Morning pretty cool and promising a return of our sharp weather. It was a fine winters day however. I went to the Office as usual. The news from Harrisburgh is that General Harrison is the successful candidate for the two nominations made there and thus Mr. Webster is completely prostrated. Thus ends for the present a domination altogether too arbitrary to be submitted to with patience.

I passed my time in looking over and arranging Accounts and paying such bills as were most immediately within my reach. Nothing more. Short walk and home where I read Persius, but the game in this case is hardly worth the candle. I believe I shall get through him fast for the purpose of taking up some more agreeable classic. This hour is one which I enjoy quite as much as any part of my life.

Afternoon, taken up in an attempt to work up Mr. Slade’s Pamphlet. I began in what appeared to me to be in the right vein and made some progress which I felt satisfied with. It is curious but I think I must have commenced eight or ten different Sheets without success and so angry did I become at the waste of paper that I took the backs of the same half sheets and wrote one side down of each.

My Wife and I went down to pass the evening with Mr. and Mrs. Frothingham. We had a tolerably pleasant little talk and returned home at ten, after which I worked further but partly on Diary which my new mode of keeping at home has caused to fall into arrears.