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Friday Mar. 4. 1881. President Garfield was inaugurated today. It has been one of the worst of days, rain and snow by turns but it did not storm in the afternoon. I have felt most wretched and unhappy and hardly know what to do with myself. Weir came to my room before I was dressed and we breakfasted together. He talked with me on Spiritual matters. He is as thoroughly satisfied that he converses with his departed friends as that he talks to me. I have just received Epes Sargent's book "Scientific basis of Spiritualism" which I am going to read. To him, immortality is proved beyond a doubt. I want to know something about this matter.

Saturday 5. Went home by Wallkill Valley fearing the crossing at Rhinebeck would be doubtful. Found Charlie Osman there. He went up last night and crossed on the ice. 

Sunday 6. A warm day. They are still crossing on the ice. Charlie and I took a snack out on the Common. The ground was bare in places where there were not drifts.

Monday 7. Started for N.Y. at noon but at the Strand found the crossing was very treacherous and as the Norwich was to break a channel I concluded to wait until tomorrow. Took a walk out on the Common and wrote to Mary Gifford. The blue birds were singing on the hill today. There is still a great deal of snow in the cemetery. I was going in there but there was a funeral and I did not. The Norwich broke a track over the river this afternoon. It has been crossed on the ice since Jan. 3 and Maurice said we have had sleighing since Dec. 1. until a few days ago.

Tuesday 8. A beautiful warm day with the bluebirds singing and the snow and ice melting, a hopeful feeling in the air which I wish I could more deeply feel. Osman Laura, little Mary and the little nurse came down by the noon train crossing the river on the ferry boat. They got off at Yonkers. A sense of almost disdain takes hold of me when I return to the City. Dear Gertrude is so much in my thoughts at home that it is like leaving her to come to this empty, lonely place. I have been reading Sargent's Scientific Basis of Spiritualism but I failed to get as much satisfaction out of it as I hoped to. I found a letter from Alice telling me she hopes to come to N.Y. about the first of May. I should dearly like to have her and hope I may be able to show her some attentions. Spent the evening 

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