The morning again looked threatening and again cleared away giving us a bright day. After breakfast we were visited by numbers of people—Mr. William Rotch among others. An old Quaker gentleman of 76 but fine looking and very solid. He is the father of Mrs. Arnold and all the present family. His grandfather moved from Nantucket in 1769 and founded the fortunes of the town. I like this. There is something respectable in it.

The Stage called for us at nine and soon put New Bedford behind us. Circumstances conspired to make my stay there the least agreeable portion of my excursion, but I cannot help thinking that a little more ostentation in the Citizens than we have met elsewhere contributed also. Be this as it may, our Route today lay through the flourishing places of Fairhaven, Rochester, Middleborough, Bridgewater where we had a very good dinner, West Bridgewater, Stoughton and Randolph to Milton bridge where we stopped. A most flourishing series of villages built up by industry. The State of Massachusetts is made up of the enterprise of it’s inhabitants which brings it forward faster than the richer natural productions of her neighbours do them.

The Stage did not upon this day pass through Quincy so that I hired a little carryall which took my father and myself to his house in a few minutes. Thus ended a little pleasure party of a week carried through as few such ever can be in this world without a single failure by accident or one disagreeable incident of any sort or kind. It seemed as if 226nature and man had conspired to make the whole thing one of the happiest periods man can experience and the most delightful he can remember.

We found the family well. My Wife was on my arrival out riding horseback but the children were thank Heaven in full apparent health to receive me. Evening passed in conversation.1

My eldest boy is this day two years old. Upon every return of these Anniversaries I reflect how much I have to be grateful to God for. May prosperity never have such an effect upon my mind as to render me deserving of the severer lessons of adversity. My confidence never is in any act or merit of my own but in the enduring bounty of a gracious deity.

The day was fine and I went into town. My time of course very much taken up by the accumulated affairs of a week. My Appeal has not been published. The Printer came to a stand upon a passage that need not have puzzled him, so that I had to look over the proof and an opportunity to prefix a short Note explaining the design of my publication. Called at the house and performed several commissions. Called to see Mr. Brooks and T. K. Davis, the latter because he has just recovered from a very bad fall which he had over the stair case of Edmd. Quincy’s house. While at the Office of this person, Mr. Quincy senr. came in and asked us both to be Judges of the dissertations for the Bowdoin prize in the Junior Class at Cambridge. I consented and went off upon other business. Accounts. Mr. B. V. French and Mrs. Proctor consumed the available time at the Office.

Home to dine. Found collected, Mrs. T. B. Adams with her two daughters and L. C. Smith. They dined here as a sort of notice of John’s birthday. I felt as if I could not afford to lose the Afternoon and therefore employed part of it in bringing up the record of this Diary which has again fallen in arrear by this Journey. But evenings are rapidly taking the place of Afternoons and in the evening Mr. Beale and his daughter and Mr. Price Greenleaf dropped in so that we had quite a 227large circle. Conversation principally of our experiences in our Journey. They went early and I continued writing.