Morning cool and cloudy, but it cleared away subsequently. Rode to town as usual and went to the Office to my occupations. Felt restless however and therefore went to my house to see how things stood there. To all appearance they were perfectly safe. Returned and met Mr. Greene with whom I went to the Boylston Insurance Office and received the transfer of the Shares for which I paid and so that matter is settled.1 Whether for good or for ill now remains to be seen. I have tried an experiment, and there are many reasons why I should wish it might turn out successfully.

Called to see if Hollis was moving but there did not seem any prospect of it. Provoking. Returned to the Office and read Hutchinson for the rest of the morning. Thence out of town. Found at Medford, P. C. Brooks Jr. and his Wife who dined and passed the afternoon. From some cause or other, my spirits were a little depressed. Yet I could scarcely tell the reason. Perhaps it is because this wandering kind of life has become fatiguing and reminds me that my life is wasting, without profit to myself or to others.

I read the remainder of the Memoirs of Dr. Parr this evening. It is an amusing work from the variety of characters introduced as well as the peculiarity of the subject, but I cannot think the mind of the 299writer was equal to the materials he possessed, he has not arranged clearly, or discussed thoroughly. He has compressed badly and not enlarged where his subject required. On the whole he has not done so well as Field.

The morning was cool, but as Mr. Brooks went to town alone I thought I would accompany him and not go in my own conveyance. He conversed much with me upon the Mount Wollaston Estate, and spoke of it as a valuable property to the family. I have thought so myself, but it cannot be made very available unless some member of the family itself undertakes to improve it. I have inclined to undertaking it myself, but my idea is rather speculation than practical. A house must be built, and with my limited means the idea is absurd. Yet it would be worth trying. To be sure I am no Farmer, and to be one, should begin quickly with the probability of great losses to get any experience. The undertaking is out of my line and on the whole I think it lucky, for my present way of life is proper enough, and has the advantage of certainty.

Morning passed at the Athenaeum where I wasted my time in superficial and desultory examination of books, getting from them nothing. Read Hutchinson a little and returned with Mr. Brooks. The afternoon was lazily passed. I lounged in the grove and went to sleep there, then took up the remaining Articles of the North American Review for July, but did not get through a sleepy discussion of Stewart.1 Miss Osgood, Mr. N. Hall and his sister Mary passed a short time here.

Morning warm and pleasant, but my Wife was so unwell this morning with the disease incident to the season, that I abandoned the idea which I had taken up of returning on this day to Quincy. Rode to town accompanied by Mr. Frothingham. My time passed at the Office much as usual. I accomplished a good deal of Hutchinson, and then went down to the Boylston Insurance Office to try for the Certificates which however were not ready. I then went and looked at the Tenements in Common Street. Found Hollis not yet gone out, and Mrs. Wells still in. This woman notified me she must go, which is a matter 300of grievance. So it is sometimes. Those who are desired to go, stay and those whom we like to keep, leave us.

Returned to Medford. After dinner, Miss Glover and Miss Frothingham friends of Mrs. F., paid a visit.1 We undertook a walk to the place in the Pond or lake called the Partings,2 it was quite pleasant and took up a considerable time. On our return we found here Dr. and Mrs. Stevenson who took tea. On the whole, the time was very agreeably passed. They went away late, and the rest of the evening was passed lazily in skimming over Fontenelle’s Pluralité des Mondes.3