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Friday July 31st 1885. Julia Donaldson left this morning to join Harry at Rhinebeck on her way to Lake George. Mary, Sara and Alice and her little girl went over the river with her. Sara and Alice attended a social meeting at the Presbyterian church to hear Miss Sadie Crosly sing and play the violin. I was busy all forenoon at a little of every thing and spent the afternoon partly in loafing and reading Taine's Voyage en Italie, where fine and charming observations are always a delight. It has been a hot day but comfortable in the shade with a slight shower towards evening.

Saturday August 1" 1885.
Drove out after breakfast with my father, Mary & Alice. Went to Eddyville crossed the bridge and came home by Fair view and Slights ferry. Recd. a letter from Fuller. Unable to come up this evening but wants me to send the picture to him at Monmouth beach. Went over to my studio after dinner and worked a little on the sky of the picture, a spot having shown itself. It began to hail after a little and all afternoon we have had a series of heavy thunder showers with grand effects in the South, the storms coming from the North. A building was struck by lightning and burned in the vicinity of Mr. Kelly's across the river. Calvert came up this evening by a late train and Manterstocks foreman was here to meet him.

Sunday 2" I went over to my studio after breakfast to see if I had successfully obliterated the spot in the sky of my picture but I had not and I painted it out again. I am afraid now I will have to paint the whole sky over. Calvert went over after a time and saw the picture. He thinks it eminently successful, and very simple and impressive. It rained again violently towards evening and is still threatening.

Monday 3"  The first thing after breakfast and after I had been in the garden and gathered the okra and the cucumbers, I went over to my studio to see how the sky in my picture looked, which I again repaired yesterday and lo! the spot was there again, so I went to work and entirely repainted the sky, solidly at the horizon, with fear and trembling lest I should never be able to strike the same tone again, but I succeeded very well and now wait to see how it will look when it gets dry. I drove Calvert up to the station to the 7.40 train. It has rained nearly all day. After I got done with the picture I came over to the carriage house and made a box to send it away in. This took me until dinner. Then I went up in the rain and cleaned out all the gutters which had become foul and put some shingles over a leak. When I got through this I again went to my studio and before tea time had drawn and laid in Mrs. Warrens picture so I have had a pretty full day. A letter came from Weir telling me his wife, Lily and Edith are going to the Mountain House on Thursday and asking me to see them at the train in Rondout. I wrote him I would and invited them to spend the night with us.

Transcription Notes:
"Voyage en Italie" (1866) is a written work by French historian and philosopher Hippolyte Taine ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-04 22:45:58 .