From March 28, 1901 to Dec 31st, 1901
March 28. Cloudy cooler, freezing at sunset. March 29. Cold, windy, nearly clear, 6 degrees of frost, sap starts rapidly this morning.
30.
Still bright and windy, first run of sap. Friends from P. a sugar maple picnic.

31.
Sap still in the run; pierce wind from N.W. ground rapidly drying out. Ice all gone from river since 28th. April 1st. Again my natal month. No frost last night, still very windy and chilly. Still boiling sap, not quite well yet of my cold and grip.


Frederick Harrison is said to admire this sentence of a new English writen - "in the milk of October dawns her calm
brows had been dipped," How absurd, what wretched taste! Think of a critic like Harrison approving such stuff as that, anything for novelty. If even I spill milk like that in literature I will hire someone yo kirk me. 2d. Chilly, mostly cloudy; sap run over. Fox sparrow still here. 3d. My 64th birthday, cold rain from N.E. Health not quite up to par yet.
4.
Rain continues, a cold drizzle clean the floor at Slabsides. Fox sparrows still here. Checking frogs on the 1st.

5.
Still cloudy with light rain. H. and teills dove at S.S.

6.
Rain nearly all day.

7.
Rained and [blowed] blew hard all night still at it. The 6th day of N and N.E. rain and cloud.

8.
Cloudy with spits of rain all day. Miss. Peck and Mr. Fuller at S.S.

9.
Still cloudy spits of rain, the 7th day of loud and rain. On the 4th I found a butterfly in Slabsides. One of the milk weed [birth] species I think that evidently had hibernated in the room.

10.
Still cloudy and windy.

11.
A fine April day at last marred only by high wind from the North. Find hepatica today in woods of P. Cemetery.

12.
Clear lovely morning, near freezing last night. The ground mole has been at work for a week and more. To know how early moths and ants are active look in the sap buckets. The moths, dark grey and cream colored, are out at night; this year by or before 1st of April. Never had a known relish for

birds and the spring than I have this season. The writing of the spring poems last winter I fancy sharpened my appetite for these things.

13.
The best day yet warm, still, bright. April coming to her own. Go to P. in afternoon to walk with bird club. See hermit thrushes, and song sparrow with albino markings. One girl said she had never seen a blue-bird. Where could she have lived? I showed her one - she thought it perfectly lovely.

14.
Sunday, a lovely morning, quails calling up in the Mulford lots, I answer and presently one goes humming by the summer house where I stand and seeing me utters a decisive chattening note. He alights in the vineyard near the lane and utters the flock call. Others continue calling in the Mulford woods on field.

15.
Cloudy and windy from N.E. threatening rain, Hiram comes today from Water Park, looks well.

16.
Milder, gleams of sunshine. The boys setting out the grapes. Wind still N.E. Hiram and I go to Slabsides in p.m. it is good to be there again. Clears off in the night.

17.
Clear and lovely. One of the charmed days. Quite warm, a little arbutus opening in favored places. The high hole here several days. How good the world looks.

18.
Cloudy and misty from the South. Hiram returns to Wester Park. The toads song by night. A robin sitting on 4 eggs.

19.
Still cloudy and chilly, but no rain thus far.

20.
Rain on afternoon. Arbutus today.

21.
Pouring rain all night and at times all day from N.E. warm. The ground overflowing. 4 or 5 inches, water thrush this morning. Hiram and I again at S.S.

22.
Signs of clearing, a little blue sky; wind still N.E. The 5th day of cloud and rain. Warblers this morning. Much warmer in p.m. with sunshine and a thunder shower North of us. 23d. Cloudy with slow rain from S.E. River as red as the Mississipi, with dark streaks of floating drift, a vivid green dripping over the brim of the bank at Vanderbilt. The 6th day of rain and cloud. The lovely contest of song of the gold pinches going on in the trees by the Italians, began 3 days ago.


24.
Rain and wreck continued, now from the North. It has rained all around the compress - great damage in Plaas. Storm now down the Coast.

a little rain makes mud, a heavy rain kills it, it hardens and compacts the ground. The pretty musical festival of the gold finches continues this morning in the rain. The air is filled with a fine spray of bird notes over by the Italians. The finches have met and held their reunion there in the same trees for several springs, many of the males already have their summer plumage or colors, no other bird has so pretty a way of match making. Where others fight and scratch the gold, finches all join in singing overall [each] one, all others praises, apparently.

25.
The abnormal weather continues, rain all yesterday and last night, heavy in p.m. and at night. Rain this morning with no change of wind but signs of exhaustion only over before, have I seen the

Hudson so full or so muddy, current runs down all day. We must have had 8 or 10 inches of water. Floods everywhere, only equalled by the Eddyville flood 24 or 6 years ago. The musical festival of the gold finches still going on this morning at the old stand, amid the dripping branches. The azure butterfly on Monday, the 22d.

26.
Clear at last and warm. The air full of the breath of growing things. The bumble bee, beetle humming about over the grass this morning. March Marigolds just about to open.

