Adams Family Correspondence, volume 13
I was indeed greatly afflicted by the contents of your last Letter.1 I received it yesterday, and having a large party of Ladies and Gentlemen to dine, I felt but Little spirit to receive or entertain them. I did not communicate it to the President untill the Evening, when he insisted upon it, that I had some dissagreable News which had affected my spirits, so least he should suppose it greater or of a different kind, I told him. he most Sincerely participates with the distresset family. It hurts him, as you know all, & every thing which afflicts his 77 Friends does. I have all anxiety for our worthy Friend mr smith, least he should be materially afficted by it. his loss by mr Greenleef was very heavey. like his Father, he is the Friend in secreet, as well as openly, and his own troubles he surpresses.2 I fear mr JQA must be a sufferer. I know he left his little all in the drs Hands— he has since his absence directed his Brother Charles to draw upon him for a sum; I do not exactly know how must & vest it in real estate; this he did, but afterwards was prevaild upon to let it go—& what security he now has I know not. knowing the Family difficulties, and that it is a hard thing to keep clear of them, I got some knowledge from a Quarter which I dared not disclose, that the property was in Jeopardy. I then wrote to mr JQA, advising him to employ dr Tufts in future as his Agent. he then wrote me that he had written to dr Welch to lay out his property in a freehold in Boston; I know not what to do. I believe I had better write to Charles, and if I find he has the property secure, to hold it untill he can hear from his Brother—3
The longer we live in the world, the more do troubles thicken upon us, yet we hug the fleeting shadow. have you heard from Haverhill or rather Atkinson? I am anxious for Betsy Q Shaw. I think a change of air might be good for her—
I am glad to learn that the buisness goes on so rapidly at Quincy. I do expect to see it, the beginning of July. I fear not Sooner— pray desire mrs Porter not to use the Bacon, but to have Beef procured I found so much difficulty to get any good when I was at home that I should be loth not to have enough in about 6 days I will remit what the dr wants. I should like to know that what I sent to you for the Dr had arrived safe— I have not learnt how mrs Blacks little Girl got to Quincy. I think Nabby Hunt was a foolish Girl to go home and relinquish a dollor per week which I have given her ever since I first hired her, for a very easy kind of Buisness—and go home to Poverty— I did not send her away, for Nabby was a solid honest Girl, but for the buisness; I have got a much better one— let me know how far the building is compleated. I hope it will all be finishd before I get home and all the workmen gone— if you think the walls will not be sufficiently dry for papering that can be omitted untill an other season— with the kindest Regard for all our dear Friends and a sympathy in their troubles / I am my dear sister / Your Ever affectionate
Mrs Brisler is much afflicted at the death of her Mother the answer to the Quincy address tho short was from the Heart
RC (MWA:Abigail Adams Letters).
Cranch to AA, 25 May, above.
For Isaac Smith Sr.’s finances at the time of his death, see vol. 8:204–205, 210.
For JQA’s instructions to CA and CA’s plan for the property, see vol. 11:57–60, 265. AA’s source for her concern regarding JQA’s property in CA’s hands has not been identified, but for her suggestion that JQA employ Cotton Tufts as his agent and JQA’s reply, see vol. 12:279, 374–375.
Judge Blodget is here again, and offers to take Letters to you. he says he call’d and that you was not at home, nor My Dear Cousin Betsy for whose Health I feel not a little anxious— how is she? has she a fever? has she a cough? would not a journey serve her? has she been bled? I hear from you but seldom. You would write oftner if you was a little more careless. I mean if you did not attend so much to your stile and manner. I write once a week to sister Cranch & she to me. it is not yet Eight oclock in the morning and I have written a Letter to your son of 4 pages, one to my son at N york pretty lengthy, and now I have attempted one to you—
Our Country appears to be just waking from their dreem and delusion, from that fatal infatuation into which they have been luld by the deceptive wiles of France. I hope it may not yet be too late, but her Arts are more to be dreaded than her Arms, & her abominations have already contaminated our country. nothing can save us, but a determined Spirit of opposition to her Principles, and a united effert of our people to repell her in every shape & form she may assume— a dedermined fixd system is adopted by her to Revolutionize the Whole World, and her enimity against all freedom is evidenced by her total overthrow of all the Republicks she has attempted. she has openly & publickly averred that they were greater obsticals in her way, and more to be feared by her than Monarchys. we are fast approaching to perilious times and we have much to revise and correct, both in Morals and politicks what Great and Vast design the Almighty is accomplishing by permitting the wrath of Man to Scourge the Nations of the Earth, is yet to be unfolded. it behoveth us as a Nation to humble ourselves, and to cry out unclean, unclean, repent that the Anger of Heaven may be averted that we Perish not.1
I hope my Grandsons are well and that John has not had any thing of the Ague. I long to see them, and hope I may in the course of the summer, but have little hopes of leaving here untill July— I know you will feel afflicted and distrest at the calamity which has 79 befallen Dr Welch & family I had not any mistrust of such an event. I do most sincerly deplore it— I have heard as late as the 4 March from my sons at Berlin.2 they were then well—
I have not any Letter from mrs Smith for the Children now— Caroline has the Ague & fever—
Present my best respects to mr Peabody & Love to the Children. how is my dear little Abbe a good Girl I dout not. do not the Children want summer things. I wish you would tell me whether I have sufficiently supplied their wants—
adieu my dear sister and believe / me most affectionatly / Your sister
RC (DLC:Shaw Family Papers); addressed by Louisa Catharine Smith: “Mrs Elizabeth Peabody / Atkinson—”; endorsed: “June 2d. 1798.”
A conflation of Leviticus, 13:45, and Jonah, 3:9.
For TBA’s 4 March letter to JA, see vol. 12:427–434.