Jervis McEntee Diaries

Tuesday December 16, 1884

Jervis McEntee Diary Entry, December 16, 1884, from the Jervis McEntee papers, 1850-1905, in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution

Tuesday, Dec 16, 1884 This morning I went up to see Launt Thompson. I found him in a shabby boarding place in Sixth Av., in bed with his disabled hand. His room seemed comfortable enough and the Landlady kind but I thought of his own house with his family and how he had sacrificed it by his bad habits. He looked wretchedly but seemed glad to see me. Told me he was waiting to be paid for his statue of Dupont and had had to borrow money. He wanted me to wait until the mail came for he expected the check every day. Soon the boy came in with the mail and sure enough there was a check for him for thirteen thousand seven hundred dollars. It seemed a great relief to him. He gave it to me to take down to Col Lawrence 91 Mercer St who has charge of his affairs, which I did. I staid an hour with him. He was going to the Mt. Sinai hospital as soon as there was a vacant bed and the Dr. (Stimson) was going to drive him up there today to see the place. The wound in his hand has to be opened and the bone scraped. I do not believe he will survive this disaster. He looks wretchedly but keeps up his spirits to an extent which is simply amazing to me. Dr. Stimson speaks very discouragingly of his case. I had a nice friendly letter from Booth this morning. Have been painting on my picture today but it is about done. Mary came over to see me this afternoon. I am going to paint her a little picture to give to Lori Warner for a wedding present. Spent the evening at Mary's and went around to the club to smoke my cigar. Received a letter from Sara in which she said as she was going up to the house she met Mr. Lindsley and Joe driving. She enclosed a letter from Lucy. She also sent me a long letter from Mrs. Taylor from Gotha telling me that Lily was soon disgusted with Herkomers Art School and had left it and had been rudely treated by him. I had written her about my desire to sell our place as she had had an experience similar to my own. She strongly urges my selling it and said that in her own case she had not had a single regret. It was a very friendly and interesting letter.

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