Abby appears to mend a little, but she wants decided nourishment. I seek to find for her what she likes but as yet without success. The season is an unfavorable one for delicacies. I went to the Office and there Mr. Spear soon made his appearance. I settled with him for the loan which he made to me in June to pay for the Quincy Bank Stock and 61took up my Note therefor.1 So much for that. I then devoted some time to my Diary which is still hanging on.

Mr. Hallett called in to see me. He had much to say upon the present state of our politics and seemed quite confident of his success in the Autumn election. He spoke to me of my paper upon Slavery which I had not seen or heard of. He said it had taken remarkably well, and had been very extensively republished in Newspapers in this and other States.2 I was glad to hear so favorable an account of it. It had been, I thought when writing perhaps the best thing I ever did, and it was a little mortifying not to know even that it had been published. He also requested me to write for his Newspaper occasionally during the next month as he was going to pay his usual annual visit to Cape Cod. I told him that I would do what I could, that there seemed to be so much quiet, and there were so few solid subjects to discuss, that I doubted whether I could furnish a great deal. He said that extraordinary measures had been taken to circulate his paper and it was desirable to keep up it’s spirit and interest.

Home. Afternoon occupied in writing my Diary, for I can do little or nothing before I have finished this, and I suspect nearly the whole of next month will pass before this is accomplished. Evening, sitting with my Wife after which a few of the letters of Madame de Sevigné.

Morning pleasant but rather warm. I passed an hour in writing and then attended divine service and heard Dr. Pearce of Brooklyne preach.1 His Sermons were rather sensible but somewhat in the old fashioned manner. I listened to the morning one pretty well but did not resist drowsiness in the afternoon. This was partly owing to the fact that Mr. Walsh dined with me and my mother came in to pass the day. I passed the half hour I usually devote to sleep in conversation with her. Mr. Walsh seems much as usual, with as little occupation and as little hope of any. He keeps up his courage considering, these bad prospects. I also read in the course of the day a discourse of Dr. Barrow, being the third upon the Apostle’s creed, and in continuation upon the text of the last—The cause and effects of faith. Nothing farther today which passed off rapidly as they all do.