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boat from Hudson. The weather is not bad but very dry. There are some indications of rain which I hope will not fail. I found letters from Nicoll regarding the Darley Sale - from Phillips & Wills the real estate agents one of whom is to come here next Friday - one from Jay Smith the Minneapolis art agent and a nice letter from Mary Gifford but none from Seager of Dry Brook to whom I wrote last Friday. We went on a moonlight sail this evening down below the Eropus lighthouse with the following party Frank Waters & Anna Ludlow Mr. & Mrs. Clark, Dewitt[[?]] Rosa and Miss Reid Mrs. Fitch's cousin, Mrs. Darvin Kate Young, Dr. Win. Crispell, Miss Sheffield & Miss Brownell, Mr. & Mrs. Searing Sara and myself, Mr. & Mrs. John Forsyth and Kitty Forsyth. The weather was a little threatening and the wind blew pretty hard on our way down but it was very pleasant coming back. We got home about 11 o'clock.

Thursday July 19" It began to rain gently early this morning and has continued most of the day. I received a letter from Mr. Geo. H. Welles of Wyalusing Pa, who with his wife is staying in N.Y. wanting to see me with regard to painting some local scenery in the valley of the Susquehanna for him. After considering the matter I wrote him I would go down to N.Y. and call on him about 11:30 on Saturday. I feel that I ought to do any legitimate thing for money but I confess if I were able I would absolutely refuse all such work which is most distasteful to me. I also had an invitation from Mr. Southmayd to dine with the members of the G.B. Club on Monday evening at the Manhattan Beach hotel, Coney Island which I accepted. I do not hear a word from Seager to whom I wrote a week ago and do not understand it.

Friday 20" Mr. Phillips of Phillips & Wells real estate agents of N.Y. who have our property to sell came up today and spent an hour in going over the house and place in order to get an idea of it so as to speak intelligently if anyone inquired about it. I paid him the railroad fare $3.50 which was the only expense and I also gave him $25 by agreement with the two other executors to advertise it briefly in some of the Sunday papers. I could not tell what his impression of the place was but I showed him it had a value aside from a mere country place. He told me that Mr. Sanderson who had inquired about it had bought a place at Cornwall directly under Storm King and down by the water which he seemed to think not a very desirable place.
[[left margin]] Real estate agent came [[/left margin]]

Saturday 21 Went to N.Y. by the Powell to see Mr. Wells at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. He wants me to visit at his place and if I see anything there I would like to paint he would like a picture. He said he wanted a picture of mine for several reasons. I told him frankly I did not care to paint portrait views and avoided it when I could, that there were two ways of looking at his proposition. If he wanted particularly a certain local scene painted by me I would do it for him as well as I could. If he wanted a work of art from me I would advise him to leave the subject and treatment to me. He said he understood my objections but gave me to understand that he wanted a visit from me at his home, wanted his family to meet me and if I found nothing there to interest me why he would have something else. The result was I promised to go there sometime in September and would write him. Mrs. Wells whom I met was an affable lady and also invited me cordially. He seems to feel grateful to my father for his kindness to him in 1843 when he had yellow fever 
[[left margin]] To N.Y. [[/left margin]]

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