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of the changes which sixteen years make. She was a fresh young girl then, now she is a faded middle aged woman and has borne nine children. I came over to the house with her and gave her some little things of Gertrudes, a couple of neck ties, a string of Roman pearls and Gertrudes little Red Riding Hood for the little girl. It revived all my early married life to see Katy and as she sat there in my studio I could not help an overwhelming sense of tearful changes that had swept over our dear little home. I went to bed with a headache with which I suffered almost all night.

Thursday July 22 1880.
Painted on my picture in the forenoon. Wrote to Mary in the afternoon. Rainy day.

Friday 23. Painted in my studio. Began a water color picture of Stratford on Avon. My work all seems poor. I need new impetus and will never do anything I fear until I get into a different state of feeling. Ma is having Saras room papered and painted for her. A note from Downing. He is going to start for Rondout on his bicycle on Saturday morning. Went to the studio and paid for the new stove today.

Saturday 24. The man finished papering and painting Saras room today. I helped him a little with the painting. In the Tribune today among the telegraphed items I saw that Henry Myers 9 years old fell from the dock of the Knickerbocker ice Co at Flatbush and was drowned yesterday. In the afternoon Girards wifes brother came down and confirmed our fears that it was the little boy who was staying with Marys Mother. His mother died there about two years ago and he has been staying there since. He and another little boy were fishing between 7 & 8 in the evening when in the excitement of catching a fish he fell into the water. The other little boy could only scream for help but no one was near. He said he came up three times and then disappeared. They had not been able to find the body, had telegraphed to his father but were not sure the telegram reached him. Although I never saw the little fellow his sad death has greatly saddened me. It seems he might so easily have been saved. My heart aches for the poor father to whom he must have been doubly dear now that his mother was dead. Downing came riding upon his bicycle about dark. He started from N.Y. at 9 this morning and rode to Peekskill 47 miles where he took the train. A letter from Sara still having a very pleasant time and a letter from Mr. Bachelder wanting me to go with him to Seconnet near Newport sometime in the