27.
Lovely day, clear with increasing warmth.

28.
The same continued. Glorious day. First swallows today. Hud and Ed and I go to the woods for arbutus.

29.
April is making amends - warmth and brightness continued, cool nights light. frost at S.S, on 27 and 28.

"Amasa sit out much celery last week. Hard maples new packing their tassels, no fruit thus in bloom yet, mercury gets above 70.

30.
Hazy, soft and warm. The maple bloom grew nearly one inch yesterday. Promises to be warmer today. One of the birds here this morning - the "Jerry Drunk" River like glass. The voices of the shad fisherman very distinct. Here and there I see them "picking up" on the glassy surface. Birds very happy and musical this morning. The perfection of spring, mercury 75. Shad push in blow and here and there a plum tree. Whippoorwill on 28th


May 1st. Cooler, wind from N. overcast, a sprinkle of rain in the night. Maple fringe all out. "The time that goes before the leaf," When birds are bursting everywhere; The sugar maples golden sheaf. The thrilling odors in the air,"
The willow [shows] droops a veil of green. The shad bush [shows] wears a veil of white; The orchard hints a leafy sream, ord cherry trees will bloom by [to] night.
A warbler came this very morn. And whippoorwill [came yester ave] is due tonight. The purple trillium tod is born. And ferns unroll their wolly coils or and spice bush [lifts a golden spray] gold isnew and bright.
Ammones [is] are venturing [for the] out. And trembling in the slightest breeze. [And violets too without a doubt] And painted like the pin of traut. The maples red show tiny keys
2d. Cloudy and warm with light sprinkles of rain from W.
3.
Heavy showers in the night, much cooler this morning, and clearing. Go to Quiney school. The trees begin to be outlined upon the canvas up the woods.

4.
Clear and cool with North winds. Health excellent these days. Growing warmer in p.m.

5.
Clear and warmer. House warm here this morning. River glittering with spangles. Just now for half on hour or more a big cloud kept my place in shadow; the clouds sprang out of the blue on the North and again faded in the blue on the South end - spun off at one end and spun on on the other. How curious to see a cloud created as it were; on the intense azure your eye sees a filmy outline which in less than one minute

becomes and the white fragment of a cloud where before was the blue sky. The main body of cloud recruited itself in this manner. Its recruits hastened up from the rear, called from out of empty space while in its front it meltled away at the same rate. Shad unusually sweet and juicy this spring. Is it because of the muddy water? Proved a lovely Sunday. Drive over to S.S.

6.
Still clear and cool, mercury reached 72 yesterday. A great Carolina wren calling this morning down by the river - the first one I have ever heard here in spring, no wood thrush yet. Apple trees showing a little pink.


8.
Still clear and mild. The pride and cat bird here this morning, wood thrush yesterday, I look through my study window upon Ed and Hud

plowing the vineyard; back and forth they go making red hands amid the green. Beyond them the river sparkles and [denser homkles] in the sun on of even its darken suit. It wore gauze coverd with spangles. The whistle of the quails comes through the open door while wrens warble and robins and orioles call, a bluish white haze fills the air, near the bush sparrow trills near by. Mr. Smith my neighbor died yesterday morning. Now I hear the chat again. Latus trees to have ant - the mulberry locust and celtis or sugar berry. The ash is a little earlier.

9.
Cloudy, a languid depression N.W. of one. King bird here this morning. Shaking out his jingles in the air or is he rehearsing his bee catching tactics? Apple trees in first stages of bloom.

10.
Rained 1/2 inch last night and gently all yesterday afternoon. It was one of the gentle rains [that] That bill the trees to sleep. When pluto nods in his easy chair. And out of his hand the slow clouds cross.

11.
More rain last night and this morning a sluggish condition of the weather forces. breaks at 9 with gleams of


sunshine.
Cuckoo here yesterday.
Much thunder in p.m. and several brisk but brief showers.
The braggart clouds are full of sound and threaten crack of doom. They split the sky, they shake the ground and fill the
house with gloom. When all areas done we turned and found the [syckle] sickle of the moon. Wonderful grass weather.
12.
Clearing this morning and cooler. The matchless old blue sky again from the West - the gift of a high barometer. Many trees in full leaf.

That peculiar blue of the sky, a translucent blue - not the color of something but of empty space; an unfading immortal blue, as Homer and the prophets saw it, we see it today. The fringed polygela and day wood today Libres just opening. Apple and pear bloom beginning to drop.

13.
Rain last night, clearing again today at 10 1/2, cooler. A purple finch singing high in the air, drops down on motionless wing like a child's parachute and continues his ecstatic strain in a tree. How pretty it all was, why are not these birds more abundant? Indigo bird and tanager here today, young robins out of the nest - the earliest I remember ever to have seen them. Lady slippers showing the bud. Apple bloom at its height.


May 14. Clear, cool. The world very beautiful. White crowned sparrow this morning.
15.
Lovely day, go to New Paltz and walk with normal school pupils - find a quail's nest with 2 eggs.

16.
Still clear and warmer, but nights cold. Apple bloom nearly off here; lilac at their height. Young blue birds flying about near Henry Sutcliffs. Day of great freshness and beauty, in afternoon a sort of luminous greenness everywhere; the young leaves seem to let the light through them, a green transparency. The youth of nature, when we almost see the blood in her veins, her integuments are yet so delicate and then, many nashville warblers this season for other kinds.

