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note of nearly $300 comes due on the 15". I am to pay $400 on it. Henry was not there but he came up to me in the street and asked me to subscribe to a new edition of his poems for which I think I have as little need as almost any thing I can think of. I went over to my studio and began a little portrait of my dear Gertrude but it seems impossible for me to paint any thing satisfactory. Why do I try. My memory of her is better than any thing I can hope to do, and yet when I think of her she seems so real to me that I think I can paint her easily. While I was at work, Mary the servant came over to tell me Mr. Skillman was at the house. I came over and saw him and Mrs. Skillman. He is still on the Troy Times and seems be doing well. Mrs. Augustus Schoonmaker, Mrs Angel (neé, Anna Masters) and her sister Mrs [[blank space]] called. Mrs. Davis took dinner and tea with us. Sara had an interesting letter from Lucy from Fort Gaston. Aug. 30. I had a letter from Farnham to whom I wrote about the birch bark about a week ago. He has written to a man at Port-au-pesil [[Persil]] near Murray Bay on the St. Lawrence and thinks I will be able to get it made there.

Thursday Sept. 10" 1885. Cool and cloudy. Spent the forenoon making 12 bottles of cherry bounce. After dinner we rode, my father, Sara, Mary and I, through Kingston out on Lucas' Turnpike, crossing over to the Greenkill road. The skies were fine and the view from the high ground over across Hussey Hill was very effective under a noble effect of sky. The autumnal tints begin to show perceptibly.

Friday 11" Went down town on some errands. After dinner it being a most brilliant, charming day we drove out, my father, Mary, Sara and I. Went up the creek to Eddyville, by St. Reny, through Cali-Cook Hook, and over to the river road getting home just at tea time. I had a conversation with Tom our hired man. He is to be married about Oct. 20" and has hired a house or part of a house. After his year is up in November wants to work by the month at $30 a month. This is more than I can afford but I did not tell him so. Here comes a new bother. I go out to visit Tom McEntee tomorrow.

Tuesday 15". I returned this afternoon from a most interesting and satisfactory visit to Clinton and its vicinity. I left on Saturday with the 10.45 W.S. train and reached Clarks Mills about 3. where I found Tom waiting for me with his horse & buggy. In the station were his wifes sister and mother to whom he introduced me. They live in Clinton in the house with Susan Chamberlain neé Hutchins and I told them I should call to see her before I returned. [[?]] at the house Sara handed me a letter from Janette telling me she would certainly expect Thomas and me to drive with them at 2 on Sunday and we made our plans to that end. Sunday was bright and pleasant. Tom washed his waggon and did all his "chores" and at tea we started for the Hubbards, going through the northern edge of Clinton by a road laid out since I was there, up the "Willow road" to Paris Hill. It was a pleasant day with much too strong a south wind, but the country looked charmingly and was alive with hop pickers in the midst of the hop harvest. We reached Janettes & Emilys home a little after noon. Mrs. Barker and her daughter were staying with them. We had a most pleasant visit, dined about 2 and after dinner looked about the place where I had not been since just before Gertrude and I were married, when we visited 

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