Browsing: Diary of Charles Francis Adams, Volume 2

Morning pleasant. I went to St. Paul’s Church after calling upon George who was not prepared to go with me. Heard Mr. Potter,1 and deeply, solemnly did I accord in the Prayer this morning, that I might be encouraged to the performance of whatever was before me. My feelings once or twice almost overpowered me when I came to passages which had peculiar application to the state of my mind. On the whole, I felt better when I withdrew. These sensations must exhaust themselves.

On my return, I found a note from Abby2 asking me to dine with Mrs. P. C. Brooks Jr. which I determined to do as I had not seen her yet. Found there Abby and Susan Phillips. We had a tolerably pleasant dinner and on my return home, I read the life of William Caxton published by the Society for Knowledge in England.3 It was exceeding dry and uninteresting. After the afternoon service, I drove with Abby to Winter Hill and took tea with Mrs. Everett. I seized the opportunity of their going to Washington, to send on my Volume of Executive Record and some other little Commissions which my Mother gave me. They {p. 310} go on Wednesday, and I shall not see them again. Rode to Medford and passed the evening there. Horatio Brooks, Abby’s youngest brother was there, just returned from Gibraltar.4 I had never seen him before. Conversation with Abby upon affairs in general and our marriage in particular. Much feeling on both sides as to the course I think proper to take.