Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 3

Friday. 11th.

Sunday. 13th.

Saturday 12th. CFA

1830-06-12

Saturday 12th. CFA
Saturday 12th.
Boston—Medford

Morning fine and beginning to be quite warm. Went to the Office where I did very little owing to many interruptions. John Kirke, my father’s man came to me, for directions having brought in with him the horse I sent for and being about to take out the other, who has 259much recovered from his illness, and now promises to get well. He brought in a letter from my father with some commissions to perform,1 which I set about instantly. In the first place to get bottles for his Madeira, which I succeeded in doing though at what I thought a great price. I then went to buy some Porter and Ale which I thought I obtained low. Having finished this and bargained with Mr. Forbes about the hire of a Gig for the Summer which I obtained at a reasonable rate, I returned to the Office where I had a visit from my friend Briggs.2 He has not been to see me for a long time. Indeed he was not ever a particular intimate of mine. George loved him much. At College I knew him and when he was studying here. I was glad to see him, and to hear that he was succeeding well at his place of residence, Augusta in Maine. But I could not help a shade of moral speculation upon thinking of the change which had come over both of us since we last met, and poor George has ceased to live. Richardson came in afterwards for a short time and after him Mr. Curtis upon nothing in particular.

After dinner I started off with my Wife to Watertown to pay a visit to Edward Brooks and his Wife, and Gorham and his Wife who have returned and are established at the place of Mr. Shepherd.3 We had quite a pleasant time. Gorham Brooks was more civil to me than I had ever known him, but I shall never get over the first impression. He was guilty of no civility when I first came here and when I needed and felt grateful for attention.4 His wife is pleasing. After tea we rode to Medford where we found Mr. Frothingham and Mr. Stetson. Evening quiet.

1.

JQA to CFA, 12 June (Adams Papers).

2.

Cyrus Briggs, Harvard 1821, is referred to in vol. 1:458; his undergraduate career was marked by numerous infractions of the rules and consequent admonishments, fines, and punishments; see entries in Records of the College Faculty (MH-Ar). Subsequently he studied medicine and received the degree of M.D. in 1826 ( Harvard Quinquennial Cat .).

3.

On Gorham Brooks (1795–1855), Harvard 1814, another of ABA’s brothers, see vol. 2:149 and Adams Genealogy. His wife, Ellen (1809–1884), was the daughter of Resin D. Shepherd of Watertown; see vol. 2:165 and above, entry for 20 Sept. 1829. Shortly after their marriage in April 1829 Gorham and his wife left for Europe, from which they returned on 4 June (Brooks, Farm Journal).

4.

For the earlier unpleasantness, see vol. 2:320, 367. The incivility to which CFA objected was perhaps not so much directed at him as it was characteristic of Gorham’s social manner (Charlotte Everett to Edward Everett, 12, 26 April 1829, Everett MSS, MHi).