Thursday, Dec 26, 1889 This morning it was raining but it cleared early. I took a walk out beyond the cemetery and got some laurel and some winter weeds and berries with which I made a little wreath and laid above dear Gertrudes portrait in memory of the happy days that are no more. Downing left for N. Y. by the noon train on the Hudson River road. I went out and renewed a notice I had posted forbidding digging sand & sod which some one had wantonly destroyed. The wind came out of the N. W. furiously but was not cold. Mr. Jones sent men to lay out the foundation of his house on his lot. I came away by the 4:05 train. It had grown colder. I reached my room at 7:30. It is not cheerful coming back to this lonely room after my visit to my pleasant home. I was not made to live alone and my heart clings to all that is left about our dear old place. I am glad Sara has Mr & Mrs. Reid with her this winter. They are very pleasant people and a great comfort to Sara and appear to be greatly pleased to be there. I found two of my pictures returned from the Paris exhibition, one of them, Joe Cornell's with a great placard "Mention Honorable" on it which I dare say will please Joe but is no great pleasure to me in view of the honors some others received, but I care very little about it and feel this has been my last contribution to these great shows. I feel that physically I have lost during the last year. I am very lame and weak in my left side and walking is a burden. My long and pleasant rambles over the hills I fear are a thing of the past. The least exertion puts me out of breath and it is a serious effort to me to climb the stairs to my studio. Where and how will it all end? And yet I can truly say that I am happy and content as I never expected to be.
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