A cloudy day with every alternation of weather. Mr. Everetts child still lingers in a hopeless way. I have never known a case calling for more of the sympathy or others.

Went to the Office and was much engaged in the usual duties of the New Year Accounts, paying away and receiving money. I spend too much time in reading Newspapers and yet they furnish me information of great consequence. I find myself commonly in this respect better furnished than most of the politicians about here. Walk and home to read Livy, which I do not make great progress in. Afternoon, worked hard and continued the second Letter to Mr. Slade, which I finished before I went to bed, and corrected also the proof sheet of the first. Passed the evening quietly at home and read Gil Blas to my Wife.

My account of my time is not very satisfactory. I spend a great deal of it upon politics which is on the whole very unsatisfactory. What is the pleasure of dabbling in that sea of mud! Nothing, and yet to me it is almost a duty because I am bound to establish a reputation and my education makes a political one easier to acquire than any other. I do not want Office at all, the labour of it would be burdensome. But I want reputation. I want that without which as my father’s son I cannot very well get along. At least without mortification.