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helpfulness was such a comfort and blessing to us all. I telephoned to Mary and to Gussie and wrote to Lucy knowing how needlessly a telegram would spook her. My poor father seems stunned and has not retired (now 11 o'clock) Our dear Mother died about a quarter past 8. How thankful I am that I got the little portrait of her. I meant to have painted on it again just a little as it looked older than she did, but perhaps it is as well for I might have lost what I have secured. She was entirely pleased with it and did not want me to touch it again. The mountains were white with snow this morning. 

Saturday Nov. 3, 1883. Last night I wrote brief notices of my mothers death to Mrs. Lewis Perrin, Uncle Paticks daughter, to Mary Waldo, Uncle Morris, Aunt Charlotte, Eastman Johnson, Booth, Gustavus Swan, Mary Gifford, Maj. Wilkinson & Mrs. Sanger as well as a letter more in detail to Lucy, but today we concluded not to send most of them until we were able to fix the day of the funeral. Sara lay on Mas bed in her room we having put my mother in Saras little bed which she had in her room, but she could not sleep. We wanted her to go to her own room and get a good rest. Gerard came over and he and I stayed in the sitting room. I lay down a part of the time on the sofa but could not sleep. We kept my mothers room warm and her covered for her body retained its warmth and we wished to provide against any possibility of her not being really dead. My father did not get to bed until after 11 o clock and he said this morning he had not slept much. I went down to Rondout after breakfast to see about her coffin, and selected the simplest one I could find. As an instance of the absurdities which have come to be a part of funeral expenses the handles for this casket cost fourteen dollars. I found there was no use of them except for vulgar display and dispensed with them as we are to have no hearse but will carry her to her grave on the same bier which bore dear Gertrude. I am to notify them when to bring the casket up. A telegram came from Joe in answer to mine of last night saying Gussie would leave St. John tonight for Bangor where she will probably have to stay over until Monday morning, and she will probably arrive here Tuesday forenoon. Mary to whom I also telegraphed came up on the 8 o clock train from N.Y. A number of people have called Mrs. Cornell, who has come five different times to see my mother but has never seen her during her illness. She had a great desire to see her and Sara took her in and let her look upon her. She looked so young and so beautiful that she was greatly gratified and I am glad she saw her. 

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