October 15. Another meeting last night, got up by our Vigilance Committee among the roughs in Fifteenth Street away down by the East River. The assemblage of freemen was tolerably large, and its quality would have been improved by a little soap and water. Honorable Abram Wakeman *, our candidate for Congress, was chief speaker; his speech poor stuff, without even the merit of being limited to the capacity of the audience. . . .
Writing hard tonight, save an hour in a dresscoat at Mrs. Dubois. Her sociable party was small and slow like a young mud turtle. Dirty little Erastus Brooks ** there, looking quiet, stealthy, and malignant. His dog noble sobriquet is much too good for him, even judging from his outer man alone. If men are to develop into animal forms, each according to the law of his individual being, Erastus will be a very ugly, cunning, and vicious rat some of these days.
The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas, Abridged by Thomas J. Pressly
Had to go look up “sobriquet” ......:o)
The Diary of George Templeton Strong, Edited by Allan Nevins and Milton Halsey Thomas, Abridged by Thomas J. Pressly