Clear and windy. Morning wasted. Afternoon to Boston and return. Evening at the Mansion.

We found upon rising this morning the ground covered with a coating of snow thus presenting quite a winterish appearance. The landscape from this hill is pretty even so. My time was wasted in running forward and backward between this and the other house.

The family were making their preparations to move to Washington, accordingly after taking a short dinner I accompanied them in a Stage to the Depot of the Providence train at i.e. to Stonington and having seen them safely arranged in a Car I took my leave and after a short call at my house returned home in the conveyance I came in.

Found my Wife keeping company with my father who is left alone. And I spent the evening there. Mr. Price Greenleaf was there and talked as usual.

Clear and colder. Morning to town where I was all day not returning until evening.

I drove in the pair of horses this morning, with my father, Wife and son John to spend the day. My own occupations were of the usual kind, all having some relation to the approaching move to town. As the season advances and the family at the other house disappear from the scene I become reconciled to the change to winter quarters. But it is a cheerless process.

At the Office I could not raise a fire so had no temptation to stay. At my house it was not much better, so my father and I waited at Dr. Frothingham’s until the four for dining with Mr. Fletcher arrived.

It was curious to observe how little ten years had altered the old location,1 and yet there were changes as well in others as in myself which carried their moral with them. The company consisted of Judge Story, Governor Everett, Judge Davis, Professor Greenleaf, Mr. Hale, Mr. Worcester, Mr. Gannett, Mr. Tarbell and ourselves. The first took the lion’s share of the talk and harped upon his favourite strings. On the whole a handsome and a pleasant dinner. I drove home by moonlight.

Clouds and snow. At home all day busy packing up. Dine at the Mansion and spend the evening there.

I felt this morning a little inclined to head ach but it went off before dinner. Time not much improved as the preparations were going on for final removal. I wrote a little upon my series of papers but not vigorously.

I forgot to state that I consulted my father about their publication and he advised the offer of them at least to the Courier, in pursuance of which recommendation there were three sent to that paper, on Monday.

The day was wretchedly gloomy. On the whole we have had a de-133lightful Summer which has however been terminated by the most unpleasant Autumn that I remember. This much diminishes my feeling of regret at leaving Quincy.

We dined with my father who is tolerably lonely. Evening, Conversation about the character of General La Fayette.