Morning fine. I went to the Office early and made arrangements for the reference, but I bethought myself it might be safer to go and examine the foot myself. I therefore asked the smith White to send for the horse and I went down myself to see him examined. The result was a complete conviction that if I rested my case upon that defect in the horse’s hoof which Wilson has made such a rout about, I should be defeated with damages. I therefore immediately concluded to take the horses back with the understanding that my right to a reference was not to be impaired while I was seeking to establish the nature of the defect.1 It does seem as if my good mother would to the end of her days create for me these little mortifications from her confidence in good for nothing servants.

Occupied in Diary and Accounts. Went with Mr. Brooks at noon to Medford. Found my Wife better than when I last saw her and the children nicely. Afternoon doing little or nothing—Reading two or three Articles in the Edinburgh and part of Irving’s book upon the Prairies,2 which I think exceedingly pretty.