Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 6
1835-06-02
I go out with Louisa to give her exercise instead of committing Pope, a sacrifice of mental to physical exercise. It is a luxury to spend an 150hour among the shades of the Common at this season. Home and to the Office. Dropped in to see Davis but staid longer than I meant talking politics and the evolutions of men and parties. Then to write Diary and accounts. Mr. R. Child here to transfer more shares of the Boylston Market. Home and made a little progress in Juvenal.
Mr. Frothingham dined with me and had a pleasant time. I drank one glass more Wine than was rigidly necessary and as a consequence my attention to Thiers was not as favorable.
Evening sat with my Wife who is recovering as favorably as we could wish. How my mind feels upon this subject. I had been so uneasy that even the relief seems hardly justifiable. The child is large and healthy. Continued Wilhelm Meister. Having got the cream of it before I read negligently.
1835-06-03
Morning warm but the Wind got round Easterly so that I found it by no means oppressive. After my walk with Louisa I went to Quincy in a gig and reached the House at ten o’clock. This was the day fixed for the ordination of Mr. Lunt as the colleague of Mr. Whitney in the Church, and in duty bound I attended.1 The services were long and a little fatiguing. Sermon by Mr. Frothingham, Charge by Mr. Parkman, Right hand of Fellowship by Cunningham, Address by Mr. Gannett, Prayer by Mr. Huntoon.2 The only failure was by Cunningham and he had the most trifling duty.3 There was a considerable attendance but the great size of the Church made it look small. This was a mistake in the original building. I avoided getting an invitation to the dinner and returned home where I had a quiet time with my Mother and Mary. My father returned early with Mr. Frothingham, who made a short visit. I dawdled an hour and then hastened to get home to Boston. Mrs. Kirk came in with me. I stated the case to her pretty plainly and left her to take the necessary measures. Got to my house to sit an hour with my Wife. Wilhelm Meister.
The installation of Rev. William Parsons Lunt, who was to have a long and close relationship with the Adamses, as Colleague Pastor had been preceded by a dispute in the Ecclesiastical Council over reading the papers relating to his dismission from the pastorate of the Second Unitarian Church in New York City. When finally read at Lunt’s request, the papers revealed that he had requested dismission for lack of support and failure of unanimity (JQA, Diary, 3 June). A broadside, “Order of Services, at the Installation,” is in the Adams Papers.
On Rev. Benjamin Huntoon of Milton, see vol. 4:432.
For an earlier judgment on Rev. Francis Cunningham, a classmate at Harvard, see vol. 3:394–395.