17.
Still clear and lovely, school children form P.

18.
Rain nearly all day - not heavy, nearly 70 young women with their teachers from Tarrytown. The castle, a very nice

lot of girls. Slabsides can hardly hold the crowd.

19.
Cloudy, wet, cold from N.E. Bad news from Eden, depresses me much.

20.
Still cloudy and threatening. go home on morning train. Much mud, country very green. Find Curtis and family well. Hired man hauling manure. Curtis and Johnny sitting by the fire. Leaves about half out, maples dropping their bloom. Tops of mountains yet brown and naked.

21.
Curtis and I drive over to Edens. Fog lifts and sun comes out at 9. Warm and fine, [Find] We find Hiram making garden at Stewarts. He is well. I walk with him among his bees. Over half of them dead. We find Eden out talking to a passing neighbor. He is much better than I expect to find him - better than last week he says. Looks very pale, but is slowly gaining. The day turns off


Warm and lovely. Four or five bobolinks singing in the meadows near Edens house. I enjoy them much, Hiram comes down in afternoo, we sit out doors most of the time. At 5 C and I startt back. How beautiful the broad green valley looks from near the mountain top. I walk over the mountain and pluck many wild flowers; the large bellwort (grandiflora) squirrel corn with the odor of clover, a few dutchmens [britches] breeches with it, both yellow violets, painted trillium, white and blue violets and the Canada violet. Then last most noticeable, they stood in groups like tall school girls with their arms across each [one another] others shoulders. How like children all these frail wild flowers seemed in the great mountain woods with their pale sweet faces turned towards you. Such a delicate, youthful poetic touch as they gave to the flow of the primitive forest as we passed. The anemone also made white many places by the road side and in the fields. 22d. Clear and warm - the first real warmth of the spring. Curtis and I go over in Mukens Hollow fishing. Catch only 6 trout, but catch many other things. Home at noon. In p.m. I wonder about the old farm or listen to bobolinks in the meadow below the barn. They sing nearly as in my youth. I hover about the old places like a ghost I haunt them. I am the spirit of other days, a walking mummy, no one sees what I see, no one sees me - the real me. I even saw the old farm look greener and fresher.
23.
Rain in the night, rather heavy from S.W. Clearing this morning. Go down to Abagails to dinner; warm and lovely. Back home on afternoon train.

24.
Warm and fine. Hud, Ed and I go fishing down below Centreville. I take only

seven trout, rather fine ones. The boys catch about the same, a new country to me. Hot, enjoy the day. Find a chuwinks nest - nest and eggs a part of the ground. A heavy shower at 6 just as we reach home. One of there reckless intemperate absurd widled downpours, when the bottom falls out of the clouds and all comes down in a heap. Washes roads badly, but does but little damage in vineyard. Much cooler.

25.
Cold, rainy, wind stuck in N.E. again. Kingstone teachers come, a dull day.

26.
Cloudy and cool with faint gleams of sunshine. Sprinkles of rain from S.W.

27.
The davenable wet continues. Wind anchored in N.E. again with mist and slow fine rain.


Remarkable and unusual weather conditions all the months of April and May. Wind in the [East] N.E. when sun crossed the line and it has been there most of the time since. Promises a wet summer according to the sign. Grape arms not much over a foot long.
How ones mind has its beat, a sort of round of thoughts, like a bird its particular range of trees and field, where it spends most of its time, - its habitat. The things upon which my own mind anulls most of late years, are first the old home and father and mother and all that party my youth, not a day, or hardly an hour that something does not send my mind back there; then nature about me, then Julian, the literature then women, then death - more and more I think of death and how incredible it is that I must really exchange this fair world for the silence and darkness of the grave. Then of the mystery of the universe, I think often of Walt and all that Washington life, I still dream at times of being a clerk in the treasury and also of teaching school, I think but rarely of politics and of the great blundering world. I live mainly in the past.
28.
Still cloudy and wet - sprinkles and spurts of rain from East.

29.
The same continued, colder; wind still South East, much rain at 5 and 6 o'clock, mercury keeps at about 56.

30.
Same conditions, cold, misty, heavy clouds, wind S.E. storm Centre stuck again West of us.


32. Fair day and warm, sun and cloud. A threatened shower at sunset flashes in the pan, June 1st. Sun and cloud, but on the whole a fair day. Vassar girls. Rain at 8 and at intervals all nigh from S.W.
2.
Cloudy and threatening in morning, sun comes out at 10. Fair warm day, more Vassar girls. Locust trees not yet in bloom.

3.
Fine warm day; go to N.Y.

4.
Ideal June day. In Lakewood. The biggest bull frog chorus on the lake at night I even heard, like the following of a herd of bulls.

5.
Lovely day and warm; Back home at night. Air loaded with perfume of honey locusts.

6.
Fine day, warm - 82, light shower at 4 1/2.

7.
Cloudy from S.W. Muggy; sprinkles of rain; Began raining

at 10, rained till 4, at times heavy, at least an inch of water. Health unusually good these days but not much accomplished. Many visitors - mostly Vassar girls, many thoughts of Julian, about to finish his college career, a good deal of worry about grapes and carrots.

