11Abigail 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...
12Abigail 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....
13Abigail 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...
14Abigail 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...
15Abigail 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...
16Abigail 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....
17Abigail 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...
18Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 4 February 1779 (Adams Papers)
If aney person had told me the night I left Braintree that I should have ben at Plymouth almost seven weaks and have received only one letter from my Mamma and too from my Myrtilla I should have thought they ware capable of telling a falshood but I find it too true. I had almost taken up a resollution not to have wrote to aney of my Braintree friends untill I had received letters from them,...
19Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 6 May 1785 (Adams Papers)
I have now before me your two last Letters by my Dear Eliza received by Capt Calliham which I mean to answer before my Brother departs, and this will be in a very few days. You cannot wonder that is an event that I am not at all gratified with. I think of it as little as possible for tis hard to the that he is to be with us by anticipating the lonesomeness of our situation when he Shall be...
20Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, June 1782 (Adams Papers)
I have not heard a word from B— since Wedensday last. I want much to know how you all do. I wrote you last Saturday. Mrs. Quincy took my letter yesterday. Hope you have received it. You will not complain of my not writing you I bleive, my letters can give you little pleasure only as they are dictated by a heart that rearly loves you. My affection for you is an inducement for my writing you at...
21Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 9 July 1784 (Adams Papers)
My Dear Eliza will be one of the first to inquire after the welfare of her friend. Nor shall she be the last unanswered. Thus far we have proceeded on our voyage with as good weather and in as good health as we could expect. We find many things disagreeable and many inconveniencies, which might have been remedied had we have known them. Others that are the necessary attendants of a sea Life...
22Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 22 December 1782 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday my Dear Eliza I returned from G ermantown and this morning, it being our usual post day, I received your letter and take the earlyest opportunity to acknowledge and answer it. Your late excursion to Boston has given you spirits. I was not conscious that my letter breathed more of friendship, or of Love, than usual, the most reasonable construction I can put upon, this curious rant of...
23Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 4 January 1783 (Adams Papers)
Your wishes for my happiness, my Dear Eliza, demand my thanks. Wishing, this power of the mind, if it originates from the heart, are as emblems of it, they shew us either the benevolence or depravity of it, and as such claim our return. Your solicitation to know the cause why I am not rearly happy demands that confidence I have ever felt in my friend, tho I have sometimes been led to think it...
24Abigail Adams 2d to Lucy Cranch, 25 May 1786 (Adams Papers)
Yesterday my Dear Lucy I received your kind favour of the 9th of April, and it was the only Letter for me, in Pappas packett. However I hope there are others on Board. My Brother I am sure must have written. Indeed my Dear Cousin I feel under great obligations to you for your repeated attentions to me, and only lament that it is not in my Power to make you more frequent returns. I have really...
25Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 30 July 1784 (Adams Papers)
This day I was Dining with Mamma at Mrs. Atkinsons in hourly expectation of receiving letters from America, Mr. Elworthy called and sent me up, one from my Dear Eliza. It was a pleasure that I have not known till now. You cannot form an idea of the sensations that operates in the mind of one, at receiving letters from those we esteem when situated from almost every friend. Sure I am you cannot...
26Abigail Adams 2d to John Thaxter, 27 April 1783 (Adams Papers)
Opportunities of conveyance from America have for these many Months past been so seldom, that it would be unpardonable to omit the present, my good Will being so greatly indebted. Allow me to judge; and the intrinsick value, will by no means balance the account. We have been in the disagreeable state of uncertainty and expectation, balancing between hopes and fears, for this long time; and are...
27Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 1 July 1783 (Adams Papers)
Every moment of my time has been employd since we got home, in writing to my friends abroad, to forward by Mr. Smith who sails a thursday—that I have not had any opportunity to give you my dear Eliza an account of our return home. Twas disagreeable enough I assure you—the day was very warm. However we got to Wymans to dine. There we stay’d till five in the afternoon. Went to Mr. Brooks and...
28Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 18 January 1783 (Adams Papers)
Your letter my Dear Eliza was this day handed me by your Mamma. I Love her much, Eliza, but wish you would just give her a hint , and tell her from me that I hope she say to no one Else, what she, does to me. I should be very sorry if I thought she did. And now to your letter. If my last convinced you, that no doubts existed in my mind, of your friendship, it had its intended effect. I am...
29Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 27 January 1783 (Adams Papers)
Your last letter my Dear Eliza, deserved from the goodness and friendship, expressed, a reply long ere this. I cannot with truth offer to you aney apology, but must submit the inattention to your candour. I have now taken my pen, and do not realy know what to write, unless you will permit me to give you an account of my yesterdays excursion. As I ever feel interested in every scene however...
30Abigail Adams 2d to John Adams, 10 May 1783 (Adams Papers)
No opportunity of writing has pressented since I was so happy as to receive two excellnt letters from my Dear Pappa, neither of them of a date later than actober. Not a vessell has sailed for Europe these many months. All the return that it is in my power to make, is to indeavour to assure you Sir that I feel a greater degree of gratitude for all your favours, than it is possible for me to...
31Abigail Adams 2d to Mary Smith Cranch, 22 June 1785 (Adams Papers)
The flattering mark of attention which I yesterday received from my Dear Aunt demands my earliest acknowledgments. Be assured Madam it has not arrisen from want of respect to you, or doubting your interest in my happiness that I have not long ere this addressed you, but from the fear of increasing the Number of my correspondents so far as to render my Letters uninteresting to those who flatter...
32Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 18 October 1785 (Adams Papers)
Mr. James Jarvis called upon us yesterday but we were not at home. To day he wrote to Pappa to let him know that he should sail next week for New York, and would take any Letters from this family. Altho I wrote Last week by Capt. Calliham I will not permit this opportunity to escape me. Mamma tells me She is sure I cannot find anything to say, as I have written so largly so lately, but...
33Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 4 September 1784 (Adams Papers)
Here my Dear Eliza is your friend placed in a little village two or three miles from Paris, unknowing and unknown to every person around her except our own family. Without a friend a companion, or an acquaintance of my own sex. In this may I expect to spend the next Winter, retired, within myself, and my chamber, studiously indeavouring, to gain a knowledge of the French Language which I...
34Abigail Adams 2d to John Quincy Adams, 3 May 1782 (Adams Papers)
I am conscious my dear Brother that I have appeared deficient in my duty and affection by neglecting to write you often. I have very little encouragement to continue a correspondance without any return from you. I do not believe you deficient in writing; it is a disagreable circumstance that we receive so small a part of the letters that are written. Mamma has receiv’d letters from Pappa and...
35Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 4 January 1784 (Adams Papers)
And why my Dear Eliza has my letter layn unanswered. That it merited a reply I will not pretend to determine, but as the motive which actuated me to write was a very friendly and Cousinly one, I had the vanity to hope you would favour me with a second letter. If I have been presumtious, be pleased to let me know it, and I will indeavour to step back—tho a very mortifying movement. If I...
36Abigail Adams 2d to Elizabeth Cranch, 20 August 1783; 29 August 1783 (Adams Papers)
Why my Dear Eliza have I not had the pleasure of hearing from you but once in an absence of two months. Is this right Betsy? I have been half of a mind to believe that you had ceaced to wish to hear from me—the idea has given me pain. Surely you received a letter by Mr. Shaw at commencement, and I have wrote you since. I cannot say that you have certainly received that but methinks you might...
37Abigail 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...
38Abigail 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...
39Abigail 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...
40Abigail 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...