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got back to town at 5:30. While Eastman, Rollins and I were walking up 5th Avenue met Stedman who joined us and asked us around to his house. Their house was all cleared for summer as Mrs. Stedman is going away to be gone several months. Stedman said he had had two bad years and instead of making money was losing. Is building a country house up near Portsmouth. Wanted me to stay to dinner. Mrs. Stedman came down to see us just before we left and Fred came in. He has grown gray and bald and looks as old as his father. Dined at Eastmans and staid overnight.

Thursday 31. Immediately after breakfast went down to my studio to put away some of my things for the summer and left for home by 11 o'clock train.

Friday June 1 1883.
Downing and I went downtown this morning to see if my plants had come. They had been sent up and reached there shortly after we got back. We went over to the cemetery and sat out those I got for the purpose and I have spent the rest of the day planting and covering flower seeds here at the house. My father, Sara, Downing and Julia drove up to High Falls immediately after dinner. It has been a beautiful day and now that my work is done I have a lonely and sad feeling; have thought so much of my dear Gertrude today. She used to take such delight in her flower garden and in planning it in the spring that she has been in my mind all day. An awful sense of desolation comes over me as I think of her and her absence is a constant pang. She was the soul of this place and it is very sad here without her when all are away as today and no one but my poor mother & Mrs. Davis here.

Saturday 2. Julia went home this morning. Downing and I took a walk out above the tunnel. A great cliff has fallen in the lime quarry beyond the tunnel in the place where a man was killed a year or two ago. We saw a train of six passenger coaches pass over the bridge while we were there probably on their way down to Newburg for the opening of the road on Monday.

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-03-25 19:37:52