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158 

to Lucy. It is very lonely getting back here but I shall be busy from this out and so I try to bear my loneliness as well as I can

Wednesday Mar. 17. 1880. Yesterday and today hanging pictures at the Academy. I came to my rooms last night tired out and very discouraged and depressed. Why did I undertake this depressing duty when I have so much to trouble me. Today we got ahead a little better. This evening I dined with the G. B. Club at the Down Town Club. One of the guests was Jefferson Davis private Secretary. I cant meet these fellows with any cordiality and Dr. Otis said the same thing. Wrote to Sade this morning and received a letter from Gill of Springfield with a check for $125 for my small picture.

Thursday 18. Hanging all day at the Academy. Dinner at Giffords with Mr & Mrs. Stoddard, Mr & Mrs. Platt Henry Holt, Weir, Mary Gifford and Dora Wheeler. A nice letter from Booth. 

Friday 19. All day at Academy. Dined at the Wheelers with the Giffords and Mary.

Saturday 20 At the Academy. Went home by 4 o'clock train. Seas of mud from the snow storm of yesterday. Found my father very well. Genl Smith and his wife and Mrs R[[?]] had been there to dinner to celebrate his 80" birth day which occurs tomorrow.

Sunday 21. My father is 80 years old today. I wish I could be sure my 80" birth day would be surrounded by as satisfactory conditions as his. Here is a sketch of him from the Freeman, and this poem cut from the Leader he read today sitting in the Parlor. It seems to me I shall always remember him sitting there reading it. I wrote to Booth and all day I sighed and secretly grieved over the tender memories of dear Gertrude. I think of her constantly here at home. In New York in the midst of the perplexing duties of hanging the pictures, a thought of her comes to me and in a moment I forget all the world beside. It seems to me I cannot go on