stiff old conservatives, who as Coventry Patmore, says " Could be great and
graceful too", I think they never met but once in our home as guests, al-
though so many times with us, separately. They were much alike in graceful
courtesy, although Curtis surpassed all in his flow of fascinating conversa-
tion, for it was conversation, never a Coleridgian monologue, the shyest
talker being drawn into his subtile [sic] net almost unconsciously, by his kindly
and adroit grace, presupposing by his "you remember Senaca says", or Moliere
or Chauteaubriand, that you were his peer everywhere in literature.
At the time of his last vist I remember suffering from an interregnum of a
slow, stupid house-maid, but during, quite a long dinner, I soared quite away
from the blunders and delays, enchanted by his melliffluous talk. It just occured
to me, ^that he took in the situation, and hastened to cover the maid's awkward-
ness with his own grace. I wonder if you remember the night raid of Gov.
Bullock and Mr. Gillette for a bit of wine and bread. It was Commence-
ment time, and the night of the ball. Amid the confusion of the time regu-
larity and routine were lost sight of, the servants had gone to bed, leav-
the house at midnight not only unlocked, but with doors and window wide open.
Gov. Bullock with Mr. Gillette, were the first of the night revelers to come in
and quite to their surprise found no one about. They both were tired and
hungry, and felt it no breach of good form to go to the dinning room for some-
thing refreshing, but nothing, not even a cracker could be found. After a
little conference they decided there must have been claret left from dinner,
and were satisfied if they could find it, they could fall asleep most peace-
fully. I wish I could give you, Gov. Bullock's verbatim report of it, as
he with every possible contrition and confession of guilt, made a clean
breast of their prying search at breakfast next