Fine day and warm. I passed the morning rather idly, assorting papers, but attended divine service and heard George Whitney preach 210from Job. 7. 16. “I would not live alway.” And from Mark 14. 8. “She did what she could.” The first discourse upon death, the second upon perfection of character. Of all the young men I know go into the pulpit, not one does so with such a quantity of pretension as this. He appears to have no doubt of his powers or of his eloquence and therefore inspires his hearers with something closely allied to disgust. I could not listen to his florid nonsense with any patience.

Afternoon, read a discourse of Dr. Barrow making the third of the course upon the subject of contentment from the same text, and directed to the consideration of the condition of the various people in this world as affected by circumstances to prevent contentment. Poverty, disgrace, loss of friends &ca. with the modes by which the mind should alleviate the pressure of these evils. Barrow is always sensible if he is not often great.

In the evening my father, my Wife and I went down to pay a visit to Col. and Mrs. J. Quincy. Mr. Price Greenleaf was also there. The night was very beautiful and we sat for some time in the Moonlight. Conversation principally upon Education of which Mrs. Quincy makes a hobby. She takes up warmly the spiritual culture of Mr. Alcott, one of the newfangled theories of the day to make spirits out of boys.1 Mrs. S. R. Miller and Miss Sophia Quincy were there. Home early.

Having made an engagement with Mr. Bowditch to be at my Office this morning to attend to a transfer of some Stock I went to town, but did not get there until rather late. My time flew away exactly as usual. I went and looked for proof, but found none, then to house to see about some matters relating to arrangements. Then down to my Office where my Accounts took up a great deal of time. My Diary is in this way constantly falling into arrear and by my repeated absence makes the labour of working up doubly hard. I was engaged in various commissions for the family also which take up time imperceptibly. Home to dinner.

Afternoon passed in assorting papers which multiply difficulties as I proceed. Indeed as my stay here draws nearer to a close I feel more the difficulties which attend my prosecuting the subject. Yet who is likely to do it if I do not?

Evening went by invitation with my Wife to Mrs. T. B. Adams—A small party of Quincy people. Mr. Miller his Wife and daughter, Col. Quincy his Wife and sister, Mr. Price Greenleaf and sister, and the family of whom Mrs. Angier forms now a part. The evening was dull and made a little more so by the news just received of the death of Mr. Phineas Foster, a loss to his family and to Mrs. Adams. We returned home early.