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62 Saturday Feb. 22" 1890. Still cold but bright. Calvert came over to my room from breakfast, the first time he has been in it this winter. This is a legal holiday. I went home by the 11.30 train. Snow began to appear about Highland and in Kingston sleighs were running the storm of Thursday which was rain here was snow there. Sedgwick went up last night and he and Jimmy have been off all day skating on the little pond on the Vlightbergh and coasting about our place. It looked more wintry than I have seen it at any other time this month. [[newspaper clipping]] Tribune Feb. 18. 90. WILLIAM JARVIS McALPINE. William Jarvis McAlpine, one of the best-known civil engineers in the country, died at his home in New-Brighton, Staten Island, on Sunday, owing to a general breaking down of his system. He was born in New-York in 1812, and received his education in the public schools. His first engineering work of moment was when he was associated with W. W. Wright, of Geneva, as one of the chief engineers on the Erie Canal. Until 1846 he had charge of the Eastern Division of the Erie Canal. Then he became chief engineer of the dry docks of the United States Navy Yard in Brooklyn. In 1852 he was elected State Engineer, and two years later he was appointed State Railroad Commissioner. He was at one time acting president and chief engineer of the Erie Railroad. The Emperor of Austria accepted his plans for the improvement of the cataracts of the Danube River in 1870 in preference to the plans presented by some of the foremost civil engineers of Europe. The extensive water works in Chicago were built under his supervision, and as consulting engineer he assisted in constructing the Toronto water works. Throughout the civil war in this country he had charge of the railroads in the Southern States, and was appointed to the work of transporting troops. He was chief engineer of the new bridge over the Harlem River, was engineer in charge of the Tehuantepec Ship Canal, and was for many years chief engineer of the Arcade Railroad. He laid the foundations and for three years was general superintendent of the new Capitol at Albany. Few works of engineering of late have been undertaken without calling him in as consulting or chief engineer. He was elected president of the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1868, and was the first American chosen as honorary member of the London Society of Civil Engineers. He has published some valuable works on engineering, and he received a gold medal valued at $100 from the London Society. He married a sister of the late Edward Learned. He leaves his wife and several daughters. [[/newspaper clipping]] [[newspaper clipping]] Tribune Feb 19 1890 MRS. REBECCA WAY TAYLOR. Kennett Square, Penn., Feb. 18.——Mrs. Rebecca Way Taylor, the mother of the late Bayard Taylor, the distinguished author and traveller, died at her residence in this borough this morning after a brief illness at the age of ninety years and four months. For a long time Mrs. Taylor had been one of the most interesting residents of Kennett, and her home in the quaint Swiss cottage on Union-st. was a sort of Mecca for travellers and visitors. Her birthdays were great affairs, there being callers and congratulations without number. Her husband, Joseph Taylor, also lived far past four score years, dying only a few years ago. Mrs. Taylor had grown quite feeble, but her mind was remarkably clear and active, and she greatly enjoyed the society of her many friends. Although a Lutheran, Mrs. Taylor was attached to the Quaker doctrines, and the Quaker speech and manners prevailed in her household. [[/newspaper clipping]] Sunday 23" This is Lucys silver wedding, and Sara Sedgwick and I each wrote her. It was cold last night and the ice men feel their hopes revived but it grew rapidly warmer and in the evening the mercury was above the freezing point and the sleighing all gone. I remained at home for I had no place so satisfying. I am not able to take the walks I once enjoyed and now find my satisfactions at home. John and Julia came up and spent the evening. Mary brought the baby (Jansen) over while we were at dinner. I have not seen him since Xmas and he has grown very winning. Monday 24" I went down town after breakfast. It was very warm and sloppy and rained a little. It was very hard work for me to walk back up the hill. Sedgwick remained up until today. He said he had got all his lessons and it would not put him back. His visit was a great comfort to him for it seems like home to him. We came away together by the 4.05 train Sara was sorry to have us come as we were. It was sloppy and foggy. When we got to Weehawken the Ferry boat did not leave for more than half an hour on account of the dense fog and then we were nearly an hour on the river trying to find the stop. Twice we were near enough to see the lights but lost it again. We were all greatly relieved when we at last reached it. Sedgwick went to Marys and I to the Century where I got some supper after 9 o clock and then came to my room which seems doubly lonely after the cheerful house. Tuesday 25. My sleep last night was disturbed and not refreshing and I awoke feeling badly in body and mind and so weak and spiritless that I seemed hardly able to drag myself to breakfast. There is a thick fog and a damp and depressing atmosphere. I have painted the little figures in my picture and worked upon it in rather a spiritless way. Have looked over my diary of 1883. Downings trouble with Edwina and Maurices death with the whole intimate record of that eventful year. (I could not bear to read of my mothers death). I have had those inexpressible longings which living in the past brings to us and the day has seemed very sad to me, no doubt arising from the dull and gloomy day. I found Sedgwick feeling so badly that he did not go to his school. I wish now I had remained at home Went around to the Century for a little while in the evening. Wednesday 26" The fog continued until about ten o clock this morning when the sun came out bright and warm. I went up to the Water Color exhibition to take a last look as this is the last week. My picture is not sold. Indeed I do not seem able to sell a thing. A review of the Collection in the Evening Post spoke of my picture as the best winter picture in the collection, but it seems every one does not think so as several winter pictures are sold. My art career seems about finished, for one cannot work without some stimulus. I received a letter from Mr. Robertson this morning from Cuautla dated Feb. 18". The Church's had been there and Mrs. Church had had pneumonia and they have started for home. They must
