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team and invited Julia Dillon and Cousin Rachel to ride. We went out in the Flatbush road, around by the view and past the Church to Martins where we stopped for a sherry cobbler and then came home by Glen Erie. Found a dispatch from my father asking me to meet them at the Powell, which I did. I wrote to Eastman Johnson today that if convenient and agreeable to him I would make him a visit next week and have Gertrude join me there. I received a letter from Gertrude and wrote to her immediately telling her of my having written to Eastman and not to start for home until she heard further from me.  

Friday Aug 1. 1873. Will Radford went by the Powell this morning to be absent a week or more. 

Saturday 2. I spent most of the morning writing to Gussie but did not finish my letter having somehow failed to give the real impression of how contented I have been this summer, by reason of speaking of some things, as for instance [[Manveils?]] deflection, since Grants visit. I shall try to add a brighter page tomorrow. After dinner I proposed to Bowyer who had been busy with his painting all the morning to go out fishing in his boat. He was pleased with the idea and we walked down to Steep Rocks through a fearful heat. There seemed not a breath of air. When we came to the top of the Steep Rocks road the river lay before us in perfect repose reflecting the shores and the masses of clouds and the day boat which slipped lightly above it. We rowed up to Brighams mill and anchored under the grateful shadow of the ice house and fished faithfully for three hours with no other result than to saturate ourselves with the oder of the salt mackerel we took along for bait. But the river was beautiful. The rich soft shadows of the abundant clouds fell across the landscape and the water had that soft silvery lustre that just a hint of movement imparts to it, such as Kensett used to lend to some of his Newport