Cold but clear. The Advocate of this morning contains a short notice addressed to me, requesting a continuation of my numbers written last Winter. The crisis with that Newspaper is now coming on and it wants help.1 I shall probably take the opportunity to pay off some scores besides doing what I believe the only advisable thing. Faint heart ne’er won fair lady.

A little walk with Louisa then twenty five lines of Pope and to the Office. Finding it likely that my father must soon be here, I felt more strongly the necessity of going to Quincy, so I started directly notwithstanding the sharpness of the air and got back after giving the necessary seeds to the man at work in the garden by one o’clock.

Home. Postponed all my other occupations for the purpose of writing Political Speculation No. 5. which I finished before evening. It is written hastily and without method, but there is not time nor I may add inclination to do any thing better. The state of politics in this Country is as low as it can well be. Little on any side of the high and liberal spirit which makes the pursuit a noble one. Mr. Van Buren has done much to demoralize it but not as much as Jefferson who was the fountain of corruption. In our day, Webster is not better than any one else.

Evening. Went with my Wife to see Mrs. Dexter. A Lady by name Mrs. Cochran whom she called her niece there. We returned early.