Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 4
1832-06-14
Morning cloudy, but it cleared and became a very warm day. I went to Boston, accompanied by my Wife’s Nurse Mrs. Field who was sent in to perform Commissions.1 At the Office where I was busy in Accounts but the generality of my time went as usual with but very little account of it.
Called at Mr. Brooks’ room and at an Auction Room to see some Cut Glass. Found that the New England office again paid nothing, which cramps my father’s means here again. But there is a kind of compensation always going on. When other things failed, that Office paid very largely, now this has failed, the Middlesex Canal and Wood take it’s place. In the present condition of my father’s estate, it is nevertheless to be regretted as this is the critical period. If he does not succeed in disentangling himself from his embarrassments in the course of these two or three years I think he will struggle on in them to the end of his life.
Returned from town after seeing the great military parade which was making in the case of some Philadelphia Militia who have come here.2 All this is Vanity and Vexation of Spirit. Read Mr. Vaughan in the Afternoon. There is much in his book that I like. Quiet evening at home.
Mrs. Field, the new nurse for LCA2, was “somewhat ponderous” (entry for 18 Aug., below) and at first seemed to LCA “a non descript character ... neither a Lady nor a Servant so I do not know how we shall make out” (to Mrs. JA2, 29 May); further observation of her, however, brought approval as “a very clever good temper’d creature ... who gives herself no airs and we have a prospect of going on quietly and harmoniously (to same, 2 June; both letters in Adams Papers).
The City Guards under command of Capt. Kinsman received the State Fencibles of Philadelphia on the Neck and together paraded through Washington, State, Court, and Tremont streets to the Common (Boston Daily Advertiser & Patriot, 14 June, p. 2, col. 1).
1832-06-15
Morning cloudy but afterwards exceedingly warm. The morning was passed in investigations for the benefit of my subject. The quantity of matter it leads me to read and look over would seem to be somewhat of a discouragement. But I hope it will have a tendency to fix in my mind the whole of a very important period when a contest was going on having a very great influence upon subsequent events.
At ten I went into Boston in the Carriage with my Mother and Wife. We stopped at Mrs. Frothingham’s, and from thence I went with the former to the Gallery of the Athenaeum, where after some time the latter joined us. I afterwards went to the Office where my time 315was taken up by a visit from Mr. T. Davis which I was obliged to cut short much sooner than I wished. Returned directly and we started from the Athenaeum to Quincy. A hot ride.
I spent the afternoon in reading Vaughan without however making a great deal of progress. Warm evening.