Viewing page 133 of 473

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

128

could not but think of dear Gertrude and of how she would have added to our enjoyment and her own pleasure and delight. We talked of her before the fire in the evening and all spoke sweetly and tenderly of her. Fred and I had to go to the hotel to sleep. I was afraid I would be very cold and uncomfortable but got along in my cold room better than I expected to.   

Friday Dec. 26" 1879. Next morning when we went up to breakfast it was very cold and we discovered the Mercury marked 7° below zero. We had a nice breakfast and John & his party went home by early train. We staid until the noon train when we were driven down to Binnenwater and reached home about 1 oclock. Girard and Mary went out with a sleigh and returned the same evening. 

Saturday 27. Maurice has kept aloof from all our festivities. This morning he came in after being away all night. I asked him where he had been and on his giving me an evasive answer I followed him into the wash room and gave him the most serious talking to I ever gave him. I find he is drinking again and I am entirely discouraged about him. I told him he would lose his place but he came home in the evening intoxicated and went directly to his room. He has not tried to keep out of the way of temptation and he owes his fall to his defiance of the decencies of life. I told him that the shameless company he kept was the one thing we would not endure and if he persisted in going with disreputable women he should leave here. But what is the use in talking to him. He is determined to go to destruction in spite of every thing and he does not try to keep out of bad influences. Pa, Cousin Rachel, Sara and I took a sleigh ride out to the Flat-bush church across to the Saugerties road, curving

Transcription Notes:
did not transcribe partial page 128 as full page 128 comes up later