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to Rondout and renewed my note at the bank for $400. I also went down to Abbeys and renewed his note by giving a new one which I signed using for the first time the Power of Attorney he gave me a few weeks ago. We had nice letters from John Weir and his wife The box arrived on Xmas day and was evidently enjoyed by them. Lily was there there having come up from N.Y. to dine with them and return the same day. The news of Genl. Logans death came this morning. Flags were at half mast when we went to Kingston and when I returned I put up ours.

Tuesday Dec. 28" 1886. A cold and brilliant morning. I drove down to the Post office and mailed a box to Andrews which came here for him with a Xmas present in it, and also Saras box to Mary and her family. Have worked all day in my studio and painted two little sketches, one of the Veterans funeral I saw a week or so ago one cold afternoon and another looking across the river from above steep rocks I made on the walk with Calvert. I feel a little depressed this evening. What if my venture of the little pictures prove a failure? The time for proving it is rapidly approaching - and if my real estate scheme does not succeed- but I must be patient. I got a letter from Mr. Sawyer. He evidently had not received the box we sent him as he does not allude to it. Mrs. Sawyer was ill and I feel a little troubled about her. Sara had a letter from Janette and Emily not very cheerful. I am afraid Janette is in a dangerous condition. 

Wednesday 29" Sara and I drove up to see the toboggan slide and I left her at Nannies while I went for the mail. Recd a letter from Mary. Came back and went to work in my studio and painted two little sketches- Vesuvius, which I have never seen, but I had a pencil sketch of Gifforda and I wanted to paint an impression of one of Coles loveliest pictures. It was not a great success. I painted a little [[?]] also. The "Veterans funeral" I painted yesterday looked well today and would I think make a larger picture. I am reading Winters "England of Shakespeare" very charming and Prince Talleyrands correspondence with Louis XVIII at the Congress of Vienna in 1814. William Stuart, Booths old manager at the Winter Garden died on Monday.

Thursday 30." It snowed most of the night and has continued all day. The mercury at 8 o'clock this morning reached 2[[degrees]] below zero and it has only been about 4[[degrees]] above all day. I walked down to the mail and received a note from Mr. Sawyer saying the box we spoke of had not arrived. I went over to my studio and worked until 2.30. It was pretty cold over there. I painted a little on each of the two little pictures I painted yesterday and laid in a larger picture 16 x 25 of the little sketch of the "Veterans funeral" Girard came over this evening. He had been riding on the new toboggan slide and was fascinated with it. He has joined the club. The January Century came today and in it was Bowyers advertisement of my sketches in a conspicuous place. Girard to whom I showed it thought it a capital idea We shall see now what it will do for us.

Friday 31". Still snowing and cold and has snowed a good part of the day. This evening the weather has moderated and a fine mist is falling and freezing. I received a letter from Alice when I drove down to the mail. She had got the box with the pears frozen, the syrup all off the cherries and the honey beginning to ooze out. So much for paying extra for packages by Express. - The last night of the year has come and happily finds me full of hopefulness for the future. Indeed I am more content than I ever hoped to be again; all owing to the improved prospects for our worldly affairs. I think the coming year will bring a demand for some of our property and I am hoping much from my venture in the little pictures. I may be disappointed in both but the fact remains that I feel hopeful and happier, it seems to me than at any time since dear Gertrude died. I think of her   

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