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60 in America, but my pictures accumulate in my hands and there seems no one to buy them. It is well to look about now under these disheartening conditions to see if possible where the difficulty lies. In the first place I think the American artists as a rule ask too much for their pictures. I think my pride and my ambition to have my works esteemed among the best have often prevented my selling where I might have done so by taking smaller prices. I have resolved to ask less for my pictures and in future I hope I may be wise enough not to refuse any reasonable offer. One hardly knows what to do. There is the feeling of not wishing to depreciate ones works, but I cant afford to lay too much stress upon this and I hope I have resolved to swallow my pride. Gifford dined with us. It has been a rainy day. Thursday May 22 1873. Just as I was in the midst of writing a not very cheerful letter to my father there was a knock at my door and Mr. Francis Weeks came in. After talking some time he spoke of my picture on the easel and liked it very much. Then he asked me if I had the little picture of Scribners Mill which I showed him. He asked my price for each and here I had an opportunity to put in practice my resolve of yesterday. I named $300 and $500 respectively but told him he could have them at $200 and $400 he paying for frames. He said that was perfectly satisfactory and told me that if Avery did not take the larger one he would; and so I sold my picture and lifted myself at once out of the state of distraction in which I have been for some time past. Although it is not much it is enough with what I have coming to enable me to pay some things which I could not bear to think of leaving unpaid. Gifford invited us to dine with him this evening to meet Pinchot and Whittredge and his wife. Whittredge did not understand that his wife was invited and so she did not come, much to our regret. We had a very pleasant time. Pinchot gave us some very interesting accounts of his life in Paris and his visits to Artists particularly to Cabanal who has painted the portrait of his wife and children in costume
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"costume" - SE