Morning cold and cloudy. A few flakes of snow and some hail announced to us the rapid march of the Winter. I was engaged in the morning in making up my Diary and writing the unusually long Record of yesterday.

Attended divine Service and heard Mr. B. Whitney of Hingham. His morning discourse was upon the performance of duty — “She did what she could,” that is ability to do the method of testing actual performance. The afternoon was upon the parable of the prodigal son. The preacher dined with us and so did Mr. Degrand who came out of Boston to spend the day. I read a Sermon of Mr. Balguy’s upon the love of Enemies — The same general characteristic of strong sense unadorned and unpretending.

Mr. Degrand remained part of the evening and the rest was spent in conversation. I read Lingard — His account of the wars of the Roses.

Clear and cold. I went to town. Engaged all my time in commissions. My house is now to be opened and prepared for our reception. I was therefore engaged today in ordering grate &ca. for the Room to be devoted to the Nursery. I also was occupied in making a transfer and effecting a sale of some of my Bank Stock. It has been on the whole not very productive to me and as I can now part with it with a trifling gain to myself and turn it into a direction that may yield more, I have concluded to part with all I have excepting what is in the State Bank.1 Should General Jackson succeed in his election and the Bank of the U.S. wind up, this Stock will appreciate. At any rate it will be a safe thing, where many of our Banks will be unsafe and I shall transfer my Deposits to it.

I was very much hurried and returned to Quincy later than I had engaged to. Dressed and proceeded with the ladies and my father directly to Mr. Bussy’s.2 Found there, Mr. and Mrs. Abbot Lawrence, General and Mrs. Wingate,3 General and Miss Dearborn, Miss Wingate, Mr. and Mrs. Kuhn,4 Mr. Pierpont and Dr. Gray, Mrs. and Miss Davis of course. The House, dinner &ca. was in a style of splendour quite above the ordinary character of gentlemen’s establishments here. But the master and mistress are not at all in character. They are vulgar people. I sat next to Miss Dearborn and was on the whole as much amused as I could have been in any part of the table. Returned by moonlight. Read Lingard.