Morning pleasant but it afterwards clouded over and the wind coming round to the eastward foreboded a storm. Nevertheless, according to appointment I took my father with me in my Gig and Mr. W. Spear followed in his Waggon to the Quarries. Our object was to meet Mr. Bryant and go over the spots where we thought the Railroad track wished to run.1 The proposition on their part is to purchase them. A tract forty three feet wide through three lots. We visited our two Quarries. The men who have the best Quarry in fact are discouraged by the difficulty of getting the stone out. Dudley on the contrary finds his at hand but not extensive. After an examination, we returned home to dine. This business is just at this moment beginning to develope it’s extraordinary faculty. I hope my father will in time find the benefit of it. Afternoon, continued reading Thiers and Mad. du Deffand. Evening quiet.

Morning dark with clouds and heavy rain. It poured with the utmost steadiness and regularity throughout. I remained quietly ensconced at home and read the remainder of the third Satire of Juvenal which is extremely difficult and has cost me great pains to subdue.

The Advocate of this morning contains a sign that the Atlas is offering battle with Mr. Everett. So much the better. This is the main point. I sat down in the afternoon and wrote a second Article upon Political Management, designed for the editorial department. This is meant to check the vagaries of the Members of Congress, who want to give Antimasonry a particular direction. The struggle now is between the influence of the Boston Advocate and that of these members of Congress. And every thing depends upon the direction of the fire.

Read Thiers and Madame du Deffand. The latter complains more and more of ennui as she grows older. But she gets into an era of far greater interest to us in this Country—That of the American War. Wrote until late.

Morning cool and pleasant. I went to town and was much occupied in my usual manner during my stay. At the Office where I wrote my 193Diary. Went also to the House where I found the people very quietly fixed. To the Athenaeum and to see Mr. Brooks. Thus my time vanished with very great rapidity, and I did not execute every thing I wished.

Called at the Advocate Office and gave Mr. Paine another Article upon Political Management. The Atlas is particularly wary in it’s controversy with Mr. Everett. The cue of the whole party appears to be silence, silence. Well, this will enable the Advocate to make surer work with the Antimasons. There being no contradiction in a single column of the Presses peculiarly belonging to that party, and most of them seeing no other, it may be regarded as insuring a degree of unanimity among them which we should hardly have expected.

Home to dinner. Afternoon Thiers, and Madame du Deffand.