It grieves me to think how little I have been able to write to you since my arrival here. I have set apart many hours which I have determined to devote to you, but family cares company sickness have prevented

I have received all your kind Letters and thank you for the intelligence containd in them I rejoice at your agreeable situation & wish that I could visit you more than in Idea, but at present I do not see any prospect of the kind. Should your Father go on to congress in November of which he is yet doubtfull I do not See that I can by any means leave home. we have come upon a place—wanting but every thing pertaining to Farming & find ourselves destitute of every utensal which we once possess'd so that like Regulas of old we want the most necessary articles for Husbandry.2 added to that the Garden was a wilderness & the House a mere Barrack this naturally encumbed us with work people of all kinds &, your Pappa is as he used to say he would, employd in Building Stone wall and Diging ditches. and as he always loves to do things expeditiously, tis not unusual to have ten laboring men in a day. I have get more reconciled to the spot than I was at first, but we must build in the Spring an other kitchen a dairy room & a Libriary of the two last we are quite destitute, and distresst for want of. untill this week I have never been over the Hill since I first came & only once to weymouth, nor have I made a single visit but to my old Friend mrs Quincy Your Brothers have been at Home ever Since I came & I have had much to do for them. Esther is Better tho feeble as usual. but I have had the misfortune of having Cornice the old woman who came out with me taken Sick the very week she was to have left me, with the inflamitory Rhumatisim totally deprived of the use of every Limb as helpless as a baby attended with a voilent fever & for 285a month back we have had her to attend She is now better & recoverd the use of them again tho terribly emaciated & weak. She want very much to go & live with mrs knox but whether mrs knox would take her is a question. She would be very good to attend Children is Honest & a hand in Sickness and scarcly ever had a days Sickness before if you should see mrs Knox I wish you would mention the old womans desire. I never saw a better creature at sea than she was. and now my dear Girl you must tell me whether you cannot come this fall & make us a visit, I long to see you & my dear Billy. You are the Subject of our daily conversation & I visit the picture as the only substitute, & look at Charles with double pleasure because he so nearly resembles his Sister. your Friends here all wish most ardently to see you. I do not find their regard or affection in any way diminishd towards you. You must come to your cousins Betsys wedding which I presume will be in November— I am not enough acquainted with the Young Gentleman to judge of him, he bears a good Character and I hope will make her happy She is a very deserving Girl, and so is our tranquill Lucy who has been a good deal with me and assisted me much. but I see no person who seems so much alterd in the course of four years as your worthy uncle Cranch he is very thin & look more than ten years older. Nancy Quincy is the same warm Sprightly animated Girl she was when we left her and mrs Guile as amiable as ever. she came & with mr Guile & drank Tea with me one afternoon her Eldest son is now at mr Cranchs and is a sweet little Boy,3 mrs Storer is with mrs Quiny with her three daughters who are all ill with the hooping Cough.4 mr Isaac Smith Spent the last week with us & preachd here on Sunday. mr wibird like most old Batchelors is become nearly useless, and fears his own Shadow mr Weld has again met with a most severe stroke & lost his wife a few days after my arrival here, she got to bed & was seaz'd with the child Bed fever and died the third day after.5 miss B Palmer was with her & continues there with Polly Greenleaf6 mr Able Allen is married to Nancy Chace & live upon mrs Apthorps place.7 Hannah clark married mr Boice of Milton & lives very well.8 mrs Allen saild for England a few days before I arrived here & the place is Sold to a mr Black who appears a civil obliging Neighbour & has a very agreeable woman for his wife.9 thus I have given you a Breif account of Some of our old acquaintance. as to our Boston Friends I know not much of them as I only tarried two days in Town & have never been there since; Mrs Smith 286is very pleasing woman & has got an amaizing great Boy for his age & a very fine child he is, cousin William is an attentive Husband & fond Father;10

I have been honoured by the receipt of your friendly Letter of July the 16th.1 I supposed, that on your arrival, various matters would necessarily engage your attention; we sensibly feel for the indisposition of our good Mama, and wish she was near us, that we might each take care of a finger,— previous to our being informed of these reasons of silence, we concluded, that there was some sufficient cause for it, & flattered ourselves daily, that it would be removed— we now, with great satisfaction congratulate you, on the perfect arrangement of domestick affairs, & hope soon to hear of the whole family being restored to their usual health & tranquility— I find my 287native City as you do yours—much improved, with respect to Buildings and streets, but I have not yet observed, or been informed of, any establishments being made, to promote the industry of our Countrymen, nor any system in our rulers, to check that amaizing thirst for foreign productions & foreign follies; too many of them, appear to me rather disposed to loose sight of the American Character, & to be pleased with nothing, but what borders on British or French, either of which, in my humble opinion will rather injure than benefit, but I hope (for my Country) that new times & new seasons are fast approaching, new York has adopted the Constitution, tho with a bad grace, and Congress are now endeavouring, to put it in train for operation I doubt not but our representatives under it, will, early attend to the formation of dignified political systems, and pursue them (as they may begin—ab ovo)—usque ad mala—2 at present, we have none, & what may appear very extraordinary to you, it was not their intention to be totally unrepresented at the Court of London— you were permitted to return home in Complyance with your request, & I was expected, in consequence of the expiration of my Commission, but the question was never put, whether the vacancy's should be filled up, or whether, any new appointments of a less important nature should be made, thus it rests for the deliberation & decussion of (I may say) the rising Generation—3 the present, feel themselves on the decline & are disposed to leave important points to be settled by those who are to come after them— we have been received here, with all the attention & respect we could wish for, and after residing a sufficient time in new York, to return the civilities offered, we have retired to this place, where we live in peace & happiness, mutually pleased with each other & delighted with our Boy, we are all in high health & envy not the govt—

I have received a very polite & friendly Letter from General Washington, congratulating me on my arrival & marrige in a manner too flattering—for me to send you a Copy of it—4 I have it in contemplation to visit him—nothing prevents my deciding on it, but a doubt whether Mrs.Smith (considering Circumstances) could stand the Journey,5 now sir, If a jaunt here would be agreable to you & Mrs:Adams & you would wish to visit our Country & friends, as far as the Potowmack, I have good horses & a Carriage to convey you, Mrs:A can stay with Mrs:S. while we make the excursion, many of your friends wish to see you, & I think you may do a great deal of good— two or three day's will convey you from Boston to new York 288by the way of Rhode Island, & one hour & an half after your landing you may Kiss your Daughter & Grandson at Beaver Hall— tell me what you think of the project & whether the whole or any part of it, will be agreable to you— Mrs:Smith joins me with our best affections & wishes to you & Mama & I remain Dr.Sir— / Your most Obedt./ Humble servt.