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Monday March 29" 1886. The robins and one or two other birds, the blue birds and Phebes were singing gaily this morning on the hills, but after breakfast it grew cloudy, cold and windy and they closed their concert. I with Girards aid made some measurements to establish the location of Woods, Girards, my own, and the two concrete houses on a map Downing is copying for me and which I am going to leave in Girards office. It was cold and disagreeable. I came down on the warm train. Mrs. Osterhardt and her mother were on the train on their way to Atlantic City. It snowed a little at home this forenoon but rained when I reached New York. I mailed the letter to Mrs Steele and also dear Gertrudes photograph. Emma Brace was at dinner as well as Downing. All the young people were going out this evening. I came to my room about 9. It was raining quite hard

Tuesday 30". A rainy day. Went over to Calverts office and painted over his model for the Grant Monument, a grey, clay color as we were not sure as to coloring it. Came to my room after 2 o'clock. Found a letter from Annie Lee and wrote to her in answer. Marion was to have some company this evening and had dinner in the middle of the day. I had my dinner at the Century and went to [[?]] to see the Black Crook. There was a crowded house. Some of the variety entertainments were very interesting and amusing, particularly some gymnasts who did wonderful things. There were three of them. Two stood face to back, the third got on the shoulders of the front one, turned a somersault backwards and alighted on the shoulders of the rear one, a most difficult feat. Some men came in with square rough blocks of stone about a foot square. Thy had stone hammers or picks and picking on the stairs with these made very good music. Then they came in with long brooms and suddenly put the handles to their mouths and played on them, horns being ingeniously concealed within. A girl behind a sort of screen through which she put her head with a tiny body attached sang a song & danced. Then [[?]] a man with her sang Nancy Lee and danced a hornpipe with their tiny legs, most absurd and amusing. The ballet was very good with good dancing by two of the leading ones and Stalacta was a fine figure. It lasted until nearly midnight. 

Wednesday 31. Went to Calverts this forenoon and finished the second coat of the model by two o clock when I came to my room and had some lunch and wrote a note. Wood came in and told me Sylva [[Silva]] was very ill with pneumonia. I was going to the social meeting at the Academy this evening but it rained great guns when I cam out of the house with violent wind and thunder and lighting so I went back and later came to my room. At the Studio entrance I met Gilbert G[[?]] just starting for the Academy but I told him I was wet and uncomfortable and had given up going. He told me Sylva died about 6 o'clock. His brother and his son were with him, but I understand there was some trouble between him and his wife. Poor fellow. He has had a hard time. Only a short time ago he withdrew from the Artists fund they paying him his share and now there will be nothing for his family. He was a Lieutenant in the war. Mrs. Johnson told me a sad story about the widow of J. Beaufain Irving who had been to see her. She has married again and evidently has no home. She came to see Robbins today, Wood told me. As near as I could learn she depends upon charity and has not where to lay her head although she is the mother of ten children some of whom are married and live in the city. It makes one shudder to see what one may come to.       

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---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-09 11:44:19