3 P M—Every thing, feelings, appetite, bowels, vim, &c: continuing on much the same, monotonously but I guess fairly—Have written to Mrs: O'C[onnor]—no news from her lately—Rec'd word f'm John Burroughs (wh' I enclose)—also f'm Rhys—have had a good currying bout—I sometimes fancy I get the vitalest ones I ever had f'm my present nurse—young & strong & magnetic he is—
Dark and rainy here now & yesterday not cold—not many visitors—no book sales—suppose you got a bundle of circulars just sent—have just rec'd the news of my friend Chas: W. Eldridge's marriage at San Francisco—(g't chum of O'C[onnor] in war time in Wash'n—of mine also)—
20th—toward noon—feeling so-so—dark & rainy—sold one of the big books yesterday—heard f'm E C Stedman—he is quite prostrated ill nervous lassitude &c: am sorry—y'r letter rec'd—you must have lively times there at the Asylum—Wm Ingram here quite a long visit this forenoon—Herbert G[ilchrist] last evn'g—plenty callers—temperature continues moderate—was out afternoon an hour in wheel chair—
Saturday noon Dec: 21 Bright sunny day & fair temperature—am ab't same as usual—The Harleigh Cemetery Supt. has just been here—they propose to give me a lot, & I wish to have one in a small side hill in a wood—& am going out soon to locate it—am impress'd pleasantly with the Supt: Mr Wood—nothing special—
Merry Christmas to you, Mrs: B & the childer— Walt Whitman