again and, very happy, so to bed, the moon shining in my face.