Viewing page 581 of 607

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

550

edge." I went down town as usual and did some errands. Saw Mrs. Gregory in Girards office, to whom we have sold the lot. She seemed disappointed to find the assessments on the lot will be somewhere near $40 instead of $25. She did not include the curbing and guttering. After dinner I went down town again to show Genl Sharpe Wards letter, on the soldiers monument. It is quite clear to me the people would not be satisfied with a single figure. Sharpe proposes that we go to Kingston together and look at the designs, which I have really not seen. I came home and joined him in the 3 o clock car and we went to the Court room and looked carefully over the designs and I think we both came to about the same conclusion that it lies between Maurice J. Powers design and the Fredericks & Field. I staid there until after 5 o clock and we walked down together. When we got opposite his home he pressed me to go in for a "cocktail" which I did. He showed me his daughters (Mrs. Davenports) bed room with a fine old carved bed stead and other nice old Dutch furniture and an original etching of Rembrandts which Mr D. gave her before their marriage. He wanted to show me his room but Mr. Davenport who is an invalid was in there. He showed me what I think is his wife's room with much old fashioned furniture and his mothers and his portrait by Vanderlyn. He allowed Shegogue to paint a cap on his mothers head over a turban which Vanderlyn originally put in and which he now wishes he had not allowed. He is building two or three bed rooms in the roof. The home looked prosperous and he showed me over it with a good deal of commendable satisfaction. I walked home in time for tea. In the evening we had a little fire in the sitting room and I read in Madame D'Arblays diary while Sara wrote to Mary from whom she had a letter today. 

Friday May 24" 1889. I built a little fire this morning it was so cool. We went down with Miss Sheffield and Agnes to Cantines office to see the parade of Barnums show and after waiting a long while learned it was not to take place owing to their late arrival in Kingston by some delay on the Rail road. I got into a car and went to Kingston after my tickets and did not get back until 1 o clock when I left John McEntee his and came home and ate my dinner hurriedly and Sara and I started out and walked up to the Show which was back of the West Shore station. The place was filled and it is said to hold 7000 people. The performances were many of them rather flimsy but still there was a good deal of entertainment although coming far short of the promises of the flaming posters. Sara had a letter from Lucy enclosing one from Gertrude Tomkins announcing her engagement. We are expected to hear of it I suppose incidentally.

Saturday 25" I thought I would go over to my studio this morning and try to get interested in painting but I have not done it. I have a strange reluctance to going over there and the thought of it brings me depression of spirits. It seems so neglected there and I think so much of dear Gertrude and the days that are gone in connection with it. If I were only at work producing something I would be happier but I am afraid my days of producing are about done. Reading a sketch of Burroughs' yesterday of his boyhood he said he had a homesick feeling to go back to the old place occasionally but he found after all his longings were for his lost youth, his father and mother and his old friends. I am sorry to own I am more unhappy here than any where else and yet I know that if I had money to live here easily it would not be so.- I went down town and did the usual daily errands. After dinner I went over to the cemetery and with a piece of pumice stone cleaned the                 

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-23 00:39:17 ---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-23 13:31:23