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I have a feeling as though the air is full of disaster and trouble and as if life grew more and more complicated. Our own worries are not enough, and perhaps it is better to get out of our own worries by knowing some thing of the troubles of others. I have thought of the dear ones who are gone with sadness enough but with something akin to satisfaction that they can no more be troubled. What a rest and comfort would by dear Gertrude be to me tonight, but what would she suffer in my trouble and despondency?

Thursday Aug. 28" 1884. I felt very worried and discouraged this forenoon as did Sara and we talked of the future and tried to think what we were to do. Shortly after John McEntee sent up to know if I would like to go fishing. I was ready to do anything and at 11 oclock we started for our old fishing place below the Glasco bridge. John caught two fine bass weighing about 2 lbs each and six inches, while I who fished just beside him caught only one small one and broke my rod besides. A man was fishing in a boat just beside us and caught nothing. We left at 6 and got home by dark. On the way home John had a brush with a fast team. We had a pleasant day and we each of us forgot our daily worries which is a gain.

Friday 29" Rained in the night and has rained all day. The Cornell hose co. went to Utica yesterday to attend the Firemens Convention. They had a stormy day. Girard went along. Cousins Mary Waldo and Mary Ann Howard left for home. I took them up to the West Shore station between showers. Went down town after dinner. We were told of an advertisement in the Kingston Leader for a place to rent for a term of years. I saw the advertisement, from some one in Milton. I answered our place was for sale and we might rent it, and took the letter down and mailed it this afternoon. Fixed my rod which I broke yesterday and worked between showers in the new strawberry bed and set out new plants where some had failed. My father and I sat on the front porch this evening. I remarked that he was younger than I am now when he first came to this house. [[strikethrough]] He [[/strikethrough]] I said I would soon be an old man and I looked forward to old age with great misgivings as I had no family and but very little provision against the time when I could no longer paint. He said he had lived to a good old age and he looked back on his life with satisfaction and that it had been successful and happy beyond his anticipations, and I think he has a more than usually satisfactory life. I received a circular from the American Art Gallery, the second appeal, asking me to contribute to a prize exhibition in March the money for the prizes having been subscribed by such generous patrons of American Art as, W. T. Walters, Avery, Knoedler, N. H. Vanderbilt, John Taylor Johnson, H. G. Marquand &c. In the first place I have no interest and no faith in prize exhibitions and in the second place I dont want any such encouragement from men who despise our art and our artists and shall have nothing whatever to do with it.

Saturday 30. I gathered the Bartlett pears this forenoon down by the wood-house and got about a bushel. Fixed my broken trout rod and gathered and strung the okra and then dressed as I got very warm. John McEntee came to dinner and he and Sara started for Clermont. Just as they were about to start Joe came. Sara would not see him and they drove off. At half past four I drove down to the post office and from there to the West Shore station to meet Mary Gifford. Just before I got there 

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-04-27 17:32:25 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-04-29 17:50:28 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-01 10:41:17 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-01 15:00:32 .