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growing nicely. How strange it seems to write this of her who was with us a few short weeks ago. When I came back I took the horse and wagon and little Girard and I drove over to the Roa = tina where I cut some long slender branches with which to make a wicker frame over Gussies grace for the morning = glories. We came home by the old steep Rocks road and by the strand where I did some errands. Girard was greatly interested in his ride having seen a goat with a kid and a pea cock and I showed him where the water from the Roatina came out under the mountain near the river. When I got home the man had arrived to put up the shades. He put them all up, 43 in number and finished about 7 o'clock too late to go back to town and he stays here tonight. Talking with him on the front piazza this evening I find he is an expert on the banjo and makes them and gives lessons. He seems an interesting man. Has a large family and one son is very ingenious and handy with tools. His name is Ripley and he was born in Saugerties.

Friday June [[strikethrough]] May [[/strikethrough]] 6" 1885. Over to the Cemetery after breakfast and made the wicker work for the morning - glories on Gussies grave. This afternoon I read some of her letters to Maurice while he was West in 1882 some from here and one after she got back to Hillsboro in which she expressed her strong attachment to this place. What a wave of sadness swept over me when I thought they were both gone to the land of Spirits. I read many comforting things regarding the spirit world in a little book by B. F. Barnet in the doctrines of the New Church which [[Nelinasth?]] sent me, many things which accord with my own views on the spiritual life.

This afternoon I made a wire screen door for the cellar and then dressed and wrote some letters. One to Fuller in answer to one from him, one to Perry, sent an order for a suit of clothes to Rock and a note to Galt giving him my picture "Plains of the Humboldt" for St. Louis. The man who hung the shades went home by U.S. rail road this morning. I drove him up. Mrs Smith came from Kingston with Sara and is to go to New York with her tomorrow. I shall go next Tuesday to be present at Julias wedding.  

Saturday 7.
Sara and Mrs. Lamont Smith went to N.Y. by the Powell this morning. The house has seemed empty today without Sara. I went down town and did some errands. Prepared some canvases over at my studio and busied myself as usual with many things. This afternoon read in Swedenborg's "Heaven and Hell."" Much of it is strange and incomprehensible to me and seems to depend entirely upon his assertion and am must necessarily admit his premise of a spiritual gift in order to accept his conclusions. I try to keep contented and not to look too far into the future and am trying to learn how useless it is to be anxious and troubled.

Sunday 8. 
It has been a quick summer Sunday with a brisk breeze from the South. I wrote to Lucy, to Gertrude and to Mrs. Sawyer. This afternoon read in Swedenborg. My father, Cousin Rachel and I have been alone. Girards baby
Dwight came over in his little wagon. He is a beautiful child, always smiling and good natured. I was obliged to discipline Charlie and Girard for picking off the green strawberries and the roses. I dislike to correct then and always try to do it kindly. They have to learn as we all do by experience, what is right and what wrong.

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-04-26 12:28:07 Pls read instructions, first word completed using last on previous page, not to truncate words per instructions this is not complete as of 4/26 - please transcribe all almost complete as of 4/27 save one or two words