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brick for the kitchen stove I bought up with me and this evening I attempted to put them in but the iron plates are so warped and burned out that I could do nothing with them and now we cannot have a fire in the kitchen stove until all that is repaired and they have to send to Albany for the plates. I am worried to death with all this miserable business. Servants never know or care when a thing is being ruined and one never knows a thing about it until the damage is beyond repair. If I had the money I would gladly pay for brains in servants. My father seems to get stronger but somehow he dont seem to want to get well and said tonight he wished he had been taken away. This is discouraging to Sara and me and yet after all I presume life seems sad to my poor father and rest from its burdens at his age I dare say seems a welcome reflection. I feel discouraged and disheartened but I have so often felt so that I wonder I do not get used to discouragements.
Sunday Oct. 19" 1884. I wrote to Mrs Bayard Taylor today, to Miss Nesmith and a note to Mrs. Winter. We have sat in the parlor by the fire by the Franklin. Charlie and Girard were at dinner with us. My father seems to steadily grow stronger and today walked over to Girards and back. It has been a day of rest for me for the most part, although the first thing I did after breakfast was to drive down and bring Caufield up here to see what is needed for the kitchen range and he is to telegraph for it today so that it may be sent tomorrow. John McEntee called and took tea with us and spent the evening. My father had been wishing he would come up. It is not cold tonight but it is fine October weather with just an agreeable coolness in the air.

Monday 20". I took my father out for a ride this afternoon taking Sara Girards wife with Dwight and little Girard. It was very warm but the wind blew from the S. and it was very dusty. We went out on Lucas' turnpike about two miles from Kingston when we returned by the same way. It was such weather as I do not enjoy but my father seemed to and it did him good. He grows steadily stronger. I called to see the carpenter about shingling the South side of the carriage house roof which can go no longer. He promised to do it this week. I am appalled to see how many such things must soon be done. I am nearly out of money and nothing is being done about Turcks mortgage. I think if they do not do something in a few days I shall consult Kenyon as to what I had better do. I worked this forenoon taking up my mothers ivy which had done very poorly this summer and repotting it and I hung up one of the geraniums from one of the vases, in the cellar. Another year I think I will not try to have any plants or flowers. All these things need care and I shall have too many other cares. It makes me sad to see things neglected and being got rid of simply because I cannot afford to keep them, especially the things connected with my Mother and Gertrude

Tuesday 21" This has been a "blue and golden day" The Autumn color is at its height and a soft Indian Summer haze has pervaded the landscape. I wish I were in the quiet mood to feel all its loveliness. I went down town this morning and got shingles for the carriage house roof and Tom drew them up. Girard went and saw Griffiths and he said he was ready to pay the Turck mortgage and had been. He then saw Wood, the interest was calculated and at noon he brought up the Satisfaction price which my father signed and this 

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-04-26 20:02:14 cannot decipher the names ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-01 23:02:34