My Mother was still very ill and I recommended the sending for Dr. Holbrook as consulting physician with Dr. Woodward which was accordingly agreed to be done. As I was of no service and a little in the way, I concluded to go and take Walter Hellen with me to Medford for a day or two.

Boston. Athenaeum where I remained an hour and afterwards to the Office. T. K. Davis came in to see me and he talked for a couple of hours, after which Walter came in so that I had little or no leisure to do any thing. My business is trifling and yet my interruptions are so numerous that I can hardly find any leisure to do it.

To Medford at the usual time. Dinner and Afternoon walk round the Garden. On our return, we found Mr. and Mrs. Everett, and Mr. and Mrs. Lothrop. Mrs. Everett was quite lively. Mr. Lothrop with the peculiar manners which one sees in him always and which betray the hypocrite by the force of circumstances.1 Mr. Everett looked in better spirits but careworn. They remained until after tea, and I was not sorry when they went. We had a game of Whist in the evening very quietly at home. Read for half an hour afterwards from Southey’s first volume of the Doctor. How my Summer has slipped through my hands. Doing nothing at all. And giving myself up to the course of circumstances.

Fine morning. Instead of going to town I went with my Wife and Walter to Mount Auburn in Cambridge to show it to the latter. We rambled round while Mrs A. went to see her Aunt Mrs. Parks who is quite sick. I saw only one or two Monuments that were new to me and none that struck me. The day was one of our hazy Autumn ones, not favourable to a view but very much so to the senses of feeling. The spot is a delightful one and shows only how much might have been made of it as a residence for the living instead of a repose for the dead. I am pleased with it’s quiet and when it becomes thickly strewed it will be interesting by association, although it will hardly possess many known to fame.

Returned to Medford. Dinner. Afterwards, Walk to Mrs Angier’s with Walter to pay her a visit. She was not at home at first but came in afterwards. Saw Mr. Angier and two brothers, Chas. and Joseph. Home. Evening. Whist. I felt very much fatigued from my rather unusual quantity of exercise.

Cloudy and slight showers of rain. I went to town accompanied by Walter. But I had little leisure to attend to any thing. I first went to an Auction Room where some Engravings were sold. Purchased one. Then to Mrs. Frothingham’s, then to the Exhibition of the Horticultural Society at Faneuil Hall. This was a very pretty collection of 388things from the gardens in the vicinity of the town. A great display of grapes, peaches, pears and apples, together with flowers of many varieties. The hall was decorated with these in very good taste. I found a great many people whom I knew, and was engaged in conversing with them. The birds and the gold fish added much to the effect of the scene. I hurried away and accompanied Walter to the North end for the purpose of going over to East Boston but not readily finding the ferry and it becoming late I desisted. Returned with him to Quincy to dine.

Found my Mother pronounced a little better. She seemed to me however still suffering very much. In the evening after the visit of the physician I thought she improved and was quite lively. Indeed this activity betokens to me some remainder of fever. Conversation with my father who is dull, and after all retired, Goethe’s Werther, and dipped into the Pensees Ingenieuses of Bouhours.1