Morning pleasant. Office where I had a great many people. Mr. Spear from Quincy came in and talked upon various topics. He has pretty nearly done his work for me and now wants pay which I agreed to give him, next Saturday when he brings in his bill. Mr. Sparrell also came in for his money for the plan of the House and I thought his charge not excessive. Mr. A. H. Everett came in and we discussed the present state of affairs. He does not seem as much depressed as I 133should have expected but he appears to look at the future with much perplexity.

It now seems probable that New Jersey has gone against Mr. Van Buren which would have been a serious loss had it not been overbalanced by the gain of North Carolina. Such is the singular state of the public mind at present upon this question that there is no judging from previous impressions.

Mr. Walsh also came in and Mr. Robbins a lumber dealer who wished me to advance him the price of some plank my carpenter bought for me. I did not much care about doing it as I had not the money, but I offered to do it if he would discount two per cent from the face of the bill, which he refused.

Home. Livy. Afternoon, Grahame, and evening writing. My Wife still up in her room, and mostly in bed. We hear today of the critical state in which Mrs. Robins lays since her confinement.

A beautiful day. I read a little but was more taken up in preparing my Wife for the intelligence of the death of her most intimate friend Julia Robins.1 This happened at about two o’clock, the consequence of a difficulty in childbirth. Such is the vanity of human life. Such are the hopes of man.

I attended divine service and heard Mr. Frothingham from Jeremiah 6. 16. “Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways and see and ask for the old paths, where is the good way and walk therein and ye shall find rest for your souls.” An attempt to distinguish the true ground between improvement and innovation with a distant view to the question now agitating the Unitarian community. Mr. Walsh walked and dined with me after I had called at Mrs. Carter’s to see Anne by desire of my wife.

Afternoon a Mr. Ellis.2 Psalm 2. II. “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.” A very fair Essay upon the mixed state of human life but neither novel nor much affecting the feelings. Afternoon Dr. Barrow continuation of text and subject of several preceding Sundays. This was an endeavour to prove the character of Jesus from the fitness of verification of the prophecies, a point by the way attacked some years ago by Mr. Noyes in the Christian Examiner.3 Thus it is that one or the other foundation of Christianity is perpetually attacked by its would be friends. Dr. Barrow’s argument appears to me extremely strong.

Evening with my Wife who is yet so feeble in her room that she sits up only for about an hour in the day. Afterwards I read Grahame, finishing his Account of New Jersey.