161From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 31 October 1818 (Adams Papers)
The state of cruel anxiety in which we remain on account of your Grandmamma’s illness has occasioned my not writing to you as punctually as I otherwise should have done and I now do not feel in spirits to say more than that both your father and myself are greatly pleased at your affectionate attention in writing so frequently. I thank you for your translations which your father says are better...
162To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 1 December 1822 (Adams Papers)
1 December 1822 This day being in tolerable health I renew my journal with the intention to pursue it through the Winter This Winter in consequence of the intriguing for the Presidency will be such an one as will furnish sufficient incident to make it interesting—As however I collect most of the news from mere publick rumour I do not vouch for the truth of it and it will of course be subject...
163To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 11 February 1819 to 26 February 1819 (Adams Papers)
Feby 11 Mr Bailey called this morning and informed us that Mr Pinckney was to speak at the Supreme Court and if we felt inclined he would accompany us—We accordingly accepted and went to Court which was just opened and Mr Pinckney rose—His oratory is formed in the modern theatrical school, and consists chiefly of whispered breathings almost inarticulate, and immediate transitions to burst’s of...
164To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 25 December 1818 (Adams Papers)
25 This being Xmas day received visits as usual from Mr. & Madame de Neuville—As I have just received your Letter my Dear Sir, though an answer to it is rather premature in this place, I must say a few words on the subject of Foreign Ministers; and though t it is impossible for me to deny what you observe regarding them, respect for the family into which I have entered, will not permit me to...
165To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 2 March 1820 (Adams Papers)
2nd. March—Company at dinner consisting of Chief Justice Marshall Justice Washington Justice Todd Justice Story Justice Livingston Mr Story Mr: Ingersoll Mr: Hopkinson Mr: I Ogden Col Taylor General Brown, Col Morrison Gen. Winder & Mr: W Jones—The dinner was pleasant and the Bottle did not circulate too freely—The House was in Session when the Gentlemen arrived—Nothing heard of but Mr:...
166From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 3 July 1822 (Adams Papers)
I yesterday received your Letter which was forwarded to me by George from Washington—Your Uncle is under the hand of Dr. Physick and it is impossible for us to know whether we can get on to Boston or not rely on it that my desire to see you would induce me to make some great effort but I shall insist on seeing you in the Winter and after that you may perhaps have an opportunity of seeing us...
167From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 20 January 1822 (Adams Papers)
Being much better in health I seize the opportunity of writing a few lines to you and your brother— There are some actions my Son that are altogether above praise and that can only be rewarded by the consciousness of having done well and deserved the approbation of the virtuous and the good—rest assured that such actions sink deep into your Mothers heart and that she prays fervently to her...
168To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 25 May 1821 (Adams Papers)
Mr Roach with his Sister and daughter are to dine with us to day he tells me that he had the pleasure of seeing you and that you were in perfect health Our City is full of strangers and we have been as dissipated during the last week as we generally are in the Winter The weather is more variable and altogether worse than I ever remember it and we can scarcely be said to have left off fires...
169To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 12 December 1822 to 13 December 1822 (Adams Papers)
12. December Mrs Frye called today to see me and I went with her to the Kings Picture Gallery and appointed Monday for her to sit to him—Her husband has one of the vilest things I ever saw which was taken by some miserable dauber —it is not fit to adorn a sign post—Had 21 visits and went out to see Mrs Calhoun Mrs Findlay, & Mrs Ingham—The former is a respectable looking elderly Lady the...
170To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 17 July 1819 (Adams Papers)
I have been so unwell with the Chicken pox since I returned from Virginia and the weather has been so hot, that I could not answer your last kind Letter so soon as I ought, to thank for the flattering kindness with which you received my ridiculous labours Believe me they it were not attended with fatigue, and did not at all interfere with my other avocations and are hardly worthy of the praise...
171From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 22 December 1818 (Adams Papers)
I yesterday received your Letter of the 15 instt. and really can scarcely find an excuse for my long silence both to you and to Charles whose Letters afford me so much real pleasure—The Legacy of the picture must be very delightful to you, both as a proof of your Grandmothers kind and affectionate remembrance, and as a very good likeness of a father whose extreme tenderness and indulgence to...
172From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 21 March 1823 (Adams Papers)
Worn out by fatigue parties influenza and all sorts of weariness both of mind and body I have really been too idle to attend to my correspondence and have scarcely taken a pen in my hand—The apology is a poor one but such as it is you must be content to accept it for it is the truth— The City has been profoundly dull since the adjournment of Congress and we have had but one event to enliven us...
173From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 1 July 1818 (Adams Papers)
This Letter will reach you I hope on Saturday evening and present you the sincere congratulations of your Mother who is truly happy to have given birth to a Son hitherto so worthy of her fondest affection—may evry future year add to the joy which at present fills her heart and insure not only her love but every blessing of which mankind is susceptible; the respect of your fellow Citizens, and...
174From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 9 May 1819 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter contained news which grieved me sincerely and for which I much fear there is but little remedy; and the only consolation possibly to offer, is the most respectful and constantly affectionate attentions, towards your venerable Grandfather, whose every moment must be severely embittered by the unfortunate circumstance which you informed me of, and which we flattered ourselves was...
