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Afterwards I walked with Gertrude out beyond the cemetery and in the evening we went to the Methodist church with my father to have a sermon in Temperance by Mr. Dean. It was forcible and earnest, but not at all new. He urged a legal prohibition the wisdom of which I am not sure. 

Monday Nov. 3" 1873. I painted on my small Hudson river picture all forenoon and about completed it. Gertrude and I took a walk in the afternoon out towards Jacobs Valley. In the cemetery we saw a beautiful rose in bloom. Yesterday Gertrude picked flowers in my flower bed. It has been a lovely day, windy but with grand cloud effects and now the moon is nearly full giving us gloriously beautiful nights. I wish I could paint this vague, mysterious light of the moon.

Tuesday 4. Election day, a crisp, splendid day. I went down town and voted  immediately after breakfast and painted the rest of the day. This evening I read in the Tribune with the greatest satisfaction and delight that Vaux's plan has been accepted by the executive committee of the Centennial building. I have written him a note congratulating him. The election has gone against the Republicans. Westbrook is elected Judge over Kenyon which I regret perhaps more than anything.

Wednesday 5. Took a walk this morning along the shore to the Point. At the mouth of the creek I made a drawing of a good subject for a picture-a morning effect of sails, shallow windy water and a piece of a dock. The river is very interesting at this time of the year. When I came home I drew this subject on a small canvas to paint it. Received a letter from Fitch enclosing one from Lang from Rome. Fitch seems to have got the idea that I am not going to town this winter and from what he writes I fear that my embarrassment and anxiety have been the subject of conversation. This is very disagreeable to me, but it is impermissible for one who is dependent to be or seem independent. I wrote him returning Langs letter and told him that I had no intention of remaining here all winter but only so long as the weather was good and I could interest myself.

Sunday Nov 9. Mrs. Davis left on Thursday to spend the winter with her sister. We miss her from our small family and if we go to New York my mother will be left