31From John Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 17 June 1820 (Adams Papers)
I have received your journal to the third of June—which is entertaining and Instructing as usual— We have reports in circulation here that many Mr Randolph or Roanoke is in a state of insanity—and many say he is confined—I wish to know the truth—for although Mr Randolph has appeared through his whole public life to be possessed of a Demoniacal Spirit of Malice and Vengence without cause...
32From John Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 13 March 1820 (Adams Papers)
If Nature in scattering her bounties had bestowed upon me the genius of a Poet or a Painter I would entertain you with a description of a scene of sublimity, beauty, and novelty, such as eighty four winters never before presented to my sight: when I arose in the morning, the Sun was rising, the heavens were not of Brass but the Sky was a vast concave of clear blue marble and the earth was of...
I have received your Letters of the 9th and 10th. and am able now only to ask you not to be disappointed if I should not reach Dedham next Saturday as I have proposed. The day before yesterday I was obliged to send an Express to the President, who is at Shannondale Springs—His answer might have obliged me to put off my visit to the North entirely—The Express has just returned—I cannot start...
A most unpleasant journey was completed by our arrival at Quincy last week where we had the satisfaction of finding grandfather in better health and more comfortable than when we had last seen him. Two days afterwards Charles left us and returned to Cambridge anticipating much pleasure from the remaining months of his residence there but a little afflicted by the assignment of a part to him...
35From John Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 23 December 1819 (Adams Papers)
As I take a great interest in your pleasures, and your troubles, your last Journal has given me a large share of both—the social scenes are delightful and the prospect of trouble is afflicting—I am interested too in the Journey of our Collegians who came here on Thursday—sett all the Tailors with their Needles in Motion—and on Saturday went to Boston with their Uncle who fitted them off with...
36From John Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 21 June 1820 (Adams Papers)
I have received your journal to the third of June—which is entertaining and Instructing as usual— We have reports in circulation here that Mr. Randolph of Roanoke is in a state of insanity, and many say he is confined—I wish to know the truth—for although Mr. Randolph has appeared through his whole Public life to be possessed of a Demoniacal Spirit of Malice and Vengeance without cause against...
We have an interesting question whether by the “middle of the week” which in your Journal of last Saturday you mentioned as the time when you expected to reach home, you intended the middle of this week or of the next—If of the present it is already here; but then your last Journal which is of Tuesday, was written in expectation of hearing from one, which you doubtless did the next Morning. I...
I have just received your Letter from Ballston, with the greater pleasure, as it gives a better account of your health, than that of the 7th. instt. from Cedar Grove. I am also glad to perceive that you had met Dr Hurtt, and no doubt received from him the Letter which I wrote you by him, from Boston—I have since written twice to you, and once to Charles, and addressed the Letters to Lebanon,...
I have duly received your kind Letters of 11. 12 and 16 instt—I wrote to you at New–York and on the 14th. and 16th. from this place—the last by Thomas Hellen—Since then I have been so much occupied in making the arrangements for the disposal of my father’s Estate, but three fourths of my time has been absorbed by Company—Not a day passes without visitors, and after nine O’Clock in the Morning...
Receiving on Sunday your rebuke for the blank covers I had forwarded to you, I should have it more severely had I not concluded that about the same hour you would be receiving from me the proof that I had not been altogether so remiss as you had supposed. We have had since the beginning of the month such a succession of roasters, day and night that I have felt myself almost reduced to the...