Morning duties as usual. And law with the rest excepting an hour in which I was engaged in trying to get a tooth extracted but the Dentist had left the City for the day. It has required no ordinary degree of resolution to come to the decision that it should be done, and the delay therefore affected my spirits. Indeed this was one of my deeply melancholy days. God knows, they come often now. We had a party to dine, 128to make the matter worse, as I am in no humor to entertain company at this season of the year. Mrs., Miss and Columbus Munroe, Mrs. Rush Senior, Messrs. Rush and Southard, Dr. and Mrs. Watkins, Mr. Cutts, Mr. Lee, Mrs. Cooper, the bride, and Mr. A. Vail made the company, which was very stupid.

Very heavy rain. Duties tolerably performed, although my spirits much in the same condition as owing to the damp I did not dare to go out to try my tooth. No letter from Abby, but I felt the first slight reaction in the course of writing a letter to her. In the evening the weather cleared. Alone with Madame as Mary had gone to a party at Miss Baker’s.

I went this morning after finishing my Record, to the Dentist’s and suffered the disagreeable sensations consequent upon the extraction of a large tooth. Dr. Gunnell1 was however much more successful and calm in his operation than the man some weeks since who so tortured me as to make my resolution a very painful one to execute. The day was spent in occupation at home. Received a letter from Abby and on the whole felt much better. Evening alone at home.

Performed my duties tolerably well today. After the duties of the morning I sat down and wrote a long letter to Richardson in answer to one received yesterday which was of more merit than usual as it regards vivacity and life.1 Quite a contrast to that of the preceding week. Very little of moment going on. The political world seems to be settling into quiet after the storm and the Clouds show signs of clearing. Evening at home and quiet.

I was quite busy all day but what constituted my occupation beyond filing my papers I cannot think.1 In the afternoon I was fully occupied in writing to Abby, in answer to her’s received last Friday. In the evening Miss Mary Buchanan came to remain with us a few days.