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has been over here with his little niece the most of the day. I think even he felt the loneliness of the day. John and Nannie came back from Boston yesterday where Nannie has been for a month. I saw John this morning when I took Mary and Sara down.

Wednesday September 23" 1885. Mary went home this morning by the Hudson River road, to our great regret. I drove her down while Tom took her three trunks down. It always leaves a great gap in our narrowed household when Mary goes away. When I returned Tom put the horses before the wagon and Sara and I drove to Kingston, I to get the horses before the wagon and Sara and I drove to Kingston, I to get the horses shod and Sara to make a professional visit to Mrs. Angle neé Anna Masten at Judge Schoonmakers. It was as cold as winter. The wind blew from the North and there seemed to be snow squalls along the mountains. I had my overcoat on but was so chilled when we got back home that I was glad to build a good fire in the Parlor. I let Dr Wm. Crispell look at my finger when I was down town this morning and he advised poulticing it which I have done this afternoon and evening. My father did not come down stairs until after dinner. He seemed very stiff he said and the time seemed to me to hang very heavy upon him. He would rub his lame leg and kept looking at his watch every two or three minutes although he were only half conscious what he was doing, but I am convinced it was for the lack of something to interest him, for this evening I talked with him about the Mohawk Valley and the Erie Canal and of various things with which he had been connected and he showed his old interest and his mind and memory were perfectly clear and reliable. We had letters from Lucy this evening. One to Sara and one to me. John had gone to Fort Klamath to be gone a month. She gave us a description of her house — most luxurious I should think for a place where everything has to be brought on the backs of mules.

Thursday 24" Cold last night so that we feared frost but has been warmer today. My finger seems better from poulticing it all last night but I am not a little troubled about it because I do not understand what it is. I sent the cutter which was run away with last winter to the shop to be repaired today. Not being able to get tiles to finish the drain from the cellar which has lain a long time in an unfinished condition I got a hundred bricks from McCullogh at Mr. Terrys new house and Tom under my direction finished it and removed the dust and cleaned up the place. We took a ride after dinner, my father, Sara and I and Nannie for whom we stopped, out by the Roatina to the Flat-bush road around by Livingstons and house by the Alms house. It was quite warm and we gathered a quantity of asters which are in perfection now. Gussie Pullman arrived from Fair-view soon after our return and stays with us tonight. Capt. Anderson and Lottie arrived from Santa Barbara last night. My father seemed very feeble and helpless tonight and said as he came to the parlor after tea that if he failed in the next twenty four hours as he had in the last — but I made light of it and told him he was only tired from his ride. He is very feeble and moves with the greatest difficulty. I do not hear from Whittredge. Perhaps he is not at Price hill. It is just as well for with my finger in its present condition I might better be at home.

Friday 25". I went down to Dr. Smiths after breakfast and let him look at my finger. He said he never saw any thing quite like it. He advised me to paint it with iron considering it a poison but a local one which he did not think would enter the general circulation