Morning pleasant. Mr. Frothingham rode to town with me to remain over Sunday. I went to my Office after having collected the Dividend due at the New England Marine Insurance Office. A small affair of three per Cent in one year, which does not pay me for the risk of investing. My time was afterwards entirely engrossed by various people who came with or without purpose. Mr. Conant the Tenant from Weston came with his bill for Work, and I discussed with him the probability of a time for the sale of Wood. He gives very encouraging Accounts of the amount which remains. After him came Richard-318son who spent half an hour, during which time John Kirke came from Quincy with some Commissions. He also brought Books which I had expressed a wish to have. A Note from my Father and one from John required answering,1 and some Commissions executed. These were hardly well through when Edmund Quincy came to talk about the Office opposite which he has some idea of engaging. In this manner I had barely time to write my Journal before returning to Medford. Mr. Brooks did not dine at home so that I was the only gentleman there. Read Rollin in the afternoon, but somehow or other with less gusto than at Quincy. Evening, Conversation.

I have resumed the practice of taking Shower baths since coming to Medford although the temperature of the air has altered prodigiously since my last visit. The water is now very cool, but it has a bracing effect which is agreeable, and beneficial.

My Wife was not very well and did not go to Meeting. The rest of the family attended and heard Mr. C. Brooks of Hingham preach.1 His Sermons were upon the character of the Saviour, and upon Christian Conversion. The former by far the best and the shortest. He considered the leading points of the character of Christ, to be benevolence, piety and humility and required them in all who professed to follow the Gospel, as necessary ingredients to form members of the true Church without regarding distinctions of Sect. The latter was long, more slovenly in arrangement of thought and repetition, but nevertheless conveyed many good passages very fairly. On the whole I was better pleased with him than ever before. Mr. Brooks who considers things often through a darkened medium was not suited.

I passed some time reading Rollin but in a loose way—The power of application being nothing. Mr. Frothingham brought out with him more French News of the same complexion with what had preceded. And we talked so much that I read little.