Returned to town with Mr. Brooks. The morning was lovely and 377the ride pleasant. At the Office, found Mr. Watson, who came up to pay a part of his debt, and agreed that an alias should be taken out for the balance. Occupied myself with law and found that I was better able to understand it. In the afternoon, I called at Hilliards to look at the amount of his bill against George and found it nearly eighty dollars since January. I regret his extravagance exceedingly because it goes to show the state of his mind. My reproach of January last was literally true although I regretted it. His debt will impose upon my father a disagreeable business. Read Clarendon, and the Spectator in the evening.

Morning at the Office. Provoked to think that I had no letters. I am now so anxious to hear what they propose to do, that it worries me for I want to vacate my present abode, and do not like the idea of changing it for a Hotel. I read some of Chitty on Contracts and bought a Paper for my new Office which is going to be very pretty. I am afraid in this I was more extravagant than I ought to have been. Afternoon, engaged in reading Clarendon, which was very interesting. There is a very manly style about this which we do not find at the present day. Evening, in consequence of what I heard at tea of a letter from Abby Adams1 saying that my Mother was sick, I became alarmed and went to see Harriet Welsh who happened to have the letter with her. It was of a date three days earlier than mine from herself and said nothing about my Mother’s sickness, so that I felt relieved at it’s being a false alarm. Conversation. The letter was in the high flown style of that family and to me disgusting.

Morning at the Office, weather cloudy and chilly. No letters from home. I wrote a short one to my Father strongly urging him to come on.1 I think it is very necessary and essential. Read a little of the Jurist, a law publication which has lately come out and which I mentioned some days ago. Went to Medford with Mr. Brooks. It rained heavily all afternoon. I unwarily became engaged in a conversation with Abby and suffered my temper to go farther than usual which pained me exceedingly. But repentance is a very poor business unless it lead to amendment. Evening passed very pleasantly.