Booth came and made me a long visit today and told me all about his engagement to Miss Hanel of Philadelphia. When Wilkes shot the President her father desired the engagement broken but Booth immediately wrote her releasing her. She did not give him up however at once, but when he next met her she received him coldly and talked of her first duty being to her father etc. and so it ended, luckily as he thinks for both. Mr. Abner Harper came in today and made a long call. He was greatly interested in my picture. Asked me if I had put a price on it, measured it and looked at it very carefully. I told him I had not set a price on it as yet and as he did not ask for the price I did not name it. I am in no hurry. I want to see how it is liked. Moore came in and paid me for the picture he bought and it seemed pleasant to have some money coming in again. I received a letter from Smith of Springfield enclosing a check for $310 for my picture I sent there. He seemed hurt by the letter I wrote a few days ago in which I had no intention and no object in wounding his feelings. He takes pains always to let me know how much he is sacrificing for Art. He is doing a good work but it would be so much more agreeable if he would not take so much trouble to impress it upon the artists. I wrote him immediately disclaiming any intention of criticising him or finding fault and that if my letter appeared so it did not interpret my feelings towards him. Dined with Gifford and he and his wife and Mary and I went to the Opera and heard "I Pustani' with Guster and Campannini. They sang delightfully and I enjoyed it very much. I thought of dear Gertrude almost every moment and how she used to sing the airs and how she would have enjoyed the opera. She and I heard it together many years ago. I have always lamented that we could not have heard more music which she loved so and which was a part of her life.
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