31Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 30 September 1784 (Adams Papers)
Your letter N 2. Eliza, I was so happy as to receive a day or two ago. I searched my journal, upon your request to know were I was the 4 of August and found that I was in London, and that day dined at Mr. Vaughans, a very agreeable family, and from whom we received much attention. I was perhaps at the time you wrote at dinner for I recollet we did not dine till five oclock, the usual hour in...
32Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 13 February 1779 (Adams Papers)
It is now past ten however I will write you a few lines as I flatter myself they will be axcepttable, for you know we ar too apt to judge others by our own feelings. I will ask you one question whetheir if you have an opportunity to write me you dont imbrace it if you dont happen to be in dept debt ? If we ware too or three hundred miles distant I could expect to hear as often from you as I do...
33Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 20 October 1779 (Adams Papers)
I have began too or three letters to you but have burnt them, all for reasons that you need not be inquisitive to know. If they had been fit for your perusal you should have seen them: I have just returned from Germantown, my favourite Miss Mayhew is there, in as good spirits as usual. Our friend Amanda talks of leaveing Ger manto wn her mamma has sent for her, I had not time to ask her why....
34Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 27 November 1785 (Adams Papers)
Never was there a young Man who deserved more a severe punishment than yourself. I am so out of patience with you, that I am quite at a loss in what way to revenge myself. In short I know of no method that I think would be adequate to your deserts. Month after month has elapsd, ship after ship has arrived, from New York, and six months have passed since you left us, and I have as yet received...
35Abigail Adams 2d to Lucy Cranch, 6 May 1785 (Adams Papers)
Your agreeable favour my Dear Cousin was received by me some time since. I have defered answering it till my Brother should go, that he should have the pleasure of delivering it to your own hand. He leaves us in less than a week, and tho he is going to many friends and will soon form many acquaintance, he feels himself allmost a stranger to them from having been so long absent and at a Period...
36Abigail Adams Smith to Elizabeth Cranch, 18 July 1786 (Adams Papers)
In your Letter to Mamma my Dear Eliza of —— May you are strangely puzled to know in what manner to address your Cousin. Your suppositions at that time were rather premature, and the Card on which they were founded was from a family by the Name of Smith who have been vastly civil to us since our residence in this Country. But at this period, a Letter addressd to your friend under the title of M...
37Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 10 December 1784 (Adams Papers)
You can judge of my impatience my Dear Cousin, the last week when we heard from Mr. Storer who informed us that he had forwarded some days before a large packet of letters from America to my Pappa, by a diligence established for transporting letters and packets from London to Paris, and he supposed it must have arrived some days before we should receive his letter. The next Morning my Brother...
38Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 5 December 1785 (Adams Papers)
This Morning I wrote you that we were going to the play with Mrs. Church. At six oclock we called upon her, and went to the Theatre of Drury Lane, where was performed the Confedrecy, a Comedy, which I took to be as great a satire upon the manners, of high Life, as could have been written. It was not however any thing new. The entertainment was the Jubilee of Shakespear, which is well worth...
39Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 19 December 1782 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday, my Dear Eliza, I came here to pass a few days with our friend. I found her much indisposed. She is better to day, and has flattered me by saying, my company has been of service, to her. I wish I could feel conscious that this is not the result of her complasance. You are now seated in Boston—agreeably—I hope. You aught to be happy, for to deprive your friends of so great a degree of...
40Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 24 September 1785 (Adams Papers)
Last fryday I closed my Last to you and Mr. Storer sailed on Monday from Graves End so that it is now on its way to Greet you with health peace and Contentment I hope. A saturday the 17th. we went to see Mrs. Siddons, in the Character of Desdemona. Altho I saw her under many disadvantages, the part not being such as I shold have chosen, and her present situation renders it impossible for her...
41Abigail Adams Smith to Lucy Cranch, 15 October 1786 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter my Dear Cousin from Haverhill I received a few weeks since, and hearing of an opportunity to Boston I embrace it to acknowledge the receipt of and answer your Letter. I think myself very unfortunate respecting my Letters which went by Mrs Hay, that by their very long delay I was prevented hearing from my friends, and Still more that those friends should imagine themselvs forgotten...
42Abigail Adams Smith to Elizabeth Cranch Norton, May 1800 (Adams Papers)
I this day received a letter from my Mother enclosing one from you to her dated in April in which you express so much interest in my situation, that I am induced to endeavour if possible to eface from your mind some of the disagreeable impressions which may be made upon it, by your ideas of a Camp Life— Coll n Smith has ever been attached to a Military Life and whenever his Country has...
43Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 22 July 1786 (Adams Papers)
I have also to sollicit your Pardon my Dear Brother for haveing so long delayd writing you. I know that you will overlook it and forgive me. You are not at this time uninformd of the change which has taken place in our family, tho I have till now been silent my pen has lain unemploy’d from the 29th of April to this day. At present your Sister is settled in Wimpole Street about half a mile from...
44Abigail Adams Smith to John Quincy Adams, 27 July 1786 (Adams Papers)
When I closed my last to you on Sundey last I promised to give you an account of the excursion we proposed setting off upon the next day, either upon my return or during my visit. A Leasur hour presents itself, this morning and I embrace it to fullfill my engagements. On Monday Morning at Seven oclock, we were in the Carriage, Mr S and my self, at our door in Wimpole Street, from whence we...
45Abigail Adams 2d to John Thaxter, 1 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
On my return from a little excursion to Hingham some time since, I was presented with a letter from you. It pleased me and I felt quite in the spirit of answering it at the time, but there was no opportunity of conveyance, and I have so long delayed writing, that the genious which presided over my mind at that time, has fled and my thoughts have all wandered from my intention, my ideas are all...
46Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 17 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
For these Two days my Dear Eliza, I have been in expectation of hearing from you. Mr. Shaw tells me he brought letters but I have not yet been so happy as to receive any. You see by the date of my letter that the publick occasion brought me to this place to gratify that degree of curiosity that is so universally attributed to our sex, but I do not think that the other sex are deficient by any...
47Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 15 March 1779 (Adams Papers)
As a convenient opportunity offoring by General Warren I cannot let it excape without a line for my Myrtilla. I now take up my pen to inform you that I do not feel in the writing humour and am determind to indulge myself and give way to thease Lazy freeks. I shall take my pen in the eve again and will give you an account how I shall have spent the afternoon for I am now already trigd to...
48Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 9 February 1786 (Adams Papers)
This my Brother is the day appropriated for the celebration of the Queens Birth day. It really comes in june but as the Kings is in that Month they defer its celebration to this season. Kings and Princess you know may do any thing which their power will permit with impunity. But to tell you—at 2 oclock we were dressd, Mamma in a sattin of the new fashiond Colour which is Called the spanish...
49Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 10 May 1783 (Adams Papers)
Where, or in what part of the world to address you, my dear brother, I do not at present know; but I can no longer restrain my pen. It is a long, very long time, since we have had any accounts from you; not a line has your sister received since you left her, now more than three years. Is it right, my brother? Have you not written her once? I will hope you have not been unmindful. Have you not...
50Abigail Adams 2d to Lucy Cranch, 23 June 1785 (Adams Papers)
Disappointment upon Disappointment, Mortification upon Mortification My Dear Lucy shall no longer be subjected to, if it is in my Power to sheild her from them. You will before this Letter reaches you I hope receive from my Brother a long Letter from me which will dissipate every unfriendly idea of forgetfullness, neglect, &c &c. I have indeed so many correspondents that I must acquire a...
51Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 20 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
Amid the numberless letters that you receive from your various and numerous correspondents, can a few lines from your friend afford you any pleasure. Tis perhaps vanity in me to suppose you can receive any satisfaction from my letters, but I assure you if I thought you did not I should not have resumed my pen.—You well know that Nature has given me pride enough to balance all my other...
52Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, April 1782 (Adams Papers)
Knowing your benevolent heart is ever gratified by hearing of the wellfare of your friends, and feeling a disposition to scrible, you Eliza first claim my attention. I hope ere this your health and spirits are perfectly restored and every one of the family to their usual chearfulness. Do not my Dear Girl dwell too long on the dark side of affairs, it impairs your health and sinks your spirits....
53Abigail Adams Smith to Thomas Jefferson, 2 December 1786 (Adams Papers)
Mrs Smith presents her Compliments to Mr Jefferson and is very sorry to trouble him again upon the Subject of the Corsetts, but not having received them, She fears Mademoisell Sanson has not been so punctual as she promised, if Mr Jefferson will permit Petit to inquire after, and forward them by an early opportunity, Mrs S—— will be much obliged. RC ( MHi : Jefferson Papers); endorsed: “Mrs....
54Abigail Adams 2d to Lucy Cranch, 4 September 1784 (Adams Papers)
Will you not think me very unmindfull of you my Dear Lucy that I have not ere this, written you. Be assured that it has not been for any reason, but Want of time. A want of subject I am realy ashaimed to offer as an appology, however just it may be, when you will undoubedly suppose me presented with subjects every day to employ my pen upon. There is indeed ample scope for the immagination of...
55Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 14 February 1786 (Adams Papers)
Mr Smith informed me last Evening of an opportunity of writing by Way of N York and as I know of no immediate Conveyance to Boston I shall accept it to acknowledge the receipt of your two last letters by Capts Cushing, and Lyde, and to assure you that tho I have been negligent of writing, I have not been unmindfull of my friends. Indeed I have several times attempted writing you and have began...
56Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 4 July 1785 – 11 August 1785 (Adams Papers)
Every day, hour, and minute, your absence mon chere frere , pains me more and more. We left last saturday the Hotell and have got settled in peace and quiettness in our own House in this Place. The situation is pleasant. I would walk, my Brother is gone. I would ride, my Brother is gone. I would retire to my chaimber. Alas, I meet him not there. I would meet him in his appartment—but—where is...
57Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 25 April 1786 (Adams Papers)
Last night I Closed my Letter to you and shall send it to Mr Jenks’s care this Morning. I determine not to delay writing from day to day, till it becomes urkessome, but to finish my story and then go on regularly—theres a good resolution—I shall now begin by telling you a peice of News—Call all your fortitude to your aid before you proceed– here pause a moment . . . do you think yourself...
58Abigail Adams 2d to Mercy Otis Warren, 5 September 1784 (Adams Papers)
I should have availed myself, Madam, of your permission to write you, ere this, had an opportunity presented. I now have the pleasure to present myself to you from Auteuil, a few miles from Paris, where we are, and expect to reside some time. Mr. Charles is ere this, I hope, quite recovered from his indisposition, and that health smiles again through your habitation. I had the pleasure of...
59Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 24 January 1779 (Adams Papers)
Last weak I had the pleasure to receive too letters from my friend Myrtilla, aney time when you have letters if you send them to Brackets and dirrect them to General Waren or his Laidie, they will come safe to hand; you must cover them if you intend I shall read them first: I should have wrote you a longer letter by this opportunity but am prevented by an accident, which has taken up my...
60Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 9 November 1782 (Adams Papers)
A constant succession of company, is all I have to offer in vindication of my appearant inattention, to my Eliza. Not a moment have I been able to devote, to writing since your absense till these few days past. I have sometime lamented, but solely upon self interested motives, that it has not been in my power to write you. My fancy paints your situation, as agreed. Mrs. Warren, as ever,...