Morning pleasant. Rode to town as usual. My time very much taken up, first by going to the Athenaeum, then to the Justice Court to attend to Champney’s case, and then to see about a case Mrs. Wells has submitted to me. She is so poor that my advice is all a matter of charity. It seems she has been sued for a bill which she thinks has been paid, though she has no voucher of the fact. I thought the case a hard one, but did not make out enough to authorize me to recommend her appeal to Law. So I concluded I would go and see the Creditor. He told a different story, and seemed to insist upon it so earnestly that I did not know what to believe, and we came to no conclusion. Mrs. Wells has behaved so properly to me that I cannot think she has been to blame. The fault if any there is, lies between her son and the Creditor. My time was thus engrossed almost entirely, and I returned to Quincy a little late.

After dinner I went on with my Catalogue pretty rapidly, as my father was in a humour for it. Captn. Morris and his Wife paid a visit this afternoon.1 Abby was quite sick all day so as not to be able to join the family. Her suffering is generally very great. In the evening, I sat with her some time, and not to disturb her, retired myself very early.