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Saturday 16. Went up the stream today and painted looking down. In the afternoon made a sketch I laid in yesterday. But I am not contented. My sketches are poor and I do not find very interesting subjects. Much interested in seeing Mrs. Fuller get the honey out of the bee hives, smoking them with a little contrivance she had and brushing them off with a bunch of apple twigs. Poor woman. There seems no end to her work and she goes about it so cheerfully. Her servant girl has gone home for a few days and she has all the work to do. Two unusual toads came out from under the door step each evening at dusk. One of them hopped and partly walked with a most comical gait clear down to the road.

Sunday 17. A very hot day. I took a walk after breakfast away up on the hills above the house to where there was a look clear up the valley. I was surprised to see how people have settled away up in these hills. There seemed to be clearings all around. These people have plenty of hard work and like people in every condition of life are trying to better their estate. They have their trials no doubt of lack of money and luxuries but they escape many of the worries which luxuries bring. I find myself in the condition of trying to kill time and do not now see that I am going to be able to content myself here a great while. My infernal "pests" still cling to me and that discourages me. The people of the neighborhood have come here today and there has been a Sunday School over at the church. There was an amusing scene with the dog this afternoon. He goes around with a great clog fo wood attached to his neck with a chain, the penalty of chasing sheep. They put the cat up in a tree and he climbed up after her. He goes after the two obese toads but they are able to protect themselves and they don't seem to mind him much. I had a letter from Mrs. Sawyer today from Londondery Vermont. Freds wife who has a young son is there. Girard also sent me a couple of newspapers. The mail only reaches here by chance and is the first that has come since my arrival.

Monday 18. Another hot day. Orrin and I went about a mile up the main stream to the high falls brook, he after blackberries and I to examine the stream. I clambered up to the top of the falls through a thicket which had been burned over and was nearly suffocated with the heat. There I struck a road, having left Orrin, which I followed back to the main stream, went up at a long distance but found nothing of much interest. Then I came back to the house and got my box and at 11 o'clock got to work on a subject selected on Saturday. But I am not much interested and have about decided to go home. I feel very unsettled and exasperated that I do not find more picturesque material here. If I go home I will be equally discontented. At dinner I told them I thought I would go home and [[?]] and I went to see a man about taking me to Shokan tomorrow. He could not go and so I concluded to remain a few days longer. Toward evening the man sent word he would take me out but I concluded to stay perhaps until the end of the week. I presume tomorrow I will wish I had gone. The 

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-04-27 17:30:56 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-04-30 14:25:53 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-04-30 22:33:13 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-01 09:09:13 .