Diaries, Vol. 18

Gunns says Mrs. Waud doesn't like Allie Eytinge: "After a long time they returned, finding us at supper in the basement. They both looked well, "Mrs Waud" particularly so. They had got a letter from Alf, through Hayes. He expressed himself "disgusted – as usual." Sol Eytinge has visited at the house, and Allie – once; Mr and "Mrs Waud" returning the compliment. Mrs W. doesn't like Mrs Eytinge. She was very cordial to me, invited me to stay till the morning and the time passed rapidly enough till 11, when I left and returned to New York, past midnight." (14).

Gunn includes newspaper engravings of Thomas Nast, MCLenan, and Anthony, drawn by Sol Eytinge (16).

Gunn describes a feud between Eytinge and Nast, regarding their wives: "Apropos, I once ventured a prediction that the marriage would affect Nast's relations with Sol Eytinge; it has come true. There were propositions that the wives of the friends should become acquainted with each other and Maggie (she has dropped the name of "Allie" entirely, now) wrote a letter to Mrs. Tommy Nast, possibly inviting her to Brooklyn. Sally rather verdantly replied by saying that she didn't think her mother would approve of her acceptance, therefore &c., &c. Next day, at the office of the "Illustrated News," Sol (doubtless pulling his moustache and scowling) produced another letter from Maggie. "I shall not take it!" said Tommy (accurately informed of the contents of his wife's note; and having, in addition, devoted himself to inquiries about Mrs. Sol's character, with odorous results): "the letter did not require any answer!" Sol, indignant, despatches his wife's reply by a boy, to Nast's residence. Tommy immediately sends off another, with instructions to Sally not to receive any letter during that day. But either Sol's messenger did outrun that of Tommy, or Sally's curiosity induced disregard of marital behests; she got the letter and read it. Only one sentence has reached us: "I was amused," wrote Mrs. Maggie Eytinge, "at your reason for &c., &c., considering the character of those with whom you have been intimately associated with during the last year or two!" Since then a coolness has occurred between Nast and Eytinge. Poor Sol! what fierce nocturnal reminders he must be subject to! What a Nemisis this Allie Vernon business has involved more than one in! Jim Parton told Haney this: I can imagine how the latter felt at the prospect of Allie Vernon's introduction to Sally" (184-185)!

Gunn describes a nominal reconciliation between Eytinge and Banks: "Promiscuous chat and drinking. I noticed Sol Eytinge, Glover, Rosenberg, Bateman, (father of the Bateman children, a Baltimorean and rampant Secesh), Ottarson and others present. Sol stood with his back to the counter, looking soggily drunk and being talked to. I learnt from Banks that a nominal reconciliation has taken place between them, through Bellew. They have not spoken to each other for six years, since Bank's brutal or crazy insult at the expense of Sol's "devilish pretty sisters." Banks says he didn't care about the reconciliation – Sol did nothing but talk sarcasm to everybody. Poor Sol" (248)!

Laura Keene's Theatre is used as a reference point in a newspaper clipping: "THE ORIENTAL SALOON is next to Laura Keene's Theatre, and indicated to the public by a painting in oil, representing a gigantic odalisque, in company with sundry impossible palm trees, over the entrance, together with posters, lamps and transparencies, setting forth the names of performers in big letters."

Gunn includes a newspaper engraving of Nast and McLenan from the "Illustrated N.Y. News": "Drawn evidently by Sol Eytinge and both very good, only the relative size is hardly preserved, Nast looking shorter and podgier. Put a little more conceit in the look and it's Tommy to the life" (16).

Sally and Nast run upstairs when Gunn arrives at the Edwards': "To 745, to join Haney. Saw Nast and Sally run off upstairs (after a look-in after church) as Mat let me in" (44).

Gunn describes Mr. and Mrs. Nast's entrance at a dinner event: "A vigorous ring at the street door bell denotes Mr and Mrs Tommy Nast, whereat Matty (who has being chatting with me) surmises that their dinner hasn't turned out a success. Sally rustles in, bends over and kisses pap as he sits in his chair, welcomes Hayes and subsides into conversation. Nast enters fatly and facetiously (he seems to do the buffoon business on most occasions, now,) looking exceedingly like such a German Jew as you would look for in the player of the ophocliede in a brass band. His hair is very black and worn rather long, his face flabby. Mat tells me the pair "have a servant, now." We talk for half an hour, standing or sitting, then Hayes and I go off to W" (58).

Nast declines Gunn's invitation for drinks: "Meantime Waud was talking with Nast who had come in with Eytinge. As drinks had just been ordered I invited Tommy to join us; he declined civilly, on the plea that he had to go to work" (71).

Gunn describes Nast's performance in a play: "Then followed Punch and Judy, the puppets being replaced by living persons, the stage appropriately enlarged. Nast played Punch, Jack, Judy, and the rest of the characters, including devil and hangman. This was but a mode- rate success, for it frightened the children. Punch's voice, too, might have been better, though Nast did the London street hero pretty well" (116).

