Arose, weather still rainy. I spent the morning in writing my 308Journal comfortably in the house. The weather improved a little in the course of the morning and I accepted an invitation of George’s to go as far as Neponset Hotel with him on his road to Boston, and went. It was late before we got there and time past as rapidly as usual while I was playing billiards. I was not so successful as usual and, being considerably nettled, I do not know how long I should have stayed had not the boy been obliged to go.

I returned home at about half past six o’clock without having had any dinner. The family appeared in some surprise about me, and I was obliged to tell them that in future they need not be astonished when I do not attend meals. They were almost all going out when I arrived, to Mr. Whitney’s to a Quincy party and I was pressed to go but refused. These Quincy parties are the dullest, the most disagreable and the most unprofitable it ever has been my lot to meet with. You do not enjoy yourself while at them nor look back upon them with satisfaction. Mrs. Clark appears amazingly offended with young Whitney for some cause or other and takes occasion to abuse him most exceedingly. She is a singular woman. I am at times exceedingly in doubt whether she has any heart or not. She is a most profound devote but I have always thought her a complete hypocrite attempting to be pious. Her chief motive of action is an ostentation, a wish to throw herself forward into the notice of other people and a desire to be admired by them. She has a deep spirit of malignity and, as an old woman, will be a most exquisitely unpleasant one. My judgment of real piety is always fixed upon a person who says nothing of it, who does not obtrude it upon other people and who governs her conduct by the principles which her bible lays down for her. Who represses malignity, slander, scandal and all the little sins which are incidental to women.

In the Evening I went and sat with my Grandfather and conversed with him as usual upon indifferent subjects. He went to bed earlier than usual tonight and I, after spending a little while in my Uncle’s room, an uncommon thing for me, went down to Supper, where we had a warm argument on the subject of the conduct of the Quincy family which did not end until late. XI:15.