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58

Talked with Perry on Art Union affairs. It seems to me we are on the verge of either success or failure and it will require careful management to insure success. Wrote to Sara that Eastman and I would come up Saturday.

Friday January 25" 1884. Intensely cold again. Painted on a sunset I began last year but with not much success. Mrs. Gray called just as I was about to go to the Art Union meeting. Had to excuse myself after ten minutes and got there late. Perry reported the affairs of the Society. We are about $3000 behind but now we hope the subscriptions will begin to come in as the Journal is being rapidly circulated. I offered a resolution urging the members to send their pictures to the gallery. We feel hopeful and do not get discouraged. The Feb. No. of the Journal is about ready to be published. Obliged to hurry away to dine with Eastman Johnson. Ethel was going to dancing school and Mrs Johnson was engaged up stairs finishing Ethels dress, consequently some hurry and confusion. Finally she came down and went off alone to join Ethel who had preceded her with the maid. Eastman bewailing the demands of society and the absence of repose. I encouraged him to go out with his wife as often as he could. Miss Mullany, he and I dined together. After a while we went to his studio to see his work. He has plenty of perplexity with it as we all do. About 9 we went down to the Union League Club to see the pictures. Saw Will Lows Telling the bees" The composition not unlike mine although each was painted entirely without the knowledge of the other. His is different in idea from mine. The "choir girl" draping the bees. Seems to have been entirely painted out of doors. Very elaborate but on a high key with cold greens and a thin washed out effect. It was not an attractive picture to me. Plenty of bad French pictures, some of them execrable, showing low aims. The American pictures as usual occupying secondary places. A fine picture by Whittredge. My October belonging to Mr. DeForest was there. Walked to my rooms, the night bitterly cold.
 
Saturday 26. Still very cold but bright. Fuller came in and looked at all my studies. Asked me if I wanted to sell him my "Yellow Woods" upon which I am working. I said I did. Asked me if I would accept what he paid me for the last picture "Clearing Up" ($500.) I told him it was a thousand dollar picture but I would sell it to him now for $800. I think he would like to have it. Eastman met me at the 42" St feet and he and I went to Rondout on the 3.40 train, arriving there at 7.15. Tom met us with the two horse sleigh and we were soon at home. Cold weather, 4° above zero. After supper John, Nannie, Elsie and Miss Brown, Lily's sister = in = law came up and also Girard and Mary and we spent a pleasant evening in the big room where we have a stove. Did not get to bed until nearly 1 o'clock.

Sunday 27." Still cold and bright. After breakfast we took a ride out on the Saugerties road to the road beyond Leggs where we crossed over to the Flat bush road near the church and came home by the Alms house. The sleighing was perfection but the North wind was keen. Got home to dinner and spent the rest of the day in doors. My father seems well but 

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