I went to town this morning although it was not my usual day. The clouds came up rapidly and it was showery all day. I was very much occupied, first made a call at Mrs. Frothingham’s and from thence went to Sayer’s the cabinet makers. I saw my things and gave directions concerning them. Thence to my house where I was a little while and then to the Office, where I had barely time for my accounts.

Home. Afternoon rainy but I was nevertheless out most of the time superintending the setting of some fence posts round the lower part of the yard. To take proper care of a country place requires the constant attention of one person.

I procured today the second volume of Corisande de Mauléon and read some of it. Very French, very Romantic and as I perceive neces-293sarily to end badly, which is more than I bargain for in books I read for amusement.

I changed my day for going to town principally on account of the intention to commence some new work on my place. I have been anxious to avail of the services of the men now about the place before they are scattered to Washington and about. Accordingly I began upon the road up to the house, which required some ploughing in the first instance and removing the surface to the bank around my house where I wanted it. The superintendence took up much of my time.

Mr. N. Curtis and Mrs. Boylston called to settle business with my father respecting the trust of Mr. Boylston and remained by invitation to dine. The first walked up with me to see my house. I nevertheless read before dinner eighty five lines of the sixth book of the Iliad and a little of Corisande. Afterwards I was unable to do much. Evening at home. Nothing of material consequence.

Morning at home. The men were at work shovelling and ploughing down this morning until noon, but the weather was so showery that it was impossible to continue with profit so I told them to come again tomorrow. I read a hundred lines of the Iliad and a little of Corisande. Also copied the whole of a letter for my father. This is nearly all the work I do in the course of the day and a pretty poor account it is. I forgot to mention Humboldt and Lessing which are too desultory to be much taken into account. Evening some conversation with my father upon political topics.

I went to town this morning having received a letter from Mr. Hallett upon the subject of Mr. Kendall’s letter. He has put into his Newspaper an article which he calls explanatory, and he has written to me a substantial justification of the principle which I condemned. Yet there is in his tone so much of the despairing, so much of appeal to his ruined condition in case of the decision against his paper being made by the Proprietors at their present meetings, that I concluded to in-294form him of my suspending of hostilities until after the decision was made.1

My time was much taken up by commissions, and at the House, where I copied into my Letter book several of the letters that have passed in the correspondence. But I had interruptions without number from persons desiring to occupy the house in Hancock Street so that I was glad to get down to the Office again. But I had to call upon Mr. Brooks and then upon the hardware dealers to pick out the locks and other finishings which kept me much longer than I meant, so that it was quite two before I started to return home.

Afternoon as usual engaged in superintending. The men had finished the work I had marked out and I got them to plough down the hill below the cider house where we relied upon finding our gravel. In this we were not disappointed. Evening at Mr. Beale’s.