Tuesday, May 21, 1889 Sara returned last evening, she and Mary having had a very pleasant visit with Mary Gifford and Julia. It was a rainy afternoon and rained in the night. I went down town as usual and received a note from Wood in which he told me his poor suffering wife died last Tuesday, the 15th. In my letter to him yesterday morning I spoke of her and sent her my remembrances and hoped he would be able to tell me of some improvement in her condition. Poor woman! She was already in her grave. I have written Wood today expressing my sympathy and my sorrow and asking him to come up and visit me for a few days. I also had a letter from Alice who says her mother is not well and she feels concerned about her. I have been at work making a stand for the water cooler and this afternoon I took down Woods portrait of Gertrude and painted out the little head dress which makes it simpler and better. We are going through the disagreeable experience of changing help. Katy who has been with us several years has told Sara she was going away. She has had had an opportunity to find another servant who wishes to come at once and who has another offer. It is evident Katy did not intend to go and she is inclined to be very obstinate and disagreeable. She [?] that it is all of her own doing as we would have been glad to [keep?] her. I believe it is finally settled that she is to go tomorrow morning. Sara has paid her for her month to June 12th and for the month Sara was in N. Y. The new servant is to come tomorrow at 9 o'clock. Sara asked Katy to stay until tomorrow but she dressed herself and went off over towards my house to stay at Toms I presume. How absurd is the whole performance. She has done what she gave Sara warning she intended to do and after five years of service here she has gone off feeling hostile to Sara who has been kind and considerate to her and attended to her in illness. I think however she is quite as vexed with herself as she is with Sara. I went down and spent an hour this evening with Cantine and Miss Sheffield. It is the first time I have been in the house since Mrs. Cantines death. I missed her from her little home she was so much attached to. Her sister dressed in black sat in her accustomed place. It seems so strange to me to think she is gone forever. John McEntee and Julia spent last evening with us. It has not yet cleared and looks as though it may rain in the night.
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