I went to my Office this morning, thus beginning my usual routine of occupation. My business was the arranging my Accounts which took me the whole of my time. I drew off the charges for the Journey against my father and credited him with the surplus, and then went through the Items of my own Accounts which the transactions at Washington occasioned. These were few but rather puzzling especially to me who am upon my first attempt to make a set of books go by the 23system of double entry. I do not know that I gave myself time upon which to reflect properly. But after all this is no great affair, “Le Jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle.”

Returned home and spent the afternoon for the most part at the Athenaeum which is very near and which is the greatest convenience of a residence in this part of the City. I procured there a couple of books with which I could go on until my regular winter occupations commenced. These are Sir James Mackintosh’s fragment upon the Revolution of 1688, and a book of a Mr. Sedgwick upon education at the English University.1 The first of these works is edited by some unknown person who has prefixed to it an account of the life and writings of the Author. A violent party production doing no justice to the character of Mackintosh but curious from it’s tracing his earlier productions which in a perishable and anonymous form were brought before the public.

I need not say that in the course of my whole Journey I have never omitted reading my Chapter in the Bible with the Commentary.

My morning was passed at the Office, principally in writing and copying a letter to my father. He gave me upon my leaving Washington a paper of instructions which I have pursued this morning.1 I have seen Brown into whose hands I put the New England Office Shares and Degrand called upon me so that I gave him the Estate in Tremont Street to sell. Thus far my course was clear. I wrote back as plain and direct an answer as I could stating explicitly and for the last time my opinions.2 I propose in future to act entirely by instructions.

My time slips away so fast that I am entirely unable to take hold of my Diary with the energy which the fortnight’s absence requires. At dinner today Miss Henrietta Gray who came in from Medford with the intention of leaving this place under the care of Mr. Brooks tomorrow morning. They are going to Baltimore to see Gorham Brooks and his wife and to Washington just to peep at things there. The house was of course not in much order, and I felt severely the want of a private room. I have delayed making any arrangements respecting it until this departure took place when I might do so more at my own ease. I went out in the evening and amused myself finishing Captain 24Marryatt’s singular story of Jacob Faithful. On my return I found Mr. and Mrs. Frothingham, with a Miss Etheridge who had come over to spend the night being also to go in the morning, and Mr. Edward Everett who is Pilot of the whole concern.