8.
Storm over colder, wind clouds with patches of blue sky. Sunshine in p.m. Company at S.S.

9.
Cold, suggests frost, nearly clear this morning. Wild grapes blooming a little, clover blooming. River all be spangled this morning. So cool I need a fire.

10.
Fine day, warmer. Go over to S.S. Binder comes at night.

11.
Lovely day, we go to Vassar class day. Stay in P. over night.

12.
Warm, lovely day. Attend commandment.

13.
Stay at S.S. with Binder.

14.
Company from P. heavy shower

at 5 1/2 yet a good wetting.

15.
Cloudy and cooler, Mrs. Telmage and Ruth Berkly, stay all night, cool.

16.
Clear ideal June day. Grapes about ready to bloom.

17.
Perfect day. Grapes blooming.

18.
Perfect day go fishing.

19.
Still fair, start for C. today in company with Miss Gentry a Vassar girl from Mo. Reach Mrs. Langs at 9 1/2.

20.
With Julian today in the beautiful college town; see the Yale - Harvard base ball game.

21.
Class day - a fine and novel spectacle at night. The yard illumined by thousands of Chinese lanterns. A shower in morning. In p.m. Julian gives a little spread in his room and announces to the company his engagement to Emily MacKay.

22.
Light showers - go out to Revees

Beach with Julian Emily and Laura, a fine pebbly beach.

23.
Sunday. Go to Wellesley to hear Lyman Abbott preach the [Rulla] laments sermon, a clear sensible discourse.

24.
Getting warm. Go to Wellesley cmmencement. A fine lot of girls.

25.
Getting hot; Julian hears that he will get his degree.

26.
Hot; Harvard commencement. See J. in his cap and gown fill into Memorial Hall with a thousnad others. He graduates Cuns Laude, much to his surprise and to mine, very happy.

27.
Very hot. Hear the Mrs Batu Capa post and orator, McVeigh very impressive, on the value of ethical ideas in A, politics, a grand discourse, but to long by 1/2 hour. Santyanna reads a

poem mostly moonshine - nothing concrete and real in it.

28.
Very hot 9 1/2 Go to Nantasket beach in late P.M.

29.
A hot dusty ride home. Emily with us, a purgatory of dust and heat; reach home at 5 p.m. A heavy shower one week before had washed things some.

30.
Fearful heat, 92. July 1. Hot, hotter, 94, 96 - 100 in some places. 2d. Fearful heat, boat races today, mercury 98, much higher in places. Hosted for 30 years.


3.
A little cooler. Miss Brown of Wilkes Barre Pa.

4.
At Slabsides today, weather bearable. 90 swimming in big pool with the Booths.

5.
Light rain last night, light showers with low lazy thunder in p.m.

Girdled Delawares today.

6.
Slow rain in the night, stay at S.S. Alone, muggy and cloudy today. Finish girdling.

7.
Fine day with brisk brief shower in afternoon.

8.
Lovely day, pick and can cherries.

9.
Fine tranquil summer day. During the great heat of last week, unfledged birds leaped from their nests in desperation. Two turkey buzzards were seen a few miles below here and one of them killed and brought to me.

10.
Warm quiet day, rather muggy, most of the birds yet in song. A warmer July so far than last year. Staying at S.S.


Warm tranquil summer days, the yellow butterflies dance and zigzag along the road before you, the call of the quail comes up from the fields, the meadow lilies ring their colored chimes here and there above the grass
the bird songs grown a little languid still fill the morning air, the landscape dreams under a soft shining milky haze.
11.
Fine warm day; go to H. increasing cloudiness with slow rain at night.

12.
Cool from N.W. clearing and warmer in p.m.

13.
Julian and I start for Roxbury on noon train from K. warm; reach the old home at 3 1/2, all well and glad to see us, the haying well under way. Bobolinks still in song down in the meadow as in June.

14.
Hot day; walk down to the Suters in p.m.

15.
Getting very warm; go up on clump and clean out the spring - nearly dry.

16.
Very hot, lonage about and read all day. Light thunder shower at night.

17.
Cloudy this morning with low lazy thunder and light rain. Country very green, quite happy again at the old home - feel at times as if I could stay here and spend the rest of my days.

18.
Hot with thunder all around the horizon in afternoon and light rain at night. Go up on old clump.

19.
Much cooler. In p.m. Julian and I go to the village and then to Suters.

20.
Cool, wear my coat this morning, a hint of fall in the look of things, clear a nice rain down home on the 17th, Hud writes.

21.
Much warmer, showers around us in p.m. a light dash here - the fringe of a shower, Eden comes over; looks and acts himself, seems quite well. A shower at W.P. 22d. Warm, gusty, cloudy in morning.


23.
Clear and fine and dry, not very hot.

24.
Warmer and nearly clear. Great heat in West still continues - the 36th day - mercury from 95 to 108 in shade - all records broken in some places. Great heat all over Europe - unprecedented in places, 108 in Siberia at Odessa. Getting very dry here.


