Morning at the Office a little earlier than usual. I find that I waste so much time as to make it necessary for me to attempt a little reformation in this particular. I was occupied after getting there in continuing the translation which still hangs upon my hands. I accomplished enough today to leave only a little more behind. My time was also much taken up in the usual round of Accounts for my Father. Mr. Wells the son of my new Tenant called and paid me one Month’s rent, thereby contradicting Orcutt’s story,1 and showing what may be often seen in the world, that those who talk much and against others are not perfectly clear themselves. I have not heard from Orcutt for a long time and suspect he has run away.

My time was consumed effectually so that I was obliged to return home and from thence to Abby’s brother Edward’s where I had agreed to dine. It was entirely a family party, consisting of us four and the dinner was as dinners usually are, good without any thing 93remarkable. Edward Brooks is a singular man with singular opinions and therefore does not pass for so much as he is worth. He carries his notions perhaps to an extreme and therefore affects his character, but on the whole I think him less known than he ought to be.

I returned home and it being too late for Greek had only time to read the article upon the Seven against Thebes, in La Harpe, to read all that Brumoy has to say upon the three plays already read,2 and to begin the Agamemnon of Aeschylus. This piece has many beauties, to my taste. The opening of it is so picturesque. The solitary watchman, the appearance of the flame after long and tedious vigils had made it doubtful if it ever would appear, and the description of the Communication of fire signals by Clytemnestra, with the beautiful Chorus upon the flight of Helen seem to me to have been seldom exceeded in grandeur in subsequent times. I was obliged to stop to go down to Mrs. Frothingham’s to the regular weekly Meeting of the family where I did not enjoy myself over much.