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476

evening with the Wilkinsons after dining with them. It is always a great satisfaction to be with such genuine people

Saturday 21".
We came away after breakfast. Julia came ((?))  with us and we took the West Shore train for home arriving there about 11 o'clock. There were occasional patches of snow along the railroad and the mountains showed considerable snow. A N.W. wind blew and it still had the chill of snow banks in it. We found Tom and Katy at the house. They had not expected us until evening but were ready for us. The house seemed as though we had not been away. The poor cat was overjoyed to see us. Tom had kept her in the cellar and fed her there to keep he dogs from worrying her. She evidently had had a lonesome time the past two months and testified her joy at seeing us by rubbing against us until I feared she would rub herself out of existence. Tom is shaping the garden and in the midst of it there were some flowers.

Sunday 22 Still cool but sunny. John McEntee came up to hear about Saras visit to Nannie and I think was greatly encouraged. He had had a letter from her yesterday which he let us read. It was entirely sane and she spoke of Saras visit in detail and was very encouraging. The Dr. told Sara she would be likely to have her reason return rather suddenly. John invited us to dine with him at 2 o'clock. The children came over to see us. Dwighty was very bashful but glad to have us home. We brought him a nice little dress and some little presents for all of them. We dined with  John but on our way stopped a little while at  Girards and also at the Cantines. Mrs. Cantine called to us from the street car yesterday. Her English brother-in-law was there. After a nice dinner at Johns we walked down and called on Minnie and Josie Coen. Girards wife told us yesterday that their sister Celia had died about the last of March and we had not even heard of her illness. Minnie and Josie are to continue to live where they have so many years. Laura had invited her to come to Hillsboro this summer and we advised her to go. After we left there we called on Sam Coykendall and his wife. Sam was delighted with the pictures he got at my sale and was apparently surprised to find them finished pictures. He said he did not see the collection until the evening of the sale and regrets now that he had not bought more. We got home about 6 oclock.

Monday 23" Tom planted peas, beets, salsify and onions and we talked over the arrangement of the garden. I made out my list of seeds for Henderson and did various things, among others mended a frame which came apart in the hall. Sara had a letter from Mary telling of Marions return and of Lauras arrival at Julia's in Baltimore. I went downtown in the afternoon and got a glass for the picture and did some errands and came back to N.Y. with the 7:45 train arriving here at 11. I found a note from Mrs. Lord renewing her invitation to come down there this week and wrote her at once I would come Thursday.
[[left margin]] Planted peas &c. [[/left margin]]

Tuesday 24" I wrote Sara a short note before breakfast and sent Tom a check for $25. I also sent Henderson my list of seeds. It is as cold as winter. I have painted most of the day on a little picture of the brook in the meadows at Ashville. Three of my frames came from Wilmot today and they are very tasteful. I am going to pay more attention to frames. To many people they are as important as the pictures