241Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody to Abigail Adams, 15 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
Though the kind remembrance I have of my Sister is imprinted upon my heart, as with a point of a diamond, & can never be erased while vital spirits remain, yet I know not when I have written to her.— The cares & anxieties, the hopes, & the fears, that I should do too much, or not enough for my poor Betsy, I did not wish to trouble you with, or to tell you that my mind has been so agitated...
242Hannah Adams to Abigail Adams, 12 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
My knowledge of your condescension and goodness emboldens me to address you at present. I have at length prepared my History of New-England for the press, in which I have mentioned your illustrious partner as one of the first and most active promoters of the declaration of Independence. I have given a sketch of his speech on that important occasion from Ramsay. the whole is not inserted in any...
243Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 12 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
Since the last Letter I rec d from you dated April 12 th poor Sukey compleated the Journey of Life and is gone to the World of Spirits through the whole of her Sickness, few have exhibited a greater Degree of Firmness, Patience & Submission to the divine Will, She has left us the consoling Hope of her enjoying a blessed Immortality— M rs. Tufts by her long attendance upon her seems to be much...
244George Cabot to Abigail Adams, 11 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
I feel too sensibly the obligations you have laid me under by the letters you had the goodness to write on the 3 d & 4 th. — they deserve a better return than it is possible for me to make; while I can only offer the effusions of a grateful heart I see too plainly that those alone wou’d not be acceptable— you require a Serious engagement on my part which I am forbidden to make by motives that...
245Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 10 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
I can never sufficiently thank you for your Letters & the communications you so frequently Supply me with I am considered as the fountain head from whence truth is to be looked for. I have read parts of your Letters till I have them by heart & can preach very well without notes now— wherever I go I am Scarcly welcome without I bring my pocket full of Letters— I was last week Several days in...
246William Cranch to Abigail Adams, 8 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
It has not been from want of the most affectionate Respect that I have suffer’d your kind letter by M r. White to remain so long unanswer’d. The sickness and death of a late worthy friend of mine, M r. James Cook of Georgetown, and the business which has fallen into my hands in Consequence of that Event, have occupied my whole attention and must be my apology. M r. Cook was about my Age, and...
247Esther Duncan Black to Abigail Adams, 7 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
I am unable to find language to express my Gratitude and thankfullness to you—for your maternal Care of the Dear little orphan whose life we owe to your uncommon resolution and perseverance— I think if you had not taken care of it, it would have Dyed a more dreadfull death and a more melancholy death than if it been taken away with the smallpox or yellowfever— it is said them that will give a...
248John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 4 May 1798 (Adams Papers)
I have a day or two since received your favour of 10. Feb y: by which I perceive that my last Letters from London, had reached you, though I know not what was the fate of several that preceded them, and none of those which I wrote from this place had come to hand. I have not however since my arrival here been altogether negligent, and I hope that before this time you have received the proofs...
249Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 29 April 1798 (Adams Papers)
I am doom’d my dear Sister to be the messenger of death to you. I believe for five weeks past my Letters have convey’d you an account of the death of Some Freind or acquaintence & almost all of them Suddenly taken away the death of Sucky warner whos remains I yesterday Saw depositted by the Side of our dear Parents & much belov’d aunt. there to remain till the last trumpet Shall bid them...
250Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 23 April 1798 (Adams Papers)
I write now merely to inform you that I have reciev’d your two Lettes of the 9th & 13th of this month & Shall answer them by the next mail. I reciv’d them both last Saturday with the instructions & dispatches— I do not wonder that the Jacobins in Senate house & every where else Should be Struck dumb.— do you really Suppose Galletan Sinscere in his declarations? & what says mr Nicolas?— the...
251Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 20 April 1798 (Adams Papers)
I have read the dispatches from the Envoys with as much astonishment as the Jacobins in congress heard them but not with those twinges of conscience which some of them must feel. those who by their false representations to that nation of the designs of the Government here & the spirit of the People in General, those who have known the truth & have ly’d to the publick, those who have been all...
252Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 17 April 1798 (Adams Papers)
It is now past Ten o Clock Am. and a violent Snow Storm which began about 7 o Clock this Morning still continues, the Thermometer stands at. 32. and has not been much lower in any Snow Storm We have had in the Winter past— Our Winter has been severe, the Month of March cold & stormy, April hitherto has been a continuation of the Scene, but Two or Three Days of fair Weather thro the Day, since...
253William Smith to Abigail Adams, 14 April 1798 (Adams Papers)
I am much oblig’d by your favors of the 30 Ult. & 6 th Ins t. with the inclosures the communications from our Commiss. will, when publish’d, have the most happy effect. Many who were zealous friends to French, not long since, are now as zealous friends to their own country. I hope our Commiss. will be able to make good their retreat, before the contents of their dispatches arrive.— we have had...
254Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Adams, 9 April 1798 (Adams Papers)
Have I my dear madam appeared negligent in not answering your last friendly letter jest before you left this state.— low health through the winter may be an apology— I could make several others if necessary. but it can be of no importance for you to hear often from a retired individual whose Greatest pleasure is the retrospect of past life—of departed enjoyments—of future hope from a wish to...
255Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 5 April 1798 (Adams Papers)
I last week had to inform you of the Sudden death of my much value’d Freind Mrs Quincy I Now have to acquaint you that last Sunday afternoon in the midst of his Sermon Doctor Clark was struck with an apoplexy & fell down— after he was got into the carriage to be carry’d home he came a little to but Soon seem’d to fall asleep & into a Suoun out of which he never wak’d & ceas’d to breath about 3...
