Viewing page 300 of 473

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

291

Kaatskill trip which I may send to the Tribune. A letter from Weir telling me he and his wife sail for Europe tomorrow. This is a surprise to me. Mary told me today that Calvert had had a legacy of about $3000 from England. We have had violent thundershowers but in the afternoon it cleared and we had a magnificent double rainbow and fine storm effects. Sara and Maurice went to Tivoli to attend the commencement at Jamie's school.

Wednesday June 15. 1881. Weir and his wife sailed at 9 o'clock this morning. A magnificent day with wind from the N.W. and fine skies. I commenced a little picture of the house for Lucy but the wind blew so hard I could not finish it. Sara and Maurice returned bringing Jamie.

Thursday 16. Went to N.Y. by the early train. Went to Eastman Johnsons and found him in his studio. It was a lovely cool day after the rain. Eastman gave me a most amusing account of going to Washington to try to get a place in some of the departments for Nelly. His disgust with Blaine and his interview with President Garfield and his kind and considerate treatment of him. He went at the instance of Watterson who had made the way as clear as he and they supposed but Eastman was more than disgusted with the result. He has written Watterson a letter in which he gave free expression to his opinion of Blaine. He told me that when his brother Reuben was a prisoner in the old capitol during the war they got Blaine to help them get him out. He said it was worth five hundred dollars and actually made them promise him a silver pitcher which they did give him and which cost them a hundred and fifty dollars. Isn't this a specimen of a great statesman. From Eastmans I went downtown and was gone until 7 o'clock doing many errands in my preparations for my Nevada trip and returned there to dinner where I saw Nelly, who is going to Nantucket with May and his family who are to have a home there. Yewell came in to Eastmans in the evening. Went to my studio to sleep.

Friday 17. Saw Beard this morning but could not find Thompson. Beard gave poor accounts of him. Came home by noon train having seen Bowyer. Brought a little present of some lace for the neck for Ettie Lane and sent it with the eye glasses for Mrs. Lane by mail today. Wrote to Mrs. French.