A beautiful morning. I took a vacation from writing today in order to give myself some variety. Office where I passed two hours as usual in examining Accounts and writing Diary.

At eleven I returned home for the purpose of taking my child Louisa to the exhibition of mechanical figures by Maelzel. He has made a collection of all the extraordinary pieces of workmanship which have occupied the attention of ingenious men. A tight rope dancer with music, a lady playing the piano, a boy drawing, and a little figure imitating the motions of reading, rising, bowing and sitting down. Besides these are a little spider, a lizard, a mouse and a man. The latter by far the most difficult and the least successful. This last cost three year’s labour and is not worth an hour’s. Yet the exhibition is a very curious one to grown people and pleasing to children.1 It lasted about an hour after which I returned to see Mr. Brooks and from there to Durand for the purpose of making an arrangement for his sitting.2

Home. The Afternoon and evening devoted to a perusal of the whole debate of 1790 which exhausts the subject. I noted all the points.

Morning warm. I went to the Office and was busily engaged in summing up my Accounts for the year which is drawing to a close, the first year in which I have attempted double entry book keeping.

My father returned me my numbers with commendation more than enough. I conversed very fully with him upon the subject and found my ideas generally confirmed. Picked up one or two new ones.1 I went down to the Advocate Office to leave the first number and a little Postscript correcting the error I have fallen into.2 Saw Mr. Hallett and conversed with him upon the present state of matters. Then round town executing Commissions for my Mother. The wind changed and there was a slight shower of rain which terminated in the evening with a heavy thunder gust.

I dined at A. H. Everett’s by invitation. Principally the members of the revising Committee.3 Mr. Rockwell the Speaker, Messrs. Thomas, Whitney, Porter, a Mr. Arnold of Georgia, Mr. Hallett, E. Everett, N. Hale and Mr. Everett’s family. The dinner showed no indication of pecuniary difficulty. I have seen none in Boston more costly or better served. Yet the man is desperate in his politics. My neighbour Whitney would be blabbing upon Politics which considering the Lynx ears of his opposite E. Everett made me feel awkward.

We returned home at seven and my father left us shortly afterwards for Quincy. I wrote a little more, finishing the second number.

Morning cold and windy. I was occupied much of my time at the Office. Accounts and writing my Diary. As this is the first year in which I have kept my books of double entry I wished to close them 162properly and for that purpose have begun early. I this day succeeded in bringing them out so as to make the process easy and in future I think I shall incorporate into them my father’s business, dropping the two fold system together with one of my books and taking a single book for his Accounts, and the usual Quarterly Account Current. Most of my morning was thus spent.

I called upon Mr. Hallett to give him my second number and to propose going to Quincy some afternoon to see my father. Then to the Athenaeum to see Durand about Mr. Brooks and his picture. Afternoon at home. I made a draught of the third number which is the concluding part of the argument. I shall have difficulty with the authority I foresee. But thus far at least I have gone before the wind. And when I consider the nature of my undertaking I feel grateful that I have been able to go even so far well.