July 24
25.
A quiet change to cool, need a coat this morning, change came at mid night - first with gale of wind from N.E. then slow rain for an hour or more - only wet the surface of the ground. Cloudy and misty this morning with N. and N.E. wind. Bobolinks ceased to sing yesterday. Finished haying yesterday at 4, a good crop 136 loads.

26.
Very cool with mist and fine rain from N.E. Rained a little all night - a dry rain. The abnormal heat continues in the West. A hermit thrush singing divinely this morning up in Cloverlat woods apparently for his own edification. His young must certainly have flowers long ago, a true post be, most birds sing for mate and young and cease when there are grown or before. This is true of the nightingale. But the hermit sings for the songs sake. Many other birds seem to do this

27.
Very cool last night, clear this morning after the fog lifted and signs of warmer. Go up to old clump in p.m. with Suter girls and spend the night, 4 boys and 5 girls an interesting time, but pon sleep for me. The old clump had not been made up since I slept there in 85, and it near hard hand. The wind blew too and I was cold in the night, the Molly Hunt was on the windward side of me. Light rain and much fog in the morning. Hermit thrush sang very early. We came down at 10 into a much warmer air.

28.
A warm day with sun and cloud - dry showers in afternoon and night, thunder with only sprinkles of rain.

29.
Warm with fog clouds; the dust wet down this morning. A fine rain at home Thursday night the 25th and on Friday. Fine shower at 4 over 1/2 inch

30.
Rain in the night - about 1 3/4 inches in all, greatly needed. Curtis and I drive out to see Jane and Homer once more. Find them as usual, H. almost helpless, Jane burdened with all the work and lane of the farm and of H. too, too much for her or any woman, but she does not complain, or only mildly. It is a sad house to me. In p.m. we drive to Eden's. He and Mag are well as usual; very warm, with shower at 9. p.m.

31.
Go up and take dinner with Hiram at Stewards and home in afternoon, cooler at night. Aug 1st. Cool day with much cloud. Spend the night on old clump with Julian, Molly Hunt and Suter girls. Fine moon light, but supper some with cold. 2d. Clear fine day, Julian goes home.


3d. Cloudy and warmer this morning. A little rain in the night.
As easy as cloud shadows climb the mountains. The fleet winged swallow.
Swallows were skimming over the top of old clump after sunset. Two hermits sang at 4 in the morning, their voices a little cracked. Lambs bluting in the night. Voices of the farmers at 4 a.m. all over the dine valley below us getting their caros. All over this part of the country I notice the leaves of the thorn bush are covered with yellow spots - some fungus disease, the tops and the sides [of] or East sides of the bushes are the yellowest; The fine black specks are in the middle of the birds - eye spots.
4. Cloudy, still, warm.
-The teasel head with its band (zone?) of bloom.
-Vernom with its creeping flame.
-
The spiny urn of the thistle a foam with purple bloom.

-
The crimson plume of the balm (monarda) above the ranks of lusty weeds.

-
The spreading burdock shows its hundred brown and purple beads, above the fence,


-Every morning the evening Primrose has renewed its canary yellow above its purple stalk.
-
The clematis begins to hang its wreaths upon the wayside bushes.

-
The stubbly meadows are touched again with green


5.
Bright day, all afternoon on the high hill sides, gazing upon the land - and looking for woodchucks.

6.
Cloudy in morning with S.E. wind, boring rain. Go to Abagails to dinner with Curtis and Ann. In afternoon a tall gray bearded man of gentle manners appears at the door and asks for me. I know him at a glance, James Oliver my old teacher of 50 years ago. We had not met in all that time, but had corresponded and he had sent me his picture a few years ago. Greatly pleased to see him and his son and daughter who were with him. He lives in Kansas. He seemed hale and vigorous, though nearly 80, I was not one of his favorite scholars, I was eclipsed by Jay Gould and Andrew Coubin and others, and his appreciation now was very pleasing. My old master had at last said "well done." He was the best teacher my youth ever knew.

Began raining in p.m. and continued all night - hard at times - an old fashioned rain, much needed. At West Park about 4 inches of water fell.

7.
Fine cool day.

8.
Start for home this morning. Reach home at 12, 15 stay at S.S. Country very green. Well full of water.

9.
Warm day and fine.

10.
Hot and muggy, with showers at night - over one inch water in the night; too much wet. Grapes look fine.

11.
Cool and bright, an ideal summer day.

12.
Fine day, light showers at night. 13,14,15,16,17. Warm moist days of sun and cloud without rain.


18.
Rained nearly all night, slow

without wind. Shipped first grapes yesterday. Drove at Pangyang in afternoon. Muddy, muggy, cloudy, [miles] acres upon [miles] acres of purple loosestrife over in marshes near Clintondale, at a distance the eye saw a purple lake or sea - very effective. Pangyang rough and forbidding - all bone and no meat except little dabs in the hollows between the rocks. A quails nest beside the road under the weeds or bushes, 23 eggs; the bird kept her place for some moments while Amasa wa standing within one foot of it. Amasa and I walk back on West side of peat swamp - only a 3 mile walk.

