I remained at home this morning for the purpose of bringing up the work that was deficient. Wrote up the arrears of my Journey which I might have made longer had I had more leisure. There is much of reflection which takes place in the mind upon a trip like this which passes away forever if not fixed at the moment. Perhaps it is as well that it should.

Walked down at noon to see my Mother fish at Mr. Greenleaf’s Wharf. The rest of the time divided between a letter to Mr. T. B. Johnson upon his affairs1 and the examination of the MSS of my grandmother. This work goes on with very great slowness and embarrasses me with it’s extent. I find the most astonishing confusion of valuable and worthless papers. Yet I fear to destroy any thing, the property in them not being mine, and my estimate of their value per-228haps not likely to prove the same with that of others. My fear is also great of putting valuable papers out of the way, in attempting to give them a new direction. But I console myself with the idea that if the drudgery must be done, the sooner the better. If longer delayed, the whole might be lost. Afternoon spent in like manner. Evening conversation with the family and Journal.

Elizabeth C. Adams came down this morning and went in my Gig with me to Boston. I was much engaged as is my custom. Got my last proof of my poor pamphlet which has been so unnecessarily delayed. Called at my House and at the Assessor’s Office about my tax. This with my Office duties and filling out a new list of the proprietors of the Boylston Market prior to a Dividend took up much of my time.

Called in to see Mr. Hallett for a few moments. He was full of the measures to be adopted by the convention of the Antimasonic party next week. He asked me to reflect upon some resolutions, and he asked me to continue my Essays. I told him frankly that I should hold off for the present, that I had been concerned to see my father so much involved by my course and should wait at least to see the turn things take. The course of the Advocate is now making itself felt and the reaction is driving the Whig presses into War. But they still shun the papers written by me as if they were pestilence. I must wait until they show their hand. My conversation with him was broken off by my hour for leaving. But I am now under a turn of disgust to politics which unnerves me. The indignation which the course of the Whig press last winter called up in me is now in a degree softened by the vengeance I have been enabled to take. And the hot atmosphere of political contention has been cooled by the Easterly breezes of the island of Nantucket.

Returned home to dinner and spent the Afternoon in assorting MS, a work which now requires immense dispatch, to get through before my return to Boston. Elizabeth staid until evening at our house. Brought up my Arrears this day.

I remained at home all day today with a view of putting an end to the assorting of the papers which since my coming here I had under-229taken. But I did not accomplish as much as I expected. My Grandmother and grandfather had both of them the fancy of keeping papers together which is an unfortunate circumstance in many respects. It retains details of private history which would have been better forgotten, and it relates incidents too trifling for record which consume the time and weary the patience of the examiners. Out of these bushels of chaff the grains of wheat are hard of selection.

I went over today a great deal of melancholy matter. The history of my family is not a pleasant one to remember. It is one of great triumphs in the world but of deep groans within, one of extraordinary brilliancy and deep corroding mortification—The misery of children falling as much below the ordinary standard of human conduct from vicious sensual indulgence as the gratification is worth of others to rise above it.1 I would not have any one of my children particularly distinguished, at the price of such a penalty upon the rest. I would myself much rather remain beyond the sphere in which trial and temptation is so great.

I did little or nothing else during the day. In the evening I tried to put down upon paper what I thought would answer for Resolutions to pass at the approaching Convention, but I did not succeed to my satisfaction. Afterwards, passed a little time in looking for the Comet which I think I found.2 It resembles a bright vapour rather than any thing else. But this Comet is the one which establishes Dr. Halley’s theory, and fixes some curious philosophical predictions.