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Sunday May 12, 1872
The Apple trees are in the full glory of blossoms now and from day to day the landscape freshens visibly. It is difficult to realize the grey of a week ago. I made a sketch from my window this morning looking towards Hussey's Hill with blooming apple trees in the foreground. It was not very successful but will serve as a memorandum. I went over to the cemetery that afternoon to the funeral of Carrie Sims. The place is already filling up and it will be but a few years before it is crowded.  Received a letter last night from Mr. Alfred Booth who with his family sailed for England yesterday. Durning & Dwight went to New York this evening in the Baldwin. They are coming back tomorrow or next day. They wanted us to make a signal as they went out the creek which we did and got a response from them. What a nice time they will have. I remember one of the greatest delights of my boy-hood was to go down on the boat, have supper and sleep in a berth

Tuesday 14.- Buchanan Read died at the Astor House on Saturday. He had just arrived from Europe and was taken ill with pleuro pneumonia on board the vessel when only a short time out and the papers say suffered greatly There was a long obituary notice in the Tribune yesterday written in a very kindly spirit in which he was spoken of as having come home to recuperate from this exhausting pursuit of his profession and dwelling upon his social qualities at some length. He and Mogren were leaders in the American society in Rome and now that they are both gone undoubtedly their loss will be very sensibly felt there. I did not know Read very intimately. I counted much on his friendship and society when I went to Rome, but his first call upon us at our hotel surprised and saddened me. Church and his wife happened to be calling on us and they were equally shocked for he was so intoxicated as to be very silly and Gifford got him up to his room where he remained, with his man Antonio waiting in the office for him until the