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me to his private apartments and introduced me to his wife. He has built a large addition since last year. We left at three o'clock. We came home by Rosendale and Fred Nortons Mills through clouds of dust a part of the way. In the evening the weather grew cool. Maggie our servant girl finally went away today to my great regret. I had a short one from Booth written last night in great haste. He sailed today I saw by the telegraphic news this evening. He is to write me from England. I had two postal cards from Sara, one from Rochester with a word by Cornelia and one from Buffalo, with entirely satisfactory accounts of her journey. The farmers were cutting the rye all along the road where we went today which is much easier than usual. I think it is pretty well dried up with the drought. 

Thursday July 1. 1880
Commenced a picture 20 x 24 today but my work looks so poor and unsatisfactory that I am pretty well discouraged. It is difficult to paint when one has no ideas to express. However I am trying to force myself to work in the hope that I will get in the way of it again. Received a note from Jake Sharpe in relation to the China Oscar sent, which has arrived in N.Y. and on which there will be duty to pay. There was an account of Booths sailing on the Gallia in the Tribune today. He had several friends on board, the Farmers of Philadelphia, Ole Bull & wife, Miss Th[[ensby?]] & others. A card from Sade announcing her arrival at Toledo and seeing Andrews brother on the evening of 29.

Friday 2. Painted all day in the forenoon on my picture and in the afternoon Julia Vaux sat for me and I began a life size head. No news from Sara this evening. As I write it is raining gently. I sat in my room after tea and thought of dear Gertrude and of her last days until it seemed almost as though my heart would break. this sense of loneliness and desolation comes over me at times with an awful force which I can hardly endure.

Saturday 3. A cool beautiful day with wind from N. I spent the morning cutting off the top of the apple tree under Julia Vaux direction, which had grown up and hidden the view down by Hussey Hill. The last time I cut it was under dear Gertrudes direction and it seems but a little while ago and yet the branches had grown to be