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piano before since Gertrudes death and it entirely overcame me. Now as we make our Christmas preparations she is not out of my mind one moment. How active she would have been in all these things and how she would have led in every thing. I try to do just what she would have liked to do and think of her in connection with every thing I undertake.
 
Monday Dec. 23. 1878. The curtain rods came this morning. The weather is very cold. Marian, Gertrude, Jamie and Sedgwick went with me to get Christmas greens and a Christmas tree. We took the one horse sleigh and Toby and went out in the Flat-bush road and curved over toward the Saugerties road where we got what we wanted. The sleigh ran very well as the road was icy. We got home just in time for dinner. I sent off my furs this morning by express to Col. Laurence who is to sell them for me giving me the privilege to reject any offer made. After dinner I put up the curtain rods and we got the curtains up. They are entirely satisfactory. The supports for the rods are too mat and I shall have to change them, but in all other respects the curtains and rods are a perfect success. Poor Gertrude would have been so pleased as she had waited patiently for several years until I should be able to have them put up.
 
Tuesday 24. I trimmed the parlor and put up the Christmas tree. The room looked very festive and pretty and in the evening it was lighted and all the household came in to see it. Gerard was Santa Claus and did his office well. I had one of my bad headaches and sat with my feet in hot water until the time for lighting the tree when I went down stairs. I felt very sick but managed to keep up. John & Nannie were invited and I gave them a picture nicely framed. It was a complete and most agreeable surprise to them which was a great pleasure to me. John was most helpful to me when Gertrude died and I felt so thoroughly that I could rely on him that I can never get over a sense of obligation. There were a good many presents and the whole affair was most successful. Gertrude would have been so happy could she have shared in our festival: I thought of her every moment and all I did I tried to do as she would have wanted.