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which on account of the two gables is the most difficult. At ten o'clock, I went to Kingston and had my tooth filled by Dr. Rosa. I inquired about Genl Smith who is ill with pneumonia and found he was no better and that the doctor hardly thought last night he would live until morning. After dinner I went up on the roof and helped shingle. I found one of the chimnies [[chimneys]] in so bad a condition it is likely to fall and I must have it repaired. All of them need repairs but I cannot touch those on the main house because the roof is so bad. I have felt a load of anxiety all day. The thirty first anniversary of our marriage occurred on Monday as well as the anniversary of our mothers death. How differently life presents itself to me from what it did thirty one years ago. The elasticity and hopefulness at times seems all gone and yet after all I feel that I have capacity for great satisfaction and enjoyment if I could only be freed from some of the sordid cares by which I am tormented. I have a feeling that all my ambitions and aims are reasonable and sound and that my life might be made very serene and pleasant if we could only avail ourselves of the benefit of the property we have. The election has gone to the Democrats in spite of the hopes of the Republicans. Hill the Democratic Governor is elected and it is supposed the most of the State ticket, but the legislature is Republican by a good majority, which is not a bad state of affairs. I dont trouble about this. There are no great interests at stake and if we have fairly honest men in office it matters not so much perhaps to which party the belong just now. 

Thursday Nov. 5" 1885. Went down to Mr. Terrys new house directly after breakfast and saw McCullough who promised to send men to fix the chimney tomorrow. Have been on the roof all day with the carpenters helping shingle and tonight it is all done except the front side and putting on the weather boards. Patrick Barry brought a woman here who bought the cow and paid me twenty dollars for her. I thought to get rid of her as she was not so tractable as the two others and we do not want her and will have one less to feed during the winter. I am very tired and stiff tonight and shall not work as hard tomorrow. I had a letter from Mary. They too are anxious about their affairs but Mary is brave. She enclosed a letter from one of Mr. Withers daughters in England, who married Calverts sister Kate. Their daughter Mary is dying with consumption and they too are in great trouble as anxiety. Dear me, how much trouble there is in the world and for people of humble and legitimate ambitions.

Friday 6". The shingling was finished today about 4 o clock. It has been a beautiful warm day. The mason came this forenoon and took down the chimney and relaid it but did not finish before dark. My father sat out on the parlor in the sunshine and I drove him down to Rondout and up to Kingston to inquire about Genl Smith who was no better. Sara had a letter from Lucy in which she said they will surely be home this winter. I had a letter from Miss Nesmith. Sara went to a party at Mrs. Cantines. I wrote a long letter to Mary and one to Downing.

Saturday 7". I went down town directly after breakfast and paid Turch $38 on my bill of $67.81 for shingles and lumber for the roof and arranged for the return of 25 quarter bunches of shingles which they had sent in excess of what was needed. The mason was promptly on hand and at work on the chimnis [[chimneys]]. It had been a warm foggy day with threatenings of rain which fell occasionally, not sufficient

Transcription Notes:
Genl = General last word on page completed using first on next page, per instructions not to truncate words 1 [[?]] ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-05 22:52:29