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coast by Whittredge. He said he had not spoken to Warren yet about a picture but meant to the first good opportunity. Fuller has been up to Pittsfield and found deep snow and cold weather. Have been at work on various things. I stopped in to see the Scenery collection yesterday. Every thing is done there to add distinction to the foreign pictures in comparison with American work, the latter being hung up high or in obscure places, except in the case of David Johnson who has a picture almost exactly like Rousseau which is hung in a conspicuous place. I was greatly disappointed in the Collection. The Rousseaus, which cost so much money were not satisfactory to me, not even what I call rich and fine in color. I couldnt help asking myself how much notice would these pictures attract from these Wall Street connoisseurs without the well known names of Rousseau, Daubigny, Corot and Diaz. The picture of his wife looked black and unrefined. The fact is among the landscape painters of France there seems to be a skillful management of the Palette without much reference to the aspects of nature. This does not satisfy me any more than any mechanical adhesion to details.

Friday March 20" 1885. Colder than ever this morning, so that you find people rubbing their ears in the street. It seemed to me as cold as any morning of the winter. The cold weather has been fully constant since Feb 1". Painted the sky over in my picture on which I worked yesterday and hope it is better. Mary came over to my studio having received another letter from Joe Tomkins who is here in New York again. I never saw a more persistent and troublesome man than he is. Charity compels me to think he is not in his right mind for I cannot understand a sane man doing what he does. I wish he could see the trouble he is causing not only our family but his own children. Downing was at dinner and he and I went to the Casino to see "die Fledermaus" in which Will Hopper takes a part. I was not very much entertained. There was no very fine singing and only tolerable acting. Downing went to Yonkers and I walked down to my studio against a strong wind and piercing cold. It is astonishing how cold it remains. We are having severe winter weather. 

Saturday 21". This is my fathers 85" birthday. I went down to Washington market to buy some little delicacies to take up home. The weather is bitterly cold. Mary and I went home by the 4 o clock train. It was very cold. My father had retired.

Sunday 22. Only 4" above zero this morning. We sat with my father a good part of the day. Girard and his wife and Jimmy were at dinner with Mary, Sara and me. My father would have come down with us but it was so cold that we did not think it wise to run the risk of his taking cold. Mr and Mrs Crane sent him flowers on Saturday, Nannie who is in N.Y. sent him flowers by us and John McEntee sent him flowers also and he had a nice letter from Tom McEntee. I was not home last year at the anniversary of his birth day but Gussie was here and Mr & Mrs Ed. Tomkins and Mr & Mrs John R. Stebbins. My father seems to improve a little all the time but nevertheless he looks very old and is very feeble; Still he suffers no pain, sleeps well, and has good appetite. After he retired in the evening, Sara and I went and called upon Mr & Mrs. Cantine and after we came back Sara, Mary and I sat before 

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