19.
Cloudy, warm, rain threatened from the East.

20.
A big broad of thunder showers last night from 9 to 12, about 1 1/2 inch water. On the hill in the woods near my path saw where the lightning had come out of a hole under a stone and crept around over the ground like a blind warm and apparently as slowly. It is the only case I have even seen where the lightning came up out of the earth. It burst up under a big stone that stand on edge beside a little oak tree. It threw the soil and leaf mould away from the stone then made a path or furrow through the dead leaves about an inch deep or more, for about 20ft, there dived under the ground and burst out the bank scattering the soil all about. Its path was like this;

21.
Hot, muggy, air recking with moonshine shower at 6 - 1/2 inch.

22.
Vapor and heat again - rotten weather.

23.
The same continued; shower at noon a week of steaming recking rotten weather. Everything mildows.

24.
Began raining at noon; rained heavy nearly all afternoon from N.E. a weather debauch, cooler.

25.
Clearing, cooler, wind N.W. looks as if the bad weather devils had withdrawn, a really fine August day. May Cline says this of my books [style], "you have the best style in literature today. How do I know? Why, because I can read 60 pages of it and not know I'm reading at all. It is a pure expression - offers no resistance," Would it were true


Aug 26. Superb August day, slow sailing clouds with level keels, warm, nail up crates all day. Red eyed birds still in song; hear bobolinks flying over. A freshet in all the streams from Saturdays rain.
30. Ideal August day, since my last entry, clear, warm, gentle. Elbert Hubbard here yesterday. Looks like a man of genius with his intense black eyes and long hair and smooth face - a little too intent probably to look thus, called me John and brother, I like him. Sept 1st. Slow rain last night and this morning. 2d. Clears off reluctantly. 3d. Fine morning, start for Twilight Park. Stay with Miss Dwight and her sisters till Friday p.m. warm and lovely.
6th To Onteora, stop with Mrs. Custer. The day hot, a fine time, stay till Monday the 9th. The shooting of the president the one item of exciting news.
17.
Warm lovely Sept weather since my last entry, with occasional rains. Everything very fresh and green. Health better than usual this fall. On the 13th came Lunis and Kellogg from Phila stay till Sunday night. Fine fellows Kellogg and prodegy, wonderful powers of reproducing bird songs and calls; quite astonishes me, never heard anything like it. Then he is a very winsome lovable man. I take to him at once, as do all who meet him. A heavy shower this morning at 9; followed by a rainy day.

18.
Julian off for Cambridge this morning and Mrs B. for Hobart. Clear and cool.


20. Rain part of the day. Clara Barrus from M, - a bright woman. 21 and 22. Lovely Sept days. No frost yet. Sister Abagail sick with typhoid.
23. Bright lovely day. Robins and sparrow much in evidence this morning - coming out from their retirement during moulting Katy-dids, reduced to "Katy" last night.
27.
Rain today in p.m. [Dr. Barrus comes]

28.
Clear and bright, off for Roxbury at 6.20 to see Sister Abagail. Reach her house at 9 1/2. I meet the Dr. on the way. He thinks she will pull through, I go up to her room. She

looks up and speaks my name and takes my hand. I am stuck by the look of father in her face and more specially of fathers sisters - aunt Betry and Anut Abbey. The ancestral features on fathers side - the women - come out strong. We talk a little, she is rather stupid and her eyes soon close, she says she is very sick, but cannot tell me how she feels - she don't know herself - thinks she will not get well, asks me if her eyes do not look bad (they look very heavy and strange to me) I keep the flies off her and sit long in her room, while she lies silent with her eyes closed. I try to cheer her up. After dinner I go up to Curtises. There are no unfavorable symptoms the Dr. says, fever not high (102 and 3)

29.
Bright warm day, rain in the night; pretty heavy. In afternoon I go down to see Abagail again. She is a sleep and I do not see her


