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to Eastman Johnsons meeting Mrs. Johnson in the street who invited me to stay to dinner. Went up and spent an hour or more with Eastman in his studio. He told me all about Phils sickness and death. He was with him when he died. Fortunately he has left his wife, who Eastman says is an excellent manager, in comfortable circumstances. Whittregde came in just after dinner and spent the evening. He seemed dejected, I thought. We came down together. I found a letter from Mary Gifford. She had received the one I returned. She seems unhappy and life changes and losses weigh upon her. I am beginning to have something to do to keep up my courage as I look into the future. 

Saturday Feb. 5 1887. Calvert came over this morning and I showed him my two pictures and also the little pictures many of which he had not seen. After he left I set my palette and went to work upon an old picture I began a year ago and used only the palette knife putting in a sky I had partly painted last year. I made a promising start and hope to get something good out of it. Went up to Dr. Taylors as usual. It has not thawed much today. After dinner I went in with Marion to call on Mrs. Custer and had a very pleasant call. Met Rossiter Johnson there. Marion wanted Mrs. Custer to go to the theatre with her on Tuesday but she was going to Philadelphia. Went around to the club to the monthly meeting and had a very satisfactory evening. Weir was there and I saw Holt and congratulated him. Winslow Homer had a very excellent picture, it called the "Undertow" some men rescuing a young woman bathing who was being carried out into the sea, very rigorous and a fine composition and an altogether manly work. My little picture looked very well and I think from what I heard it excited some interest. I met a number of my acquaintances and am glad I remained one.

Sunday 6" Never having heard Henry Ward Beecher preach I went over to Plymouth Church this morning and heard a remarkable sermon from him. His theme was the love and goodness of God. Moses was the greatest of men except Christ. He knew the invisible God and when he sought him to show him his glory, he revealed his goodness as his highest and most distinguished attribute. He declared that the element of barbarism and cruelty in the creeds was giving was practically gone and scouted the idea of the conservative Andover theologists that because the more liberal of them had contended that those who never knew Christ were not to be lost but would have their opportunity to know him, was to destroy religion. Indeed his argument was so directly in the line of my own connections and came so freely up to all that I could desire that it was to me a spiritual feast where I had expected rather an intellectual treat. He looked much older than I expected to find him. In the afternoon I called at Julian Weirs at home and him and his wife and Mr. John and his wife who are staying there a few days. I met Mr. & Mrs. Henry there and Eastman Johnson and Pinchot came in later. This evening I went with Mary and Calvert down to the Newsboys lodging home in Duane St. to a Sunday evening meeting. The room was full of boys from tiny things of five and six years up to sixteen. Poor homeless children, very touching to see. Mr. Auchmenty talked to them about his school for mechanics very interestingly and another gentleman rather poorly and uselessly I thought tried to explain the idea of Christ as a Redeemer. I am sure they didn't comprehend it any better than I did. They seemed (most vigorously) and some letters were read from boys who had been sent west. After the meeting we inspected the buildings, dormitories, kitchen &c. All scrupulously neat and orderly. We got back a little after 9 and Calvert and I went around to the club. The streets are sloppy and dirty and the weather foggy and warm.

Monday 7" A miserable kind of day, wet and dark. The carpenter came and went at my work but came only he here today. I got him fairly started and then had to go to Dr. Taylors. Had a letter from Sara, all going on well at home. This evening Calvert and I went to a reception at Mr. & Mrs. Morris where I met many friends. Mr. & Mrs. Junius Henri Browne, Mr. & Mrs. Falconer (he was a Clinton school mate) Miss Bridges, Miss Curtis, Mrs. & Miss Brace

Transcription Notes:
Rossiter Johnson (27 January 1840 – 3 October 1931) was an American author and editor. Newsboys Lodging House: The first of the lodging houses was opened at 9 Duane St. in March 1854, Junius Henri Browne (14 October 1833 Seneca Falls, New York - 2 April 1902 New York City) was an American journalist. ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-12 16:29:43