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on Saturday. I went to Mrs. Grays to dinner and enjoyed it very much. No one there but she and Florence and Harry. I have just come home to find Maggie had shut the cat in my rooms and she has ruined my black silk covered sofa. I wrote to Sara yesterday. It was raining a little when I came in but I hope it is snow up at home.

Thursday Feb. 6. 1879.  Yesterday I began a little winter twilight picture from a scene I saw near Peekskill from the train the day I went home and have worked on it today. Work is the only panacea for troubled souls and I am glad to find that I can work and for the time forget my troubles. I read Gertrudes dear letters written to me from home last year. How full of love and of longing for the day which will bring me to her. I am more and more impressed with her absolute dependence on me and how wearily the days went by to her when we were separated. She so often gives expression to this longing for me. It seems to me now that if I could call her back I never would go away from her again. Calvert came in and spent an hour with me looking at my picture and criticising it in his way. I think he liked it but I never knew him to like any thing entirely. He always sees something that ought not to be. Wood called with a gentleman and lady from Springfield to see my pictures. Few people call however and sometimes it seems very lonely here. When I get lonely I read Gertrudes letters and then I am with her for the time. I had a letter from Mrs. Taylor from Berlin dated Jan. 19" full of sadness but giving me no idea as to her plans. I see Mr. Evarts has recommended the committee on foreign relations to appropriate a years salary to Taylors family and I hope it will be done. Called on Aunt Christina and Lily. Julia was out.

Friday 7. Walked down to [[Messemans?]] near Leonard St this morning to see about the curtain brackets and to get the the Franklin braces. Had a letter from Janette Hubbard and one from Mrs. Sawyer enclosing a charming letter from Mr. Capen the President of the college, to her. I sent him my kind remembrances of his appreciation of Gertrude and it seems Mrs. Sawyer sent him my letter. His letter to her was very beautiful and full of delicate appreciation of her rare character. Gifford and his wife thought the sky in my picture very fine and expressed himself very warmly in communication of it as he did again this evening. This is so different from Whittredge who barely noticed it when he was in a few days ago, but then poor Whittredge is not always in an encouraging mood. Booth staid a couple of hours and we talked on many things. I remarked that I always esteemed it a very fortunate thing and a great blessing to have the friendship of so many noble women as I have and that I thought for young men no influence was more restraining and ennobling than companionship with women. He agreed with me and requested that