I took a bath this morning for cleanliness and walked about the City. Sidney and Henry Brooks1 called to see me, Abby’s brothers. My mother does not appear either in good health or spirits. My own feelings inclined to great melancholy on seeing what I think to be the future prospects of our family. My father seemed excessively depressed and in all appearance from the same cause. After dinner we went down to the Steamboat and there we took leave of my Mother and Johnson Hellen. I felt terribly melancholy. But we were soon on our way in the Washington,2 and I drove those thoughts from my 149mind. My classmate Winthrop on board. The night was cold and I slept uncomfortably according to custom in a boat.

We arrived at Providence in 19 hours from New York. The time would have been still less had it not been for a fog which enveloped us a short distance round Point Judith. From Providence we were eight or nine hours in reaching Quincy owing to the heat of the day. I stopped here but a few minutes and then went on to Boston. But it was late before I arrived and I then found Mr. Chardon Brooks Jr.1 with a Note from his Father asking me to go to Medford which of course I could not do at that time in the evening so I deferred it.

The weather exceedingly warm. I rode to Medford and found Abby alone. She looked a thousand times prettier than I ever saw her before. Indeed, I began to doubt whether I should not call her a beauty. I never had entertained this opinion. With me it is not a sine qua non. And although I never could marry a woman who had not beauty enough to gratify me moderately, I do not prize it to such a degree as to think it of material importance. There are not many prettier women than Abby Brooks and those I should not value the more for that pre-eminence. We talked all day. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks were kind to me and I spent the day and night there. Gorham Brooks was also there.1

After breakfasting at Medford I drove Abby to Boston. The day was most intensely warm. I went to see Mrs. Frothingham1 notwithstanding and spent a short time with Abby there. Called at Dr. Welsh’s and dined there with George, and spent the evening there. Slept at the Exchange.