Viewing page 199 of 607

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

177

Friday April 10" 1885. Cold and disagreeable weather. Went to the Academy after breakfast and spent an hour looking at the pictures. When I came to my studio found a telegram from Mr. Worman in Nashville saying he could sell my Katahdin for $350 possibly $400. The "Over the Hills" for $250 possibly $300 and asking if he should make sales. I replied I would take $400 for the Katahdin and left him to do the best he could for me for the other. I do hope he may sell them both as it will be a great help to me. Mrs. Winter came to my room and told me she was going away from the Studio Building. She has been here about 29 years, was here when I came, and I regret her going more than I can express. She is 78 years old and is getting feeble; says her memory is failing and she wants rest. Is going to live at Green Point with her sister and her nephew. I asked her if she had not saved a nice little competence but she said she had not but was in debt. The business here has fallen off greatly and she says it does not pay to attend to it. The servants are going too and now I shall have to have some stranger in place of Annie who has served me so faithfully so many years. I feel a great regret at this change. Called on Mrs. Custer in the evening by appointment. I found her younger looking than she seemed the last time I saw her. She impressed me as a very modest earnest, tender woman. Most of our talk was of her frontier life. She is much devoted to her husband's memory. I almost wonder she never married again. She must have had many opportunities, but I dare say she feels as though she never could be to any one else what she was to her hero. She seemed very pleased when I commended her book for she evidently had a most modest estimation of it until she was so much encouraged by what others have said of it. We found ourselves so much interested in each other that I staid from a little after 8 until nearly half past eleven. She gave me a photograph of the General. She is going to Fort Van Couver, Oregon next week over the Northern Pacific to take Genl. Custers sister there for a change of air & scene. She has been ill for a long time and seems in a precarious condition. Mrs. Custer seems devoted to her. It is a great satisfaction to me to meet and know such women and I should only be too honored if I could feel that I was interesting to them. 

Saturday 11. I met Fitch on the stairs. He told me he had received a letter from Mr. Auchincloss regarding my picture which was of such a character he would not show it to me. I presume he feels irritated because he cannot buy it at his price. Fitch told me he wrote him a most courteous note. Wells told Wood who told me that old Mrs. Winter is in debt and that is the reason she wants to leave. He says she owes Johnston $300 and the grocer and butcher some four hundred dollars more than is owing to her and some of the latter it is doubtful if she can collect. Wells wants her to remain here, finding it most difficult to find anyone to fill her place. I am disgusted with Wells. I told him some time ago that if by any chance Casilears room should become vacant I wanted it. I learned yesterday from Mrs. Winter that Casilear has taken one of the new rooms and that Butter, who only came into the building this winter, is to have Casilears room. That shows how much disposition there is to oblige me after having been here nearly thirty years. I went home by 4 o'clock train. It began to snow when I left and snowed all the way up but melting nearly as fast as it fell. Found my 

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-04-27 20:43:32 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-03 23:00:40 . ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-04 06:58:33 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-04 09:52:48 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-04 10:23:14