1To John Adams from Emma Willard, 25 April 1819 (Adams Papers)
The writer has no other reason to offer for again interrupting your repose with a letter and a book, but that she considers you as a Father of that country which she dearly loves, and as such she regards you with filial gratitude and reverence: and what we strongly feel nature prompts us to express.—Nature also prompts us to receive with a degree of pleasure those expressions of affection...
2To John Adams from Emma Willard, 28 November 1819 (Adams Papers)
While an undistinguishing thirst for popularity is reprehensible, the desire to be known and approved by those great and good characters, whom we have from infancy been taught to venerate, is perhaps somewhat better than innocent; since its tendency is to call into action, and turn to beneficial purposes, some of the best faculties of our nature. Tho the writer is not unconscious of this...