271Abigail Adams to Charles Adams, 26 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
I am sometimes affraid my dear Boy that you will be spoilt by being a favorite. Praise is a Dangerous Sweet unless properly tempered. If it does not make you arrogant, assuming and self sufficient, but on the contrary fires your Breast with Emulation to become still more worthy and engageing, it may not opperate to your Disadvantage. But if ever you feel your Little Bosom swell with pride and...
272Abigail Adams to John Quincy Adams, 26 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
I hope this Letter will be more fortunate than yours have been of late. I know you must have written many times since I had the pleasure of receiving a line from you, for this month completes a year since the date of your last Letter. Not a line from you or my dear Charles since you arrived in Holland, where I suppose you still are. I never was more anxious to hear yet not a single vessel...
273Abigail Adams to John Adams, 27 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have written so largely to you by Mr. Storer who goes in the same vessel, that I should not have taken up my pen again, but in compliance with the request of a Friend whose partner is going abroad, and desires a Letter to you as an introduction. Of Mr. Dexter the Bearer I know nothing but his Name. I have inclosed the Letter which I received from his partner who you know is a valuable...
274Abigail Adams to John Adams, 28 May 1781 (Adams Papers)
I could not have conceived that a Letter written upon merely political subjects could have communicated so much pleasure to my Bosom as yours of the 28th of December to the president, of Congress, has given to mine. This Letter was taken by the Enemy, carried into New York, and published by them, and republished by Edes. For what reason the Enemy published it I cannot tell, as it contains...
275Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 23 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
And is there no medium Sir, between terms which might be misconstrued, and the cold formal adieu of mere ceremony tagd with a title. Your Sentimentilist as you are pleased to stile her prizes the Emanations of a pure and friendly Heart, before all the studied complasance of a finished courtier. Uncandid do you say? You never will find Portia so. When the character of the Statesman, the...
276Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 30 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
At length the mistery is unravelld, and by a mere accident I have come to the knowledge of what you have more than once hinted at. A Letter of Mrs. Shippen addressed to Mrs. A. but without any christian Name or place of abode, was put into my Hands Supposed for me, I opened and read it half through before I discoverd the mistake. Ought Eve to have laid it by then when so honestly come at? But...
277Abigail Adams to Alice Lee Shippen, 30 June 1781 (Adams Papers)
Your favour of june 17 was put into my Hands last Evening, and tho not realy intended for me, I cannot but consider it as a fortunate mistake on two accounts not only as it explained to me the machinations of a Man, Grown old in the practise of deception and calumny, but as it give me an opportunity of an epistolary acquaintance with a Lady, whom a dear absent Friend long ago taught me to...
278Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 14 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
Your favour by General Ward was not deliverd me till this day or I should have replied to it by the last post; the Generous acknowledgement of having tran s gressed forbids any further recrimination even tho I had more than the Right of a Friend. The serious part of your Letter drew a tear from the Eye of Portia. She wished for ability she wished for power to make happy the Man who so richly...
279Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 20 July – 6 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
Your two Letters of june 26 and july 2d came safe to hand together with the resolves which would gratify me if there was a sufficient stability in the Body which confer’d it to render it truly honorary, but the Letter of Janry. 10th strikes me very dissagreably and is highly tinctured with parissian influence. It bears a striking likeness of a servility to a court that ought not to have so...
280Abigail Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 20 July 1781 (Adams Papers)
When I looked for your Name among those who form the Representative Body of the people this year I could not find it. I sought for it with the Senate, but was still more dissapointed. I however had the pleasure of finding it amongst the delegates of this Commonwealth to Congress, where I flatter myself you will still do us Honour which posterity will gratefully acknowledge; and the virtuous...
281Abigail Adams to John Adams, 1 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
O that I could realize the agreable reverie of the last Night when my dear Friend presented himself and two Son s safely returnd to the Arms of the affectionate wife and Mother. Cruel that I should wake only to experience a renual of my daily solicitude. The next month will compleat a whole year since a single Line from your Hand has reachd the longing Eyes of Portia. No vessels have arrived...
282Abigail Adams to Elbridge Gerry, 4 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
The very quick reply with wish which you honourd my Letter together with the Friendly contents of your polite favour demand my acknowledgement. If you Sir as a patriot and a Friend feel for the injurys offerd to your Country and the disgrace with which those in power are endeavouring to load our Friend, you may easily judge of the anxiety of one whose happiness is so interwoven and blended...
283From John Adams to Edmund Jenings, 18 August 1781 (Adams Papers)
I have received your favour of 11. will take measures to repay the 20£. The ode is very fine. I shall be happy if the News is confirmed, that your Nephew has Succeeded. But have no News from America. The Pou, I read, nine months ago with Contempt and Disgust. I would not have gone through it, if it had not been merely to know that I had read it, as I think it a Duty to read every Thing which...
284Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 12 September 1781 (Adams Papers)
I cannot swallow your prohibition with a good grace and yet I am glad I know the real cause of Marias Silence to my repeated invitation. On one account I could have wished that the Letter containing the conference between Portia and Cornelia might not have been com municated. Portia is loth that Maria should be witness to the freedom of her pen least unknowing to all the circumstances which...
285Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 20 September 1781 (Adams Papers)
In truth Friend thou art a Queer Being—laugh where I must, be candid where I can.—Your pictures are Hogarths. I shall find you out by and by—I will not Build upon other peoples judgements. My philosopher (I like the Name exceedingly) used to say I was a physiognomist. I have tried not unsuccessfully to find out the Heart of many a one by the countanance. I do not recollect that I ever had that...
