Marcus Aurelius advises

We had a nice sendoff for my father on Wednesday. About 50 of us got together at The Lambs’ Club, an organization founded in 1869 in England, and in 1874 in New York. It grew out of dinners made up “of lively folk of the theatre and the arts” at the home of Charles and Mary Lamb in the early 18th century.

I like that, since I teach that period of British literature.

It’s always been a convivial place. The grand dame for decades has been Joyce Randolph, Trixie on The Honeymooners.

I’m happy to report that Joyce was there last night to see dad off. I’m afraid I was talking to her when she was trying to get at the buffet table, so she looked up at me and said: “You’ve left me with just a crust of bread on my plate.” Which I did. But she said it with a smile, and eventually got fed.