The morning was dark and cloudy and it commenced raining, changed afterwards to Snow and assumed the regular appearance of one of our North Easters. I regret that two days more were not allowed to my Mother to get beyond the reach of it all. But I hope she has gained so much on it as to make her Journey easy compared with what it might have been.

I went to the Office as usual and after arranging all my balances, paying off the sum chargeable upon me from my Fathers property, which makes my Investment complete, I sat down and progressed somewhat in my German. But the book I brought from Quincy is altogether too hard to begin with.

Returned home and the storm was so high I was afraid of having a fire in my Study. I sat in the basement room and accomplished twenty three Sections of the Second book de Oratore. They had been read pretty thoroughly before. But now comes the series of Jokes which is somewhat more difficult. I hope to accomplish this better than before. Evening, the usual portion of Corinne and Lady Morgan’s nonsense. After which I completed Addison’s Critique upon Paradise 377Lost with Johnson’s remarks upon the versification. This study has not been without benefit to me. It has served to give me a better idea of the nature of this great Poem. Two Numbers of the Tatler.