Morning cloudy with occasional showers of rain. I went to the Office and sat down very resolutely to making up the accounts with my 341father which have been in arrear for so long. This I adhered to pretty steadily and brought them down pretty well until interrupted by Mr. Ayer who came with his last bill. I settled with him entirely for his work upon my house and paid over the balance thus relieving my mind of a considerable burden which has been hanging upon it. My desire is to get rid of all my liabilities for that estate and to come down again to a solid basis.

I find my Quincy house will have cost me about $8000 dollars or about double my estimate. This of course is an unexpected and disagreeable surprise but the only way is to meet it and then begin again afresh.

Home to read Herodotus whose text I find a little more difficult than I thought. Afternoon as usual. The secret correspondence is extremely amusing. After which, arrears of Diary.

Clear and much colder than it has been. I went out of town to Quincy. Very dreary it looked there and I had symptoms of an approaching head ach. Found the workmen busy upon the roof of the house over the Pump and Kirk and his wife occupied in finishing off and cleaning up. I remained only a short time and what was a little more remarkable found nothing to do. My return was a very cold one, the wind being high and directly in front.

Home where I read Herodotus. The afternoon is short and I do not spend it very usefully inasmuch as this secret correspondence amuses me too much. Evening, Mrs. Gorham and Mr. Robbins came in for a short time.1 My head ach increased so, I had to go to bed.

Weather unequal. I called at Hancock Street to see the new Tenants who require much repair that is indispensable. Then to the Office where I was much occupied in Accounts, bringing up the arrears with my father to the 1st of last month. Mr. Walsh came in just as I was upon the point of finishing. His talk political upon the currency and general politics. Home where I make slow progress in Herodotus.

The great luxury of my life in town is the afternoon in my cheerful study. Perhaps I do not improve it as usefully in reading the corre-342spondance secret but it is the most fascinating abstract of life in a corrupt capital that I have met with. Having less of critical sagacity than Grimm,1 it has more of anecdote and satire. Evening at home. Finished the arrear of Diary.