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Wilkinson from Hudson telling me they have very discouraging accounts of Gifford who with his wife has gone to Lake Superior. He still has night sweats and keeps doing his strengtheners the Dr. there advises them to go home unless he begins to mend immediately. I am greatly alarmed about him and have a sort of presentiment that he will not get well. I also had a note from Mrs. Church asking why Julia Vaux and I had not been up also a note from the editor of Scribner saying he had read my paper with interest but was disappointed with the illustrations, thinking they were to be from my oil paintings. Wrote to them that I had only two or three oil sketches of that scenery. Wrote to Mrs. Church and told her I thought I should not be able to go to Maine with them. Also wrote to Julia Wilkinson. Went to a concert in Kingston this evening got up by Lottie Anderson for the Church of the Holy Spirit. It made me think of the earlier days and of dear Gertrude who has been much in my thoughts today and whose letters I have been reading.

Thursday Aug. 5" 1880. Went to the cemetery this morning. They are building concrete gate posts at the entrance. After walking all about I went out on the common, feeling very depressed and wretched and lonely. I need companionship. Then I came home and went to my studio and painted a little picture from a sketch on "Sandy Stream". While I was at work Mr. Parish came in and told me about the antique bureau. After dinner I went down to see it and bought it for $18 and he brought it up this afternoon. It is a very nice one and worth much more than I gave for it. A card came from Ellin & Kitson saying the head stone was completed as far as it could be until I saw it. Am going down tomorrow by Powell. Maurice is in a wretched condition. I have not seen him for nearly a fortnight until this evening when Girard brought him home. The atmosphere here is most depressing and I cannot keep heart in it. Dear Gertrude used to suffer from these clouds. I have been reading her dear letters today as I do every day.

*Friday 6" Went to N.Y. this morning with the Powell. Called at Ellin & Kitsons to see the stone and found it entirely satisfactory. They wanted to see me about the lettering and I arranged that. They were neither of them there but I saw the foreman and the man who was carving it and I told them I was entirely satisfied with it. It will be done and sent to me by the end of next week. I am so gratified for I feared it would not come out as well as I hoped. Called at Putnams to see Bowyer and also saw Haven and his mother. Went to Scribners to see Gilder about my