Cooler day. My child, Louisa is unwell again and for the first time this winter. Though generally healthy, she is delicate and easily put out of order. I am therefore generally anxious about her.

Attended divine Service all day. Heard Mr. Frothingham, from 1 Corinthians 13. 12. “For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” A mistaken version he maintains. The idea as he illustrated is that we now see in a dim speculum as all those in ancient times were, but then, i.e. hereafter, face to face. The afternoon discourse was a better one from Romans 10. 8. “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart, that is, the word of faith which we preach.” The origin of the moral sentiment, and the modes by which 62unbelievers have attempted to account for it, tradition, the fears of men, priestcraft, law, he finally explains his own opinion which inclines to the existence of an original sense.

Read a Sermon of Barrow upon the duty of Thanksgiving. Ephesians 5. 20 “Giving thanks always for all things unto God.” He divides, 1. The nature of thanksgiving, 2. the meaning of to God, and he gets only so far in this discourse. He is more of a commentator than any Preacher I know. I have often thought this might be a very useful way of preaching and perhaps the original mode of doing so, but it requires a particular style of oratory which is not probably the highest. Among other things in Dr. Barrow I particularly remark the use of language, which is not perfectly pure, either from Latin or Gallicisms. Evening, although it rained there were visitors, Mr. Josiah Bradlee and Mr. P. R. Dalton.

Morning mild. It rained but afterwards cleared up. I went to the office and was engaged there for some time, in Accounts which I settled. But at eleven I was called to a meeting of the Proprietors of the Middlesex Canal. Nobody there but the Directors and S. P. Blake. The business finished very shortly.

I then returned home to dress for the purpose of attending a Wedding visit of Miss Thorndike who is married to Mr. Mason a son of Jeremiah Mason. I accompanied Mr. and Mrs. Frothingham and my Wife. Mr. Thorndike has built himself a very beautiful house and this is his first time of showing. I do not think it is very discreet to set up such an establishment in a place of such moderate fortunes and of so small a size. But I like to see pretty things without any wish myself to possess any greater share of them than I do. The Company was large and fashionable.

I returned early to my office and went over Accounts until dinner time. Afternoon at home, looking over the letters of Willink, until after eight o’clock, when I went to pay a visit to Mr. Frothingham’s—A family party. W. G. Brooks and his Wife, Mr. and Mrs. F. Parkman, P. Chardon Brooks, my Wife, Mr. Brooks and self, and Miss Mary B. Hall. Home at ten.

The Child continuing to hang about as if she was suffering I advised my Wife to send for Dr. Stevenson. This is a complaint to which she is not often subject—A sore throat from ulcers. I have watched them 63but they do not disappear under my Wife’s treatment. I went to the Office and was busy nearly all day in Accounts and making up my Diary. Took a long walk. The air was as mild as Summer and I was warm without a Surtout.1

Home where as dinner was delayed on account of company, I sat down and read a fair portion of the second book of the Fasti of Ovid. At four the party came. We had Governor Davis, Mr. Wadsworth, Judge Prescott, Dr. F. Parkman, Mr. J. Tilden, Mr. H. Inches and his Son, Mr. A. H. Everett, Mr. J. Coolidge, and Mr. Tucker besides Edward Brooks and Mr. Frothingham of the family. The dinner was very pretty and passed off extremely well.

Mr. Everett brought us the information that the ballot for a Senator had resulted unsuccessfully—My father having the highest vote. This is matter for reflection. It shows the prevalence of that strong feeling of dislike to him which exists in certain quarters here—The federalists and the Masons. The Whig vote was entirely lost by internal division. Governor Lincoln had more than a hundred being the greatest number in that party. My present impression is that the result of this will so alarm the Whig party that they will unite upon Davis, for the purpose of defeating my father. So be it. I consider the mode of operation as having already spoilt all the honor it might have been to him, and farther than that I never should have wished the place for him. The company went pretty late. I read a little of d’Israeli afterwards.