Morning at the Office. The day looked fair and mild after the quantity of rain which fell during the Night. I was occupied as usual excepting that my Morning seemed if any thing shorter than ever. My accounts took a considerable part of my time. My father’s dividend upon his Shares in the New England Insurance Office coming due, I went to receive it. It amounted to eight hundred and sixty four dollars, being eight per Cent upon the Capital.1 This result is very gratifying as the Investment last July was urged by me and was entered into by my Father with a little hesitation. It now pays him the small advance he made for it besides giving him a half yearly Interest nearly as large as he would have got for the whole year had he continued his property in the Stocks. So that at any rate it has turned out well.

These arrangements being made, Edward Blake came up to see me about the Meeting on Saturday Night and to talk generally. He sat only for a little while and talked pleasantly enough. I do not know whether I shall be able to find time enough during this week to do all that I wish owing to the multiplicity of engagements which distract me from pursuing the study but if I do not, I lose an opportunity which I ought to be ashamed of omitting.

I was called off shortly after one o’clock to go to Medford with Mr. and Mrs. Frothingham and Mrs. Brooks to dine, Abby going out with her Aunt Gray. The dinner party consisted of Mrs. Gray and her daughter Mrs. Story,2 Chardon, the persons already named and the family. It was tolerably pleasant, rather more so than usual. I sat next to Mrs. Gray and felt rather more at my ease than I commonly do. It became time to return at sundown. I came back with Mrs. Gray, after stopping a few moments at Mrs. Hall’s. This family are very much distressed by the very unfortunate situation of their son Edward, who is gloomy in the extreme. His health having given way and his situation as Clergyman of a Parish at Northampton being quite too laborious for him, he is thrown upon his friends without money, with a wife and two Children. We reached town and received Mrs. Everett who again came in to pass some days. We dressed and went to a party at the Miss Inches.3 It is the first time I have been in any considerable Society this Winter. The party was numerous and very 107select in it’s character. I have been out of society so long as to feel but little acquainted with any body. The party was on the whole barely tolerable. Returned early.

Morning at the Office. Weather quite cold but nevertheless tolerably agreeable. I was engaged much of my morning in settling accounts for my Father and myself. I paid those of Doggett, the Picture Framer and Jackson the Painter.1 So that now there are exceedingly few outstanding debts against him or myself. My time was interrupted so that I had little opportunity to do any thing in the way of reading or arrangement of matter for my Opening on Saturday. Mrs. Boylston, Mr. Curtis and Genl. Towne came to finish executing the Papers relating to Mr. Boylston’s Estate—Which was all done. Mr. Orcutt came to tell me that he could get no Money but we came to no arrangement. I went to see Mr. Brooks to get Mrs. Everett’s Letters, got into a conversation with Edward Brooks and Thos. W. Phillips which took up much time.2 From thence went to see Degrand, authorized him to buy some Fire and Marine Insurance Stock for my Father and to sell the Shares in the State Bank formerly belonging to George. This is an Operation I am going to hazard in order to diminish the amount of Stock which my father will be likely to transport from here to Washington, to experiment upon in the Mill. It will also be likely to turn out better in it’s Dividends than the Bank.

My time passed rapidly, and I found it time to go down to dine according to agreement with Mr. and Mrs. Frothingham. They asked us to dine with them and so I cannot escape. The dinner was pleasant as usual, perhaps a little more so, and after it I went to the Athenaeum and spent the afternoon in reading Hamilton’s report upon a National Bank. It is a good production but not exactly what I expected for it’s application was to Banking in general rather than to the expediency of a Bank for the Nation. This however is fully treated in the paper 108he presented to the President which I read over again. My time passed rapidly. I think this Library will be of immense use to me. As I was to go to a party tonight, I went home to dress and then walked to the place, Mrs. Bradley’s of Pearl Street—A relation of Mr. Frothingham’s, but not in the best Society.3 I found there few people whom I knew, but by stirring among the young men and speaking to all the ladies, I got through one hour which may fairly be reckoned among the wasted. Returned home without Mrs. Everett as she went to Mrs. Frothingham’s.