Lovely day. To town. Afternoon, planting. Evening at the Mansion.

Another extraordinary day. I rode to town. Found myself much occupied as usual in the details of business.

Had some talk with Harry Cabot however about the present state of pecuniary affairs. He wants me to explain to the public the causes of the difficulties in our paper system. But of what use is it to me when he admitted today he had never heard of my letters to Mr. Biddle? I do not however know that I might not be of service, and so I have sent to Mr. Hunt today a proposal to write an article for his December num-311ber.1 I think also of putting in one or two very brief ones in the Courier.

Home. After dinner out with Kirk to superintend transplanting, in which I have thus far been much favoured. Evening my Wife was so fatigued by going to town that she did not accompany me to the Mansion.

Rain and clouds. At home all day. Evening at the Mansion.

The rain fell heavily in the morning with warm weather which cooled off at night with a northeaster. I was pretty steadily engaged all day upon the papers which I proposed to draw up for the Courier in answer to the Philadelphia exposition. They contain a very brief statement which I will expand for Mr. Hunt in case he wants it. But the labour of the thing is not trifling, particularly when taken in connexion with my other work. Evening for an hour at my father’s. Nothing new.

Cloudy and cold. Exercises as usual. Evening at the Mansion.

I spent an hour in my usual course of reading with my daughter and spent all of my superfluous time during the day in writing the articles I am projecting.

Attended divine service and heard Mr. Lunt preach from Isaiah 28. 15 “We have made a covenant with death.” A serious and perhaps rather gloomy train of thought connected with the subject of Death and occasioned by the decease within a week of two young members of the parish. But I was thinking so much of other matters that I could not very well fix my attention. Afternoon Proverbs 4. 7. “Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom.” An admirable discourse upon the distinction between wisdom and learning.

I afterwards read a sermon in the English Preacher from Dr. Doddridge upon persecution. Luke 9. 55.56. “But he turned and rebuked them; and said, ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of; for the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” Very sensible and rational. The Evening was passed at the Mansion. It set in quite cool in the night which was clear.