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on Perry and talked about the Art Union and then came to my room. I also met Miss Hope at Mrs. Lewis's who spoke to me and invited me to call- Coming out from there I met Mrs. Rossiter Johnson who invited me to a Shakespearean reading on Monday evening. Downing came to my studio an hour before dinner and had a little confidential talk with me. I am glad he has such confidence in me and try always to encourage it. A note came from Mrs. Warren inviting me to dine there on Wednesday but I had to decline as I am going home for Thanksgiving. An invitation also to an Art Reception at Mr. Bements in Philadelphia (which I declined) for Dec 3". It would be well for me to go to such things but I have no heart for them and the inclination to go to them weakens as I continue to decline going- 

Saturday Nov. 21" 1885. Wood came in this forenoon and spoke very encouragingly of my Shokan picture I have been repainting. He had been up to the Academy and told me this is "buyers day" which I was not aware of. He said he heard a gentleman ask the price of my picture. Julia Dillon told Mary it looked very finely and she seemed particularly struck with it. In times like these a little comfort of this nature is very grateful. I painted a little on my picture and went home by the 4 o'clock train, found my father waiting for me and apparently looking forward to my coming with great interest. Sara told me more fully her conversation with Mrs. Overbagh and says she told her that Mrs. Copland all she thought had fully made up her mind that they were to have our place. 
 
Saturday 22. A grey day with a little snow in the afternoon. Tom has been levelling off my dear mothers flower garden and now that is a thing of the past as she wished. If we should sell the place I shall be glad that I had it done and not strangers. I wrote a long letter to Lucy mostly about the new interest awakened in the sale of the place and sent her the letter Sara wrote me about it. Sade and I talked it out in all its aspects and discussed what we would do were it to take place. Our ideas are entirely in accord. To thoroughly put my place in order as it is and not to spend any money building except perhaps to take away the wood house and put a building there with a room above and for the stairway to my studio. In the evening as my father sat by the fire I came in and he said very sadly "I feel that I am soon to go away from this pleasant fireside where I have sat so many years". I answered "It is by no means sure and if you do my first care will be to see that you have as pleasant an one". Then I told him how much wiser I thought it would be to sell if we could, how entirely independent it would make us and how it would brighten and renew all our lives. That no one could be more attached to our house than I am, but that it had outgrown our needs and become a burden. That I had thought of all these natural and proper regrets and weighed all these things well. He said he had no doubt of the wisdom of it and was sure it was the best thing to do. I told him my only fear was that we would not be able to sell it, but he said he felt Sam would buy it. I felt very sorry for him and said all I could to assure him of our affection and care for him and he said he never doubted that a moment. I cant help thinking of the change and trying to arrange for it although there is nothing but this second hand report to cause me too. I shall not be so confident of it as I was last spring, for I felt since we sure we were going to sell. Still from all I hear the break between Sam and the Major keeps widening

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