Morning at the Office as usual. The weather was still rainy but cleared up bright at noon. My time was very much broken by interruptions. Farmer came up and went on with his long story and tired me to death. I told him to be gone, as he was prosing away more than ever. But the thing does not appear to be nearer settlement than ever. The lawyers for the parties have acted very handsomely and it is quite a relief to be treated by persons of such a character. Farmer is such a 190poor Tool that I do not imagine that I can be easily rid of him. Mr. Cruft came up to make inquiry about the way to forward a letter to John, and he sat here with me for an hour or two in which time I consulted him in respect to the character of the Atlas Insurance Company, in which I contemplate investing a trifle.1 His account of it is very favourable and may probably decide me. Mr. Spear the Tenant of the House in Tremont Street No. 2. came to finish off, and so we completed the Leases and that business. He takes possession Monday. Some others called making application for houses which were soon settled, but on the whole I had very little time to myself.

The afternoon was passed in reading Demosthenes, which I did with much satisfaction—Though I have been so much interrupted as to make the impression of the Oration as a whole very feeble upon my mind. How many interruptions I have had, and how many disagreeable things are now on my mind.

The repairs on the Store being finished I went down and notified the President of the Mutual Office of the fact, and requested him to call and see it, which he agreed to do.2 He is a very disagreeable man to me. I went to see the store, and found Cruft, for whom I did his little business. Evening, reading Lalla Rookh, not so interesting as yesterday evening, but still rather pretty. Afterwards Campbell’s Rhetoric. But all my studies are now somewhat interrupted by my anxieties about temporal affairs.