Viewing page 298 of 473

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

289

A clear brilliant day almost Autumnal in its temperature A Mr McGeorge and his sister from Australia are staying at Girards and Miss "Jo" McGeorge from Pokeepsie. They came over here to find out a nice trip of two days in the Kaatskills and I recommended them to go through Stony Clove to the Laurel House and look about there for a day. Sara heard from Lucy today. She had got my letter saying I could not come but still wanted me to. Is to write me. The passes have not arrived and I do not feel like making much preparation until they come. I drew in a little picture of the house looking over towards my place which I want to paint for her but I want to paint it in the forenoon

June 7. 1881. Rained. A letter from Mary and one from Julia in which she tells me of a letter just received from Edwina Booth saying they are not to return to England this Summer Booth having canceled his engagement there and accepted one here. Wrote to Mary and to Mifflin, Houghton & Co to send me my money for my drawings for the "Pennsylvania ballads"  

Wednesday 8. Another rainy day. I cleaned out the gutters all around the house which had become choked with the flowers of the elm trees.

Thursday 9. The rain has stopped but there is a wind from the north bringing a dense smoke, obscuring all the landscape and with a strong smell of burning woods. Went over to the cemetery to cut the grass on dear Gertrudes grave and to see how the flowers were getting on. In the afternoon went to the Strand and got some paint and painted the three porches but it began to rain before I finished

Friday 10. A north East gale and rain storm were prevailing when I awoke this morning. My father says it has rained most of the time for four weeks. Wrote to Eastman that I expected to go down on Monday or Tuesday. Wrote to Alice that I would send dear Gertrudes portrait as my present for the golden wedding. Received a check for $50 from Houghton, Mifflin & Co for my drawings for Taylors Pennsylvania farmer. It has rained all day but at night there are symptoms of clearing. My mother and I played three games of checkers. It made me think how she and dear Gertrude used to sit and play in the winter evenings. Darling Gertrude. How constantly she is in my thoughts. I feel her loss just as much as I did at first and I think of her with a love and a longing which nothing but being with her can ever satisfy. I have been looking over her shawls