256William Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams, 2 April 1798 (Adams Papers)
Some lover of your nephews happiness, last thursday added something to the fragment of life, by placing in my hands your agreeable favor of March 20 th. The pamphlet sent me, I give you my sincere thanks. Is not Mr. Pickering the author. As soon as I read it, I thought I could see in it his simple style and forcible reasoning. I had read both Scipio and Munroes view, before I received your...
257Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 1 April 1798 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for your Letter of the 20th of march which I receiv’d yesterday & for the papers you sent mr otis & Harpers Speeches are much admir’d by one party & their Wit & Satire felt by the other. they “have bar’d the Breasts of those villains who are doing their utmost to ruin & degrade their country & have Strip’d the gilding from the Principle which they wish’d to establish.[ ” ] it had...
258Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 31 March 1798 (Adams Papers)
In my last I enclosed a rough Plan of the proposed Addition to the Wood House, that Plan will exhibit to You an Idea of the lower Room; since then I have found, that it will not be much more expensive, to take the Roof off from the Wood house & Library and erect a new one over them, than to proceed in the Way that was projected. I have accordingly orderd it to be framd in this Way; upon this...
259Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 22 March 1798 (Adams Papers)
I write now because I know how it feels to be disappointed not because I have any thing to communicate of importance. I receiv’d your kind Letter of the 13 th of this month what related to my dear Son has given me great pain tis no more than I have fear’d. but his Father Says if he can get over these difficulties he will be as cunning as the ——— he does not speak wicked words you know. my fear...
260William Stephens Smith to Abigail Adams, 21 March 1798 (Adams Papers)
It would be singular indeed, were I to permit your friendly note of March 9 th. to pass unanswered, and not to thank you for forwarding the letter from the west-ward, which accompanied it, I should not have taken the liberty of desiring my correspondents to have addressed letters to me, to the care of the Presidents secretary, had I not experienced the basest treatment thro’ the line of the...
261Ruth Hooper Dalton to Abigail Adams, 20 March 1798 (Adams Papers)
To hear of your health and happiness my dear Madam is always pleasing to me when ever you can spare time from the many ingagements I know you have I shall esteem it a favour. I am flattered from the pleasing account you give of my Daughter White she was always a good Child and I think she will do all she can to render the Family she is in happy Mr s Bartlett is a fine Woman. Mr Dalton and I...
262William Cranch to Abigail Adams, 12 March 1798 (Adams Papers)
After a most fatigueing journey I arrived on friday Evening. I travel’d all the first night, & arrived in Baltimore the next night at 9 o Clock, & sat off again at 3 the next morning. The roads as far as Wilmington were extremely bad, the rest were much better, and in this City they are quite settled. I found M rs. Cranch well, altho’ fatigued & worried with watching and attending my little...
263Hannah Quincy Lincoln Storer to Abigail Adams, 4 March 1798 (Adams Papers)
I presume Dear Madam that I Shall receive Your pardon by Complying with the request of M r. Charles Bulfinch, to be the bearer of a Letter of Mine to You— his wish without doubt is to be Noticed in Your family, as an acquaintance of this.— his Merrits Need Not be Mention’d as they are well known— He is Now imploy’d (And his expences paid) by a Number of Gentlemen, to veiw the Banks in Your...
264Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 23 February 1798 (Adams Papers)
I cannot enough thank you my dear Sister for your kind Letter its Sisterly contents Sink deep in my heart & draw tears from my eyes. happy happy woman! to have the ability & the Will to do So much good. yes my delight is to be you almoner I am always sure of a welcome wherever I go to distribute your bounty. mrs Smith dear creature what She must have Suffer’d I know her Silent manner of...
265John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 22 February 1798 (Adams Papers)
By your letter to my brother dated 3. January which he has just received I find that at the time when it was written you had received from us no advices later than the 16 th: of September, a circumstance equally surprizing and mortifying to me. After that date I wrote on the 19 th: and 21 st: of September to my father and on the 4 th: of October addressed to him some observations upon an...
266Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 18 February 1798 (Adams Papers)
I write again my dear Sister because I know you love to hear from me, & not that I have any thing important to communicate I was disappointed by not having a line from you yesterday as you clos’d your last Letter of Feb. 1 d by Saying you had just receiv’d one from me which you Should reply to the next day I went to Boston a Friday with mr & mrs Black in their Sleigh & return’d with them the...
267Thomas Boylston Adams to Abigail Adams, 12 February 1798 (Adams Papers)
Your kind favor of November 7 th: written at East Chester came to hand on the 24 th: ult o: and I have now to acknowledge the receipt, on this day, of your more recent communication, dated the 3 d: ult o: at Philadelphia. I have written to you but once since our arrival here, but my brother has been so frequent & copious in his letters both to you and my father, that I derive a sort of excuse...
268Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 9 February 1798 (Adams Papers)
what a feast you have sent us my good sister. for alhough it may be call’d a feast of bitter herbs yet I would not be ignorant from whence the Poison is extracted which is design’d to destroy our constitution this is evidently the design of those declamers. how can the People bare to see their members spending So much of the publick money to the very worst purpose. is it possible that they can...
269John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 5 February 1798 (Adams Papers)
I had scarcely closed my last Letter to you my dear mother, acknowledging the receipt of your favours of Dec r: 2. and Nov r: 23. before I received that of Nov r: 3. written at East-Chester.— We are duly grateful for your kind congratulations upon our marriage.— You will find by some of my late Letters that we have already been brought to the trial of some unpropitious circumstances Yet much...
270Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody to Abigail Adams, 28 January 1798 (Adams Papers)
I have thought day after day, that another should not pass without writing to my much loved Sister; that tomorrow I should have time , & would devote it, to the effusions of Sisterly affection, but I find each day fraught with its cares, & now more peculiarly so by my dear Betsy Quincy’s being sick with a lung fever, in consequence (I suppose) of a sudden cold. She was voilently seized with a...