The cold was again extremely severe with us. But I have now become so much accustomed to the temperature which now is common that I mind it very little. Such a thing is habit, and such a change does the agreeable difference of a comfortable home of one’s own produce. At the Office as usual, where I was occupied as usual in reading Williston. My morning however was considerably wasted as is commonly the case. I must labour to introduce a change. Tried to find Mr. Isaac P. Davis but could not succeed. Went to the City Bank to get an old Book balanced which belonged to my Brother. Called upon Mr. Brooks for a moment and paid a short visit to Kinsman. Mr. Whitney appears to make no start in any way, and the City Guards affairs progress slowly.

After dinner I continued reading my Demosthenes, which became a little more difficult—But on the whole still very fascinating. Mr. Sparks called to see me about my letter to him, and seemed a little startled by my father’s words.1 He was for returning the whole, but I thought this would not do, so that I talked over the matter and advised to the withdrawal of several Letters not excepted to heretofore by me, and going on a little more cautiously in the future.2 I was glad to get over this business so well, for I feared it would lead me into a scrape.

I began in the evening to read Sir Charles Grandison to the ladies, but we were soon interrupted by the entrance of Mr. and Mrs. Walker from Charlestown, who passed the evening with us. He is an able and an agreeable man and I was glad to see him. She as I have said before is my Wife’s Cousin. We passed a very pleasant evening. They were quite agreeable, and we all finished with a little Supper and some Whiskey Punch which had a very sensible influence in enlivening the group. They left us at ten.

Morning clear and cold. Our weather as yet does not moderate. I have very seldom known a more severe month. I went to the Office, after having marketed in the absence of Benjamin, my Man Servant who went home sick. I found this rather a new business, but still attempted to do as well as I could. It is an essential article of knowledge.

My time at the Office was passed very much in preparing some methodical train of reasoning for any argument which might take place tonight, upon the much talked of subject of the Militia laws. I inquired of Mr. Brooks as usual, and found that Mrs. B. was not much altered. I found Mr. I. P. Davis and delivered to him the patterns of Frames which had been returned to me by my Father. Nothing happened otherwise. Mr. Sparks had a conversation of a few minutes about the Papers and made a request that I would again look over those I had last examined, and reject what might not come within my father’s rule. I did so in the Afternoon but found none to make objection to.

The remainder of the Afternoon was passed in methodizing and modifying the remarks I thought of submitting to the Society. This 162labour costs me much time and trouble. But it is very beneficial for it habituates me to the practice of bringing ideas in a train and of managing them to an effective purpose. We met as usual in the evening though the meeting was small. I had expected that the discussion would fall through, instead of which it became animated and it was my luck to bear the whole brunt of the battle, for nearly all the Speakers were on the other side. I made a very few remarks but with very considerable warmth. I had been a little nettled at the tone of the remarks of A. W. Fuller,1 and I replied in a manner perhaps not altogether agreeable to him. One effect however I found my warmth produce upon my Speaking, it checked the flow of my ideas so as once or twice to put me in the hazard of losing my train. But on the whole I was very well content. Adjourned without a settlement, and called for Abby and Miss Phillips at Mrs. Frothingham’s to return home.