Cloudy but turned excessively cold by night and clear. Division as usual. Dr. and Mrs. Frothingham and Thomas in evening.

I continued my work this morning and began to see light in my accounts by virtue of the annual Dividend of the Middlesex Canal. With this I propose to pay off my Mortgage on account of the South Cove 178land for my father and thus put that affair in train of settlement. I have for some years past been able to lay that Dividend up out of his Income, which is I suspect the only increase that happens to his fortune. And this he is hardly conscious of. This particular direction of his funds is perhaps better calculated for him than any other as it may be an accumulating fund, without anxiety.

Electra which I read now satisfactorily. Coins down to Gratian which is very near the end. Evening Dr. and Mrs. Frothingham and Thomas, notwithstanding the severe cold. Pleasant evening and conversation.

Severely cold night and morning. Office. Time as usual. Evening ball at Mrs. J. Welles’.

I made up my arrears this morning and filed up all my bills, besides releasing the Note upon the South Cove Property owned by my father. This was doing more than I have been able to compass before. Electra.

In the midst of the excessive cold of last night was a fire which burnt a whole street of carpenters’ shops, and some other buildings of more value. Thermometer at ten degrees below zero. Continued the coins until I got down to the region of barbarous symbols which nearly finishes the sequence.

Evening at a ball at Mr. John Welles. Very handsome and pleasant because large without being crowded. Home at midnight.

Mild and pleasant. Division as usual. Evening at Dr. Frothingham’s and Governor Everett’s.

The cold proved but a short blast of the keen polar wind, and today was mild again. My time was taken up in part by finishing arrears of business at the Office and by a wild goose chase in quest of one of my departed tenants, who has not merely vacated the house but like the dog in the manger policy refuses to let any one else into it.

Continued the review of Electra and after dinner finished the remainder of the Athenaeum collection of coins. This has been a very long work and I am not sorry it is well over.1 I propose to number them and send them home.

Evening I went to Dr. Frothingham’s and there talked until nine o’clock when I crossed over to the house of the Governor’s to a meet-179ing of the members of the Legislature by invitation. As I had no acquaintance with most of them I felt disposed to make my visit very short. And I got back in a few minutes. Home by ten.