Morning cloudy with flakes of snow. I went to the Office where I read Sismondi more attentively than usual. His chapter upon Banking is quite instructive. I took the book home with a view to translating it and sending to some Newspaper, but when I came to reflect upon the state of the press I was discouraged. If I print, I must pay for my printing, that is clear enough, for the expression of opinions which have no party bearings is coldly received by all sides.

Letter from Washington. My mother gives an account of a dinner at 11the President’s at which Abraham Van Buren spoke of the ability of my Pamphlet.1 Home. Sophocles. I find my text so erroneous in my own copy that I need another and as I have one volume of another from the Athenaeum which contains Electra and not Antigone, I thought I would read that first. Afternoon continued the work upon coins which is becoming tedious in the lower Empire.

Evening, Mr. Brooks was here. Abby is improving slowly but has been made uneasy for some days by the ailing of our little girl who seemed quite heavy tonight. The baby grows.