not so well, the nurse says, running off at the bowells, but I say to her that always comes in typhoid. I am uneasy but not much alarmed. Had I seen the Dr. he could have told me different. I walk back up through Helen Goulds Park, heart pretty heavy. A quarter after 10 that night I am awakened by someone outside knocking and calling. I finally get the window up and ask what is the matter, filled with deep foreboding, it is George Brandow, he says Abagail is worse and that the Dr. says she cannot live till morning, and he has come for me. I am crushed by the news, but do not go with him. Perspiration comes out all over me. I go back ,to bed and toss till 2 when I get 2 or 3 hours of sleep. a night of great nervous strain. On that rapping at the door in the night, when those Oct 1st. 7a.m. after breakfast, burdened with the thought of Abagails death I walk out the road and over the hill, still clear cool, a resonant out morning. Fog in the valley creeping up toward the heights. Every sound very distinct, to the car as objects are to the eye in the far West. The rumble of a wagon comes across the mountain from the head of hardscrabble .The cawing of the crows almost echo as if in a great hollow dome. 2 p.m. the clown lot woods I hear one uttering that land ... mr. Thoratin Law. Chipmonks chipping and checking in the Deacon woods as I knew them in my youth. The air streaked with the plaintive autumnal calls of wondering blue birds. I count 12 in one loose flock. The few threads of dying spiders glisten upon the road and stream from the tops of bushes by the way side. They show the mullion of the currents of air. The woods all touched with the flames of autumn .many maples all ablaze, yellow, orange, crimson, green paint the mountains. A thin blue mist or haze, over the hills nuthatches and jays calling in the woods. I sit long over on the hill and gaze upon the scene, then down to the house
and into the appleless orchard and then back, with long, long sad thoughts.
near to one are dying; In the morning Curtis and I hurry down to find that Abagail died about the time George was calling us, or at 10 1/2. We arrange for the funeral and go back home. So soon and unexpected had death come to our dear sister. Oct 1st. A day of great beauty - clear- still golden, all the maple woods breaking out into yellow and orange flame. The thrashers come to thrash the oats and buckwheat. At 10 I go up to the old clump - a kind of religious walk - so beautiful the world - so sad my heart. The long camel-backed mountains blanketed with many colored forests. Our old camp looked desolate enough and the place of our mild moonlight dance very forlorne, I stood long in the little grove where we had our picnic a few years ago, and reflected that four of the girls and women who
were with us were now dead, and the men all living. In the afternoon I walk many times up and down the old road and over to Chauts, Eden and Mag and Hiram come in p.m.
2. Abagails funeral day, cloudy from S.W. threatens rain. Curtis and I drive down together. I look upon Abagail in the coffin, almost girlish look upon her face, very peaceful; the ancestral looks gone, oh. the repose of death, it almost breaks one heart, John Hubble preached over her body in the N.S. Baptist Church next door, a hit and miss kind of sermon no real thought in it. Then we drove to the old Baptist church yard, and in the autumn weather and in the autumn of our days placed her body besides that of her husband. The wind swept by the falling leaves as we drove along the road. Jane came in the morning and was
dissolving in tears. I met her and Hatty below Abagails house, no one else wept so copiously. Besides the coffin when we all took a farewell look and besides the grave, her sobs and murmurs were very audible. Five of us left, the youngest gone before all our hairs are white and our graves are not far off. I grieve less than I should, I grieve because I can't grieve more. Why am I so insensible? Abagail was very dear to me, and yet my eyes are dry. We all returned to Curtisis to dinner and there I come home on late train.
-After while at Curtisis, now and at other times I have gone out and taken hold of some of the old jobs - haying, husking, potato digging and C. but have soon found it a bore. What I mostly long for I suppose is to gather apples or husk corn again back there in the old days when I was a boy and the world was young and father and mother were alive, and we were all under the paternal wing. It is that lost paradise that I long for, Today is trivial and prosy.
8.
Beautiful bright days since I came back, with severe frost two nights back at S.S. Julian still in Cambridge reloving from Quinny or something like it. Have been greatly worried about him. Warmer in p.m. Katy dids rasping away in the woods, as the season advances the fiddle in afternoon and not at night, nights too cool.

9.
Still fine and warmer, staying at Riverby. Abagails form and looks are constantly before me day and night, yet I do not feel the acute grief I should. The blow seems to fall upon a benumbed surface. 10 and 11. Warm lovely October days. Katy dids in woods in p.m.


12.
Warm and lovely - wind S.W. Trying to work a little.

13.
Warm, sultry, light dashes of rain during the day; Company at S.S, no frost along the river yet to hurt even corn. Woods getting yellow.

14.
Ruby crowned knight and white throats in song this morning. Rain in the night, cooler this morning.


-Slow rain nearly all day.
15. Clear and cool this morning - river placed air with a soft haze. The thin tremulous whistle of the white throat about my study. Birds very social and frolicsome now. Now is the time of the illuminated woods; they have a sense of sunshine even on a cloudy day like yesterday; given by the yellow foliage; Every leaf glows like a tiny lamp; one walks through their lighted halls with a curious enjoyment.
-While at home the day before Abagails funeral, Eden said he wanted
to read me a hymn and then from Fathers old S.B. Hymn book read me the identical hymn father had read me seated in the same chair by the same window, one autumn day 25 years ago, prefaced and followed by about the same remarks. He read it in fathers curious sing-song tone. It was a hymn comparing old age to autumn. Eden is a very good old school Baptist. His notion that he cant die, till his time comes, prevents him, I think from taking necessary precautions about his health.
16.
Lovely warm day, Katy dids in afternoon. Make rhymes in forenoon and a start at S.S. in afternoon.

