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and worked until 2 o'clock painting a picture of a sky I saw at sunset a few nights ago. Wrote a note to John R. Stebbins who sent my father a present of some remarkably fine celery yesterday. This is the anniversary of our dear Mothers birth day. She would have been 78 years old. When I think of how in her life time she was the center of this household, it seems strange that we go on at all without her.- The wind has changed to N.W. and it is blowing hard and has cleared. The mercury began to fall towards evening and it will probably be colder.

Tuesday Jan. 25" 1887. Nothing from the mail this morning but some circulars. No word from Wilmurt nor Bonyer from whom I expected letters and no further word about my studio. It froze last night and the river this morning was a sheet of smooth ice where the snow lay a few days ago and a fleet of ice boats were sailing about At half past one Tom harnessed the team to the double sleigh and Sara and I drove down and got Mrs. Hoysradt by agreement and then went up to Kingston and called for Mrs & Miss Smith and drove out on the Saugerties road. The sleighing was good and the day grey and not cold. We drove to Aunt Katrines lake where I stopped a moment at the house which I had never seen before and continued on the new road to where it enters the road access to Flat-bush and came home via the Alms house having had a most pleasant ride which we all enjoyed.

Wednesday 26" Walked down to the mail but to my great disappointment got no word from Bonyer, nor from Wilmurt nor concerning my studio. I want to go to N.Y. and cannot until I hear from there. Sara invited Girards wife Mrs. Jansen Anderson, Miss Belle Laster and Mrs. Peter Philips to take a sleigh ride. At ten o clock we called for them. It had begun to snow and Mary declined but the rest were ready. We drove out on the Flat=bush road, the storm and the wind increasing but it was not cold, crossing over to the Saugerties road at Aunt Katrines Lake entrance and home by the Red House. The wind blew hard from N.E. and whirled the fast falling snow wildly about us but all seemed to enjoy it and we reached home at noon. It is growing colder but the storm cleared before evening.

Thursday 27" Very cold last night - 5° below zero at 8 oclock. I awoke with a head ache which has continued most of the day. Went down to the post office but got nothing. I am getting out of patience and shall go to New York on Monday and see what is to be done there. The day has been bright and still and cold. Sara went and invited Alicia Van Deusen Mrs. Gillies, Mrs. Dr Smith and her little boy and Miss Nettie [[?]] to ride. At 2'oclock we started and drove over the river to Rhinebeck village, then went up the post road a mile or so, crossed over to the river road and home through the Strand. A dozen ice boats were out intending to sail a race but there was not enough wind. I was glad to get back. My head ached, aggravated by the cold and I have stuck close to the fire all evening. Sara said my father seemed to feel very sad today and when she went into his room this evening she thought he had been shedding tears. I wonder if the pangs of memory touch him as keenly as when he was more vigorous. He has been remarkably cheerful now for a long time

Friday 28". Sara at breakfast proposed that we drive to Pokeepsie today We started with Toby before the light cutter at 9.30 intending to drive down on this side the river but we found the bridge to the ice on the creek in bad order and so drove over the river and down by Kellys and Staatsburgh. It was a beautiful day not too cold and with a grey sky and after a charming ride reached there at 1 o'clock driving directly to May Wilkinsons house where I left Sara and drove to a hotel to have the horse fed and walking back to the house There was no one at home except Julia, Mary having gone back to Hudson on Tuesday. We spent over an hour there Edith coming in from Vassar meanwhile. We left on our return at 1.20 and reached home a little before 6. It had grown warmer and thawed a little but the sleighing was fine and we thoroughly enjoyed the day. Just as we finished our dinner Jamie came in from his school at Highland Falls, to spend Sunday.

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