Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 7
1837-05-14
A warm and very lovely day. I passed my morning in committing to paper some ideas with respect to the new condition of the Currency, then attended divine service and heard Mr. Frothingham from 1. Corinthians 7. 22. “He that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ’s servant.” The afternoon from Solomon’s Song 2. 11.12 “the winter is past, the rain is over and gone, the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come.” Excellent Sermons doubtless but my mind was running so fast upon other matters that it was almost impossible for me to fix it.
Mr. Walsh dined with me, and I went twice down to the depot of the Providence Railway without finding the cars arrived. Read a Sermon of Sterne’s. Job 14. 1.2. “Man that is born of a woman, is of few days and full of trouble: He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow and continueth not.” The shortness and troubles of life considered in much the usual way. Sterne’s style has too much mannerism to make it charm always. It looks as if sentiment was a trade and not a feeling.
Evening, Mr. Brooks came in and shortly afterwards my father reached here. He seemed well but evidently much heated from his Journey and from the atmosphere in which he had lived, but sat down and we talked of many things until very late. I found his views upon the present state of things coinciding generally with mine. He had been at Philadelphia at the time of the Suspension there and he thinks on Mr. Biddle’s part it is a purely precautionary measure. I hope it is.