Morning occupied in copying a Lecture upon Practice in Law.1 A subject of which as yet I know nothing. I pursued the subject at the Office. Received a letter from my Mother2 which had a considerable effect upon my spirits for the remainder of the day. The family have evidently been in a state of high excitement about probable arrangements and I am much afraid that owing to the over earnestness 179of my mother upon some unpleasant subject, my father has spoken.3 I then had a conversation with George which did not contribute to improve what had already been shaken, inasmuch as it unfolded to me clearly all the errors of his mind which are likely to operate upon his fate. Afternoon at the Office reading Cruise. Drank tea at Mrs. Frothingham’s and went in the evening to a Ball at Mrs. B. Joy’s.4 Abby, Julia Gorham, and George went with me and we had a very agreeable evening. The party was quite crowded. George seemed to have enjoyed himself very much and as I thought was very much in the mood of forgetting Miss Abigail Adams altogether. If this could only continue. I reached my room precisely at midnight.