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Tuesday Feb. 10" 1885. A dense fog enveloped the city when I went to breakfast but towards evening it grew cold and by midnight was intensely cold, so do we go from one extreme to another. My head felt badly and I did not paint much, the light being very bad besides. An encouraging letter came from Charlie Osman yesterday regarding the braid and I wrote Dunlap that some of it would soon arrive. Nicoll came in to get me to sign a call for a reception on March 7, here in our building. I signed it but I am not sure of the wisdom of doing it. Spent most of the evening at Marys reading "Lal" and later went around to the club.

Wednesday 11". Bitterly cold. Wrote to Sara and just as I was about to mail my letter received one from her saying my father is decidedly better and was sitting up and began to help himself again. Also a card from Alice saying her mother is a little better and she hopes she will recover. I am working on all my pictures now trying to improve them. I have little heart to begin any thing new. Went up by appointment to dine with Ward. It was bitterly cold and I walked to 47 St where I took a car to 57". There was no such number as 117 and after roaming about until I was discouraged I happened to think of Eastman Johnson so I went there to inquire Wards studio. Eastman was not in but Mrs. Johnson was. She thought I would find it in the Directory which I did in the drug store on the corner 119 W. 52 instead of 57". Mr Wentworth was there. We had a nice dinner. Ward has a man and his wife living in his house who take care of him. After dinner we went into his studio a moment. He has three large statues on hand. The Puritan in bronze, Garfield and Dodge in clay. He is very flourishing and ought to be happy for he has plenty of congenial work, good health and money to do what he pleases. I could not help contrasting my own ill success with his position. He seems alert and active and ready to meet people while I am timid and afraid almost to meet my intimates. After dinner he got a carriage and as Mr. Wentworth had tickets for the theatre we drove down to the 5" Avenue and saw Booth as Ruy Blas and Don Caesar de Bogan, the first I have seen him that engagement. Parke Godwin, his wife and Mrs. Goddard were in Booths box but I did not see Edwina if she was there. I feel very awkward about not having seen Booth or even heard from him but I dont see how I could have acted differently.

Thursday 12. There was a meeting of the artists of the building in Woods room at which it was decided to hold a reception on Saturday 28". Julia called with Mrs. Dingman and her sister-in-law Miss Dingman a very pretty Canadian girl with reddish brown hair. I called on Mrs. B. F. Butter in the evening, a duty I had been dreading since her husbands death, but she spoke of him so sensibly that my call was relieved of any embarrassment.

Friday 13. I have had a note of $250 discounted for 3 mos. and the proceeds came this morning. I was almost entirely out of money and this was my only way to do much as I dreaded it. Spent the evening at Marys and called on Julia Dillon after which I went around to the club for a short time.

Saturday 14" Mary and I went to Rondout by the 4 o'clock train which arrived there one hour late. We came off and forgot to have her trunk checked but it followed us on the 6 o'clock train. Found

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