My Mother was still very ill and I recommended the sending for Dr. Holbrook as consulting physician with Dr. Woodward which was accordingly agreed to be done. As I was of no service and a little in the way, I concluded to go and take Walter Hellen with me to Medford for a day or two.

Boston. Athenaeum where I remained an hour and afterwards to the Office. T. K. Davis came in to see me and he talked for a couple of hours, after which Walter came in so that I had little or no leisure to do any thing. My business is trifling and yet my interruptions are so numerous that I can hardly find any leisure to do it.

To Medford at the usual time. Dinner and Afternoon walk round the Garden. On our return, we found Mr. and Mrs. Everett, and Mr. and Mrs. Lothrop. Mrs. Everett was quite lively. Mr. Lothrop with the peculiar manners which one sees in him always and which betray the hypocrite by the force of circumstances.1 Mr. Everett looked in better spirits but careworn. They remained until after tea, and I was not sorry when they went. We had a game of Whist in the evening very quietly at home. Read for half an hour afterwards from Southey’s first volume of the Doctor. How my Summer has slipped through my hands. Doing nothing at all. And giving myself up to the course of circumstances.