Diary of Charles Francis Adams, volume 8
1839-11-20
Cold and clear. Office as usual. Regular division. Evening at home.
I went to the Office this morning as usual and was occupied in my ordinary mode. Nothing new. Home in order to attend to details put 330out of order by my man’s departure. Found my Wife who had returned from Quincy where she spent the night, with Dr. Bigelow. Her account is confirmatory of my worst apprehensions. The Dr. now pronounces the case to be dropsy on the brain very decided. The complaint appears then either to have thoroughly baffled their penetration, or it has very suddenly changed it’s character. Mrs. Goods the child’s nurse was at my house just from Washington and went to Quincy in the afternoon’s stage. Evening quietly at home. Continued my Lecture.
1839-11-21
Office. Thence to Quincy. Cold and snowy. Return. Evening at home.
I went to the Office where Mr. Ladd came and talked and paid rent. Received a notice from Quincy that the poor child Georgiana Frances Adams died last night at a few minutes before six. When I look back and think over this rapid decline, it makes me feel what a brief and uncertain light this mortality is.1 God alone knows the object of our creation and his inscrutable decree recalls in the same manner that he gives. Our province is to live as we may and trust to his mercy not to deal with us according to our deserts.
I hurried home and thence after making some arrangements and notifying the Mechanic Apprentices that my father would not lecture I went to Quincy.2 The family were of course in much distress but my mother’s grief touched me the most deeply. To her who has so few objects of pleasure around her it is grief indeed. The mother is in great distress but she vents it more in words. I dined out there and devoted myself as much as possible to the various members of the household. Came back at sunset in a very cold north wind. Evening at home.
The onset of the illness of Georgeanna Frances Adams, age nine, had apparently manifested itself more than a month earlier. However, she had had a serious illness in infancy affecting mouth and lungs (vol. 4:
Although the physicians continued to speak of a “lingering disease and possible recovery” for another fortnight, JQA recorded in his Diary on 4 Nov.: “I have long been afflicted with an apprehension that this poor child was destined to short life. I have watched the symptoms of her disease with a trembling heart and with sinking hope.” On the next day he wrote: “I saw her in one of her paroxysms of pain—the case is remediless.” His daily notes show that from the 16th she became “speechless but not insensible.” On that date the doctors prescribed “strymonium,” a narcotic derived from a poisonous plant or weed usually employed in the treatment of asthma or bronchial conditions to reduce coughing and pain (Pharmacopeia of U.S., 1851). The editors have found no further clue to nor name for her final illness, but see below, entry for 13 Jan. 1840.
Unknown to CFA, JQA had asked the Rev. Lunt to deliver the lecture for him (see above, entry for 14 Nov.).
