A sharp frost evening all the county with its white coat like snow. The sky was clear for an hour but the evaporation soon made it thick and at night we had heavy showers. I went to town to finish up the letters of the week. Among others, sent that to Mr Seward. The idea of breaking up once more to return home involves such a season of discomfort that at my age it is not received cheerfully. On the other hand that of remaining another year is absolutely revolting. It seems as if the patience which I have so long and steadily inculcated upon myself has reached its last limit in this country. What with this, and the changes incident to the present unhappy contest, the darkness of the future sensibly impairs very mental elasticity. A few weeks will probably bring me to a more healthy state. I had a visit from Sir Frederick Bruce, who has been the British commissioner in China. He brought me a letter from Mr Burlingame, with whom he has been intimately acquainted for three years at Pekin. He speaks very highly of Mr B. This may be because he has exercised an influence over him so great as to secure his cooperation in a British policy. I am however rather inclined to think that the natural interests of the two countries dictate the same system, and that is a wise and just one to all parties. Burlingame has acquitted himself very creditably, so far as I know. He has exceeded the expectation I had formed of him. After Sir Frederick came a gentleman by the name of Whitehouse, a banker from New York, on a visit of civility. Returned home at five. At dinner my daughter Louisa was taken ill, and went to bed. I much fear that she has materially suffered in constitution from her same illness of last year. Mary too does not get well from her operation so fast I did from mine. So that on the whole our evening was pretty cheerless. I went on with the second volume of General Scott.155