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72 

which I did and he is to have the frame done on Feb. 22. one month from today. Gifford and I dined with Whittredge. After dinner Eastman Johnson came in. We intended to go the Century but it was so late we did not. Snowed a little but rained when I came home. 

Sunday Jan. 23. 1876. Went this morning to hear Mr. Frothingham preach. His sermon was a most interesting one aiming to prove that the morality of its doctrine was an ideal one and not a practical one. Recommending an entire trust in Providence in all things whereas experience proves that a trust in oneself only produces the best results. Humanity in the ages may come up to its level but it has not yet reached it. The whole discourse was profoundly interesting but he marred the effect of it by speaking too long a time, nearly two hours. Took a ride on the Elevated railway to the park and down to the Battery & back and found it very pleasant. Wrote to Alice Sawyer and called on the Grays in the evening. Mrs. Gray told me Gray was very depressed and morbid. He came in after a while and seemed very glad to see me. Took a discouraging view of the Centennial and when I told him all that had been done he was quite surprised and felt more like cooperating. Wrote to Gertrude

Monday 24 Down at the office of the elevated R.R which is in the parlor of an old mansion near Bowling Green I was struck with the fine mahogany doors of good design. This gave me an idea that at some of the second hand lumber yards uptown I might find some of these doors for my studio so I went up to Broadway & 37" St where there are three of these great places where one can buy every thing that comes out of a house and there I found I could buy solid mahogany doors with the great hinges &.c for from $4 to $6 each and folding doors for $15 pr pair. These doors are 9 ft high and 3 feet wide or more. Ordinary pine doors cost $9 each. It is fun to go about making these discoveries and I only wish I had money to pick up a thing I want when I see it. I hate to go into the second hand furniture shops the keepers are generally very morose and cross, I presume from a life long habit of dealing and trading on the misfortunes