17.
Light rain sets in at 8 1/2.


19.
Fine day, and mild -a gypsy day. Julian comes at 8 p.m. nearly well. Rejoiced to have him home again.

20.
Lovely day - poetry and romance at SS.

21.
Lovely day and warm


22d. Mild bright day, Julian and I go to Black Pond after our boat. A great comfort to have the boy back again, yet a mild pang comes when I think that in all that beautiful student life at Harvard he has no longer any part or lot. I went through college nearly as really as he did, and I perhaps have a tenderer feeling for the place. Think of the generations of boys [who] that will come and go in the future and no boy of mine among them! But I do hope that he will sometime have a boy or boys among them. To me there is a sort of half around all college boys.
26. To Black Creek again with Julian, no ducks. Two days ago he killed 6 there.
28. Fine weather the past two days, with one heavy frost, clear and dry. I am well and fairly happy
-A young man writes me that he wants to enter journalism with only a common school education; How shall he master the language? Read the best author and practice writing. Some people are born with opaque minds - they see nothing clearly, sharply, vividly. They can never become masters of the language or write good English. See clearly, think clearly, feel clearly - advise impossible for all to follow, a colored glass is one thing, a smoked glass another. We all see through colored glasses - some through smoked glasses.
30. The sun came up red as blood this morning - a dense veil of white vapor over all. Here and there a maple still turns a flushed cheek to the sun. The leaves of the dogwood are red and ripe like Japanese plums. The light comes through the leaves of certain oaks as through red stained glass. The maple leaves now seem fairly to have wetted and hold the sunshine. They send a soft glow into ones room.
Nov 1st. Still cloudy, mild with sprinkle of rain at noon, clearing off at 3 p.m. fine. 2d. Glorious day; to West Paint, Julian and I to see Yale footlball [team] game.
3. The wonderful weather continues, all gold by day and all silver by night. Frost last night, no rain for three weeks.
10.
No rain yet, fine every day; some quite severe frosts during the week. Bright and windy this morning with cold wave.

11.
Light rain; start for N.Y, stay at Brookryde in P.

12.
To N.Y, some rain, attend meeting of A.O.W. Pass the night with Mr. Childs at Floral Park. 13 and 14. Attend meetings of A.O.W.


15.
Stay at the Castle school in Tarrytown.

16.
Home this morning, Quincy school at Slabsides.


20.
Dry and cold and clear. 20 degree this morning.

Two Vassar graduates at S.S.

21.
Cold and clear, down to 20.


23.
[Cold rain] Cloudy and chilly. Two more Vassar girls.

24.
Cold rain and sleet from North, much snow at Roxbury and all through the North.


26.
Cold and clear. To Kingston to Van Slykes.

27.
Cold and clear down to 14.

28.
Cold and clear down to 10. Thanksgiving day. Binder comes on morning train. Domestic divinities in rebellion and resulting, B and J put some grub in a basket - bacon conned soup, eggs bread and butter, celery, honey - and go to Slabsides and cook and eat our dinner in peace - thankful for the peace, after dinner a long philosophical talk in front of the open fire.

29.
Down to 14. Cloudy with a red sun rise, "hollow air" expect snow. Finished poem on "Downy Woodpecker" yesterday, like it fairly well, a white wash of snow.

30.
Bright day; go to Middletown. Dec 1. At the State Hospital with Dr Barrus; soft Indian summer like day, called on Capt. Cox last night, a great sufferer, soon to die, but bright and vivacious as even; talk of all the time. 2d. Mild overlast, walk about M. with long sad thoughts. Dear dead Channy was with me here 28 years ago, nearly all my old acquaintances dead. 3d. Rain, sleet and snow. Talked to the Tourist Club last night - 12 or 15 women in reception room at hospital to please Dr. Barrus. What would I not do to please that bright and delightful little woman.


4.
Home this morning. Good sleighing. Bright and clear.

5.
Mercury down to 4 this morning. Full blown winter upon us at a bound; too early, will not hold, premature children seldom develop well. A wonderful sight in the western heavens during Nov, the three planets Jupiter, Saturn and Venus close together. Never saw the like before, shall never on it again.

6.
Still clear and cold - down to zero.

7.
Clear and colder - 4 below this morning 10 below at the station.

8.
Cloudy and milder. Stay in P. with Kellogg, last night.

9.
Milder thawing rapidly.

10.
Rain last night and this morning, snow nearly gone.

11.
Mild and nearly clear - spring like, 5 blue-birds - all males.

12.
Still spring like, more blue-birds,

13.
Mild still day, cloudy, sit a long time under the pines in the Highland woods.

14.
Milder up to 60, light rain. Go to Vassar with Binder.

15.
A tempest of wind and rain all night, heavy, ground well filled with water this morning, colder, a severe cold wave in N.W.

16.
Clear and cold; down to 15. River, roughened by the wind, looks red in the bright sun light.

17.
Cold down to 10. Clear still.

18.
Cold down to 12. Clear still.

19.
Cold down to 14. Cloudy. Blue birds still here.

20.
Clear and cold - down to 8, nine blue birds this morning. No hint of my real life in these pages for a long time, a change has come over the spirit of my dreams, during the past two months.

21.
Down to six, nearly clear.

22.
Still cold and dry.

23.
Milder and cloudy, Spencer Van Cleefs

funeral day; died the 19th I attend the funeral. He was not much to me, but it was very sad to look upon his face for the last time, have known him since 86.

24.
Three inches of snow last night. Mild and still today with some sunshine.

25.
Mild fair Xmas, the usual Turkey dinner with Julian and Mrs. B.

26.
Mild, cloudy. Go to P. to dine at Van Klucks.

27.
Four or five inches of heavy snow last night. Clearing today and sunshine.

28.
Mercury at 22. warmer in p.m. and clouding from S.W.

29.
Rain in the night. Fog and rain all day. The wet dismal side of winter.

30.
Mild and misty, off to N.Y. today.

31.
Clearing and colder. At night out to Floral Park.