Viewing page 30 of 44

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

[[left side]]
made of light drab cloth - a silver fox boa and a large black velvet hat lined with scarlet velvet with a big bunch of pinkish violets in it and a little black lace hanging from the brim!  She was simply a dream of beauty—  If you want to know her type - go to the bottom drawer of the parlor secretary and take out the smallest of the "Books of beauty". In it you will find "Gertrude of Wyoming" who as far as I can remember her is perhaps as much like Louise Kinsella as the portrait I shall make of her. Dont you wish me joy?  The picture I mean is a girl with a cloak and hood tumbling back, and a stray lock of hair floating out in front. It [[underscore]]may[[/underscore]] be the one called "The Mayflower".

Mr Harrison and Mr Amsden were there too at the Estés. It was very jolly. A.H. only got down from Concarneau on Monday morning - I had a long talk with him about Italy - and the spirituality of Italian Art - which he would not allow except 

[[right side]]
in some instances—  Somewhat to my surprise, he also likes Bellini best of all—  Thought the same as me about Venice—  When I told him I had come home with some of my ideas very much changed, he said he was "sorry to hear [[strikethrough]] to [[/strikethrough]] it as he had considered me in a very healthy state before—  He often makes me think of [[underscore]]Annie[[/underscore]] especially in his way of pulling me down when he thinks I am taking too high a flight—  He told me last night I was always trying to reconcile the impossible.

I am not going yet to Juliens any way. I want to get this portrait well started and not be hurried over it. I should like to have some others on hand too and do wish Aunt Sarah were here I should get her to pose for me. They show no signs of coming back to Paris and I think they [[underscore]]must[[/underscore]] be in a hole as you say. We have not seen Cecil yet as we did not like to have him come here. Now that the studio is habitable we can ask him there. I am afraid they