286Abigail Adams to John Adams, 29 September 1781 (Adams Papers)
Three days only did it want of a year from the date of your last Letter, when I received by Capt. Newman in the Brig Gates your welcome favour of May 22d. By various ways I had collected some little intelligence of you, but for six months past my Heart had known but little ease—not a line had reachd me from you, not a syllable from my children—and whether living or dead I could not hear. That...
287Abigail Adams to John Adams, 21 October 1781 (Adams Papers)
It is now four weeks since Capt. Newman arrived in the Brig Gates and brought me your Letter of the 22d of May. It wanted but a few days of a year from the date of your last when this reached me. Time which is said to soften and alleviate Sorrow, encreases anxiety when connected with expectation. This I hourly experience, and more particularly, since Mr. Brush acquainted me that my dear...
288Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 15 November 1781 (Adams Papers)
Do you know a Man by the Name of More What is his character? I have never replied to your favour of october 9th. I felt a reluctance at writing. Yet I love your Letters when they are not too sausy, or do not border upon what I never will pardon or forgive. I cannot withdraw my esteem from the writter, yet if his Friends do not tell him how much his character suffers, they do not act the part...
289Abigail Adams to John Adams, 9 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
I hear the Alliance is again going to France with the Marquis Fayett and the Count de Noiales. I will not envy the Marquis the pleasure of Annually visiting his family, considering the risk he runs in doing it. Besides he deserves the good wishes of every American and a large portion of the Honours and applause of his own Country. He returns with the additional Merrit of Laurels won at York...
290Abigail Adams to John Thaxter, 9 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
I do not take up my pen by way of reply to any Letter of yours— that is not in my power. 15 Months have elapsed since the date of your last. I must take you a little to task to give you an opportunity of justifying yourself. Here are no less than 3 of the Heathen deities arrived from your port without a single Syllable from You. Minerva— surely it is her peculiar province to communicate...
291Abigail Adams to John Adams, 23 December 1781 (Adams Papers)
I knew not untill half an hour ago that Mr. Guile intended for Europe, he did not know it himself, it was a suden movement. He has not been able to come up as the vessel is expected to sail tomorrow, the Marquis and Count are already gone on Board. I have written by them, but should have been more full and particuliar by Mr. Guile if I had sooner known of his intention. He can give you a full...
292Abigail Adams to James Lovell, 8 January 1782 (Adams Papers)
Yes I have been Sick confined to my chamber with a slow fever. I have been unhappy through anxiety for my dear Boy, and still am apprehensive of our terrible coast should he come upon it, besides the tormenting cruizers infest our Bay with impuinity and take every thing. You have heard I suppose that the passengers all left the Ship and went to Bilboa upon Gillions abusive treatment of them....
293Abigail Adams to Elizabeth Smith Shaw, February – March 1782 (Adams Papers)
I yesterday received a congratulatory Letter from you, upon the safe arrival of my dear Charles, an event which has relieved me from many anxieties and filld my Heart with gratitude to that gracious Being who protected him from the perils of the deep, and from the hostile foe, who raised him from Sickness and has restored him to his Native Land, undepraved in his mind and morals, by the...
294Abigail Adams to John Adams, 17 March 1782 (Adams Papers)
Altho I know not of a single opportunity by which I can convey to You my constant anxiety and solicitude for your Health; or obtain from you any knowledge of your present situation, yet I cannot refrain writing my sentiments upon the knowledge I have been able to obtain concerning you here. There has been a motion in C ongre ss to recall all their M inisters and s ecretaries except at V...
295Abigail Adams to John Adams, 10 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
How great was my joy to see the well known Signature of my Friend after a Melancholy Solicitude of many months in which my hopes and fears alternately preponderated. It was January when Charles arrived. By him I expected Letters, but found not a line; instead of which the heavy tidings of your illness reachd me. I then found my Friends had been no strangers of what they carefully conceald from...
296Abigail Adams to James Lovell?, 10 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have not had the pleasure of a line from you since your arrival in Philadelphia, but I have had the satisfaction of hearing from abroad and finding that the situation of my Friend was not so dissagreable as I feard. You have had publick dispatches and probable private Letters. Have you not some intelligence which you may communicate? There is not a prospect of peace I think. Thus my Friend...
297Abigail Adams to Hugh Hill, 16 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
The day after my Son reachd home I wrote to you and requested you would inform me what I was indebted to you for my Sons passage. I had inquired of Major Jackson, who said he made no particular agreement respecting him; but that if I would write he would take charge of the Letter, and deliver it himself. I accordingly wrote and requested you to direct a Letter to me; to be left at Isaac Smiths...
298Abigail Adams to John Adams, 25 April 1782 (Adams Papers)
Whenever any difficulty encompasses me, my first thought is how would my Friend conduct in this affair. I wish to know what his mind would be and then to act agreable to it. If I err in my conduct it is an error of the judgement, not of the Heart. Wholy deprived of your aid, and even advice in domestick occurences, my next resource is in that of my Friends. My present difficulty arrises from...
299Abigail Adams to John Adams, with a List of Articles wanted from Holland, 17 June 1782 (Adams Papers)
There is not any thing in this Life, now my Dear Friend is seperated from me, that can communicate equal delight and pleasure to that which I feel upon the Sight of Letters written in the well known Hand of my Friend. My Heart Leaps forward to meet them, whilst the trembling Hand uncloses the Seals, and my eager Eyes devour the contents; tho unwilling to reach the close. Capt. Deshon had the...
300Abigail Adams to John Thaxter, 17 June 1782 (Adams Papers)
I had no intention that the Fire Brand should sail without my replying to your repeated kind favours; I have been happy in receiving several Letters from You; the intrinsick value of which lead me most pathetically to mourn the loss of those which have failed. The time which I meant to have appropriated in writing to you, was most melancholy employed in attending the sick and I feared dying...