Morning cold and clear. I went to town. The decay of the year again gives me a feeling of inclination to the haunts of men. There is a comfort in the accommodations of the City, not to be found any where else in Winter. And the true luxury of life is certainly to live one half the year in each way.

I was occupied in matters of business today. Brought up my 368Quarterly Account which will terminate on Sunday next and collected nearly all the Rents remaining due from the Tenants. This has been a matter of anxiety to me, and I am glad to get through with it—Only however to begin again next week. Thus it is with the business of an Agency like mine. I let the empty Office below mine1 and on the whole accomplished a very fair business day.

Returned home. Afternoon passed in reading Seneca, sorting Papers, and comparing copy. Evening. Conversation with my father and visit to Mrs. T. B. Adams. For the first time for some years, I suffered in my teeth.

The day was cloudy with occasional heavy showers of rain but it finally cleared away. I remained at home but did not accomplish much. The pain in my teeth though coming on only occasionally was enough to keep me uneasy, and a considerable time devoted to a correction of Manuscripts of my Grandfather’s Journals cut up the remainder of the morning. I pasted in labels of my father’s books for the rest of the time before dinner.

This day was fixed for a dinner party. Mr. Brooks and Mr. Frothingham, Dr. Waterhouse and Mr. Henry Ware were to have dined here. The two first only came—The invitation having, by accident, been without limitation to them and excepting the weather in the other case. We had a pleasant dinner notwithstanding. The Afternoon however was consumed as almost all my other time is. Indeed I am running up a heavy account in this respect. In the evening, quiet at home.

Fine day. I went to town and should have enjoyed my ride exceedingly if I had not felt a pain in my head, arising from indigestion and imprudence yesterday. This ought to operate upon me more in the way of warning than it does. My general health and my Constitution are on the whole so good that I ought to be ashamed to trifle with them merely in gratification of a momentary appetite. But so it is with man. In early life he wastes himself because he knows no better. In more advanced years, because he cannot resist temptation. Whether this is or is not so, I had a bad head ache and suffered accordingly.

My time in town was taken up in commissions and in attending a sale of Coal where I finally effected a purchase of my winter’s Stock. Then returned directly to Quincy. Dr. Waterhouse and Mr. Ware came today. I regretted my indisposition the more as it entirely disabled me from enjoying their conversation. But as evening came on I recovered and passed a considerable part of it in reading Dr. Granville to the ladies.