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She also had a homesick letter from Lucy. She has not yet heard of poor Maurices death. This will add to her desire to come home. I wish they could come home. Wednesday June 20" 1883. Painted on Maurices portrait which looks somewhat like him but some how I am unable to get any color. A telegram came from Downing saying he his Mother and Edwina would come up in the 4 o clock train. It was a beautiful day and I made all my arrangements to go on the creek to begin a study at the old Van Akin house, put my easel, camp stove &c in the wagon so as to be ready to start immediately after dinner and set my sketch box in the hall to carry down after dinner. Just as I was getting ready to drive off Girard sent word he and John McEntee were going fishing but as we had arranged to go tomorrow I went and saw him and he said they would not go until then. I drove off and just missed the ferry boat and had to wait some time but arrived at the house at 2 o'clock just in good time when after tying my horse I went to get my sketch box and found to my unutterable disgust that I had not put it in the wagon and there was nothing to be done but to drive back home. It was a great disappointment to me because the day was so fine and I was anxious to get to work. I did not know what to do with myself the rest of the day but Marian sat for me and I worked on her picture until six oclock but to little purpose. Sometimes everything I do seems utterly idiotic and I am in despair. Marion is such a good subject but I can do nothing that is half way decent. After tea I drove down and met May, Downing and Edwina at the ferry. Booth is coming up on Saturday. Had a letter from Alice today very much shocked at the news of Maurices death. She had received the paper but her Mother had not yet got my letter. She liked Maurice and he was very kind to her. She said her father and mother were very sad over the news of his death. Thursday 21. The longest day of all the year and an ideal day it has been, cool and sweet with magnificent skies such as I ought to be painting. But somehow all my work from nature utterly discourages me. I went to my studio after breakfast and painted a vase of roses which stood in the dining room and looked so pretty. I never do succeed with flowers but I thought I might do better with this. I succeeded only tolerably – could not get the color and while it looked pretty well it had not the freshness of nature. After dinner I took a walk. Downing went with me a part of the way and returned. We stopped at the cemetery to look at the morning glory plants I set out on Maurices grave. They had wilted but a very little and soon I think will cover the bare mound. Downing went with me to the end of the cemetery and returned. The laurels are in full bloom
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Reopened for Editing 2023-05-05 17:59:00