Nast is mentioned in a poem by Jesse Haney: "There's Nast, who'll paint You Zouave or saint, Or any kind of picter. His better half Will make you laugh At servants who afflict her" (143).

Gunn and Haney talk about the relationship between the Nasts and Edwards: "It seems that neither she nor her husband are very frequent visitors at 745, now; their indifference perhaps amounting to a want of feeling. Nast does not even care to drop in on his daily returns uptown. The girls visit them, persisting in doing so... Since then a coolness has occurred between Nast and Eytinge" (183-185).

Gunn says that Nast and Sally were at the Edwards: "Nast and Sally were present; didn't mix much with the rest, but laughed superfluously at Miss Rogers sayings" (207).

Gunn finds Nast at Strong's store: "The little man [Strong] was chatty, and I walked back with him to his store, where I beheld Tommy Nast, who figures extensively in this week's "Notions." (? Isn't this a sign of decadence in payment on the part of the Ill. News – I have heard of a cutting down of salaries there" (221).

When Gunn visits the Edwards, Ann tells him that Nast is drawing caricatures in the pew at Chapin's: "Ann and her father there; all the rest having gone to bed, the girls tired out with a walk back from the Central Park, in company with their brother, Hayes, Selwyn and Pratt. (?) Ann hadn't been to Chapin's for the reason that "Mr Nast cut up so, making grimaces and drawing caricatures in the pew, that it was impossible to listen" (225).

Gunn includes a newspaper clipping in which Nast is mentioned: "Among the persons who entertain a profound dis- like for John Bonner is the celebrated cartoonist, Thomas Nast Bonner failed to appreciate Nasts power as an artist, and deliberately "sat upon" him, modifying the sketches he proposed, and refusing to publish any of Nasts most powerful efforts. Bonner was pro-slavery, and hence would not tolerate the artist's anti-slavery cartoons" (253).

Gunn describes coldness from Newman: "Saw Mc. Lenan and Newman in the sanctum, when the latter gave me, I thought, a characteristically snobbish greeting. I believe the sweep is greatly injured by Bellew's returning and quietly resuming his former position, to which his unrivalled [sic] abilities give him unquestionable right, to the comparative superseding of Newman's trash. This fellow, with his open-mouthed conceit, his cockney chatter, his interminable fidgetty egotisms, his inordinate childish vanity, was treated with the utmost generosity and courtesy by Bellew, when he first came to this country, and professed great regard both for him and myself, but eagerly and indecently dropped us when he supposed we could be of no use to him, and as ravenously pursued those whom he thought might be. I saw him again at Frank Leslie's, whither I went straight way (finding Bonner absent) where Newman came in while I was talking with John A. Wood (who had heard of O'Brien's affair with varying details.) Poor Banks coming in, I heard Newman commence at him with, 'I got your letter and –' whence I infer Banks had addressed to this mean and selfish quarter supplications for 'pecuniary assistance'" (44-45).

Gunn questions his quick judgement of Newman: "In Nassau Street, at Strong's door met Newman, who was quite friendly. He spoke about his family at home, and I thought that his anxiety about them might have made him selfish and that I may have done him injustice in my hasty estimate. While we talked McLenan and Joe Harper came along and the first entered Strong's without returning my how are you. In explanation, I thought of something communicated incidentally by Bellew; that Newman and McLenan had made common cause against him, resenting his return from England. I suppose Mac regards me as an accessary [sic]" (82).

Gunn describes an encounter with Shanley: "Across the street I met Shanley who talked of O'Brien, naming the Sergeant and stating that O'B[rien]. had exhibited to him (Shanley) a revolver on Friday, saying that he expected to have to use it on that particular person" (48).

Gunn finds Shanley, the temporary editor, at the Vanity Fair office: "Left them, looked into 'Vanity Fair' office, to see Shanley, now installed as editor, during the absence of 'Artemus Ward,' while lecturing" (198).

Gunn describes a conversation with Shanely: "To 'Vanity Fair'; saw Shanley, who said that O'Brien had succeeded in Washington, in getting an appointment on the staff of Colonel Lander – he with whom Hitchings went to the Rocky Mountains. Frank Wood is now in Boston, as 'hagent' for one of the Bateman girls; he did ultra-anglo- phobic foaming of the mouth at the giving-up of Mason and Slidell, 'until,' said Shanley, 'I had to give him a regular d__ning – to tell him he talked like a d____d fool!'" (204-205).

A newspaper engraving of Artemus ward (151).

Gunn describes attending Ward's lecture: "A cold hall and a pretty full house, mostly dead-heads. Saw Haney enter and in conversation with F[rank]. Wood, who is 'hagent' for Artemus. Was joined by Jack Edwards. The lecture proved awful rot, stale Joe Millerisms and resuscitated rubbish from Vanity Fair. I heard the great raw laugh of the 'hagent' amid those of others, though the bosh didn't encounter a warm reception. New York audiences are the best-natured in the world I believe; the stuff would have provoked a storm of hisses in London" (152).