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Friday - 15 or 16

My dear Mother
Good weather here. Father's admirable letter rec'd. Your of 8th from New York just arrived. 
Sargent is as fine a critic as painter. Looking back on and over that afternoon I feel that at once he discovered my failings, as a surgeon diagnoses a case, so he with great power prescribed for me. Before me he critiqued his own works, telling where some were good and others not so successful - It seemed to me that it was the greatest moment of my life. You see, even with the greatest satisfactory results are few. It seems incredible that one could have ideals ahead of such stupendous achievements as these works that I saw. His works all are wonderful and act on me a powerful stimulus. He said "Reason out everything, each plane and every individual paint. Abide honestly by nature." In course of my visit I seemed to find the key to unlock masterpieces and take the different principles out one by one. In thought of hints regarding construction and color. He told me never to show impatience, but to brace up and keep continually in the harness. On leaving he said have faith in yourself, cultivate yourself in ever dissection neither hurry in the art or sleep over it.