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355

Monday November 8" 1886. 
Cold and windy all day with snow squalls along the mountains. The snow of yesterday has not melted in sheltered places and the mercury was 12° below the freezing point at 7:30 this morning. I started the fire in the hall stove, in Sara's room and in my room. A letter came from Lucy from Niagara Falls relating how she was left behind in the Sleeping car which had become disabled and was detached without proper warning to the passengers. John and Sedgwick went on with the train but got out and came back for Lucy. It will make no difference in their arrival at Omaha as they will spend less time in St Louis. A letter from Weir, an invitation to the wedding, at church of Peter Cantines daughter in Saugerties and a dun from my tailor to whom I have sent my check for $106.50 the amount of my bill. Have been busy putting the weather strips on the doors and fixing locks and latches. Mr. Childs the City Engineer went me a note telling me he would meet me tomorrow at 9.30 near Mr. Woods to give me te grade of Chester St. I am much interested in my plans for developing that part of our property. Looking over the advertisements in the Century Magazine I saw an architects advertisement and a plan of a tasteful little house to be built for $1150. It occurred to me that if I could build one or two such houses or similar ones over there I might sell them and the land more advantageously. I shall think of it. I also saw Rogers advertisement of his statuettes, and I thought why should not I paint small sketches, frame them simply and tastefully and advertise them at $25 and $50 each. I could paint at least one a day and often two or three and if there were a demand for them could make money and perhaps give a great many people much pleasure. Query ? would it be an improper thing to do for an artist of my position. I can not see that it would. Would it depreciate my art. I do not know. I have written a note to the Century Co. to ask their terms for advertising. I shall consult Calvert about this. It seems to me a perfectly proper thing to do as I should enjoy painting these little effects and would do them as well as I know how to. All these plans interest me and keep me from despondency.
[[left margin]] Started fire in the hall stove. [[/left margin]]

Tuesday 9" I met Mr. Childs the city engineer as agreed, at 9 30 this morning and he worked most of the day and gave me the grade of Chester St. so that now I can begin whenever I wish. I was with him a part of the time and took a memorandum of the points. Sara and I meanwhile put down the carpet in the sitting room and at 4 oclock drove out to Mrs. Costellos and enjoyed our Thanksgiving turkey and from there to Kingston to do some errands. It was cool riding. I wrote to Bowyer this evening asking him what he thought of my plan of advertising small sketches. I am not sure of it. Sara had a letter from Lucy written on the train and mailed at Decatur Ill. All had gone well since their adventure at Niagara but the weather was there cold and much as it is here. The snow has not all gone yet.

Wednesday 10" Sara and I went at the parlor after breakfast, took every thing out, wiped off all the furniture, books &c and put the carpet down and had it all finished and every thing back in its place before 4 o clock. room and better. We moved the piano its old place in the corner of the room and the book shelves where the piano stood, which I like much better. We talked of the many times we had done this, how Gertrude took took her in and showed her all we had done the first time we put the carpet down in 1876 I think, and how Maurice and I did it all one year. Every thing we do in this dear old house awakens a thousand tender memories. I wish we could always stay here and sometimes I hope some good fortune will arise to enable us to do so. Sara had letters from Janette and Emily today, very cheery and hopeful. I wrote to Jake Sharpe this evening. It rained a little this forenoon and this evening there was a most lovely moonlight effect. 
[[left margin]] Put down the carpet in the parlor. [[/left margin]]