175From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 29 May 1823 (Adams Papers)
I was very much hurt at the tone of your Letter yesterday my Dear John which could only be accounted for by the sourness and irritation which the late unpleasant events at Cambridge have produced upon your feelings and general character—You are too susceptible and misconceive the meaning of even your best friends still worse of a Mother who has ever shewn you the utmost kindness and...
176From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 12 May 1822 (Adams Papers)
I have been much gratified at hearing of your success at the Exhibition which news has reached us in a variety of ways—It has however been suggested that your success would have been still more complete if you had spoken a little louder but this is a defect which I hope you will outgrow as your voice strengthens and by acquiring a habit of speaking in publick— I wish you would tell Mr Boylston...
177From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 11 March 1821 (Adams Papers)
I will answer your last Letter by saying that your most horrible is altogether thrown away as neither of the young Ladies who remained with us were very beautiful or fascinating but good natured pleasant girls who amused me very much by their musical talents and the eldest by a highly cultivated mind—Their ages would not have frightened you but their tall Grenadier look might have intimidated...
178To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 1 August 1822 (Adams Papers)
It is very long since I had the pleasure of writing to you. considering George a better correspondent I resigned the pen to him but being here and out of the way of hearing from you so often as I used I am induced to write and recal to your recollection some of your old friends who make frequent enquiries concerning you— Among them and perhaps the first in rank is Mrs. Powell whose age and...
179To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 2 January 1819 (Adams Papers)
I must begin this Sheet by observing that I have touched rather more largely upon political occurrences than is perhaps prudent considering how little I understand the subject—But the wish to amuse and interest you must be my apology and if the sentiments expressed are erronious they can do no mischiefs as they have no weight in themselves and can never be considered any thing more than the...
180From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 2 December 1821 (Adams Papers)
I should have answer’d your Letter earlier could I write with my accustomed care but it fatigues me so much I feel too much inclined to neglect my usually pleasant occupations— I received a Letter yesterday from your brother which indicates a very seriously discontented mind and makes me very apprehensive that his disposition is acquiring a habit of complaining and uneasiness calculated to...
181From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 3 June 1821 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter pleased both your father and myself as your reasoning is very good and shows reflection and forethought I beg as a favour that you will take pains to intimate as delicately as you can that I have no thought of bringing either of the Girls home with me as your father will not hear of it on the very ground which you have represented—The perpetual round of company in which I live in...
182To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 22 December 1819 (Adams Papers)
December 22nd 1819.—Went to visit a neighbour and walked as far as Mrs. Smiths. This evening a small sociable party at Mrs Forsyths where I heard some good music by Mr. and Mrs Meigs the former of whom has a remarkably fine voice Mr and Mrs Lowndes were there. She has visited me in the most friendly manner all the summer during the absence of her husband but has now dropped my acquaintance on...
183From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 24 February 1819 (Adams Papers)
Your two last Letters would have been answered much sooner if they I had not been constantly engaged and prevented either by visitors at home or visiting abroad from writing or in fact doing anything—I think still you were mistaken about your having a Letter on my file which I had not attended to but you have assigned so excellent a reason for your silence which I ought to have recollected...
184From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 19 June 1820 (Adams Papers)
Have you forgotten your Mother my dear John? or do you never mean to write again? I have been long impatiently waiting for Letters now a long time and still meet with disappointment every post—What is the reason you do not write? Edward Taylor can be very punctual. Your father has had a Letter from your Uncle in which he says that in consequence of abusing the privilege of boarding out you are...
185From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 3 July 1820 (Adams Papers)
My intention was to write you tomorrow morning it being the anniversary of your birth and to offer you my congratulations not only to wish you joy upon this occasion but rather to rejoice at the improvement you have made during the last year and to express my hopes that your acquirements during the next may be such both in learning and discretion as will merit my most partial approbation—You...
186To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 14 March 1820 (Adams Papers)
14 March—The day was tremendous I therefore did not attempt to go out but dressed to Receive any company altho’ I did not expect any one would venture out on such an evening at eight oclock however as the company began to come and we had to my great astonishment five & twenty persons among whom were Mr: Dowse a Member of Congress related to Mr: Quincy and Mr: Warren—two ladies from New York...
187From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 27 March 1823 (Adams Papers)
Surely my dear John you were not in your usual state when you wrote and enclosed George’s Letter to me or you could not have put such a construction upon it—Remember that when we undertake to correct the faults of others we should have attained to years of experience and have acquired by this means the capacity of advizing or else have conquered and eradicated all those failings in ourselves...
188To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 6 December 1819 (Adams Papers)
Journal 6. December 1819 Our City being reanimated by the return of Congress I shall attempt to renew our correspondence in the old journal form in the hope of enabling you to in some measure to participate in our pleasures and troubles which we must expect to have intimately blended—Your Letter is I fear too justly prophetic and your ideas on the present aspect of affairs accord but too well...
189From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 12 June 1821 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter reached me last Eveng. and I am very sorry to learn that your Grandfather is so feeble as it is a symtom which I am apprehensive which indicates a decay of constitution which may lead us to dread a close of his career much earlier than we any of us anticipate—Mrs. Clark’s accounts from Quincy differ very much according to her and Mrs. French and I think she would be wiser if she...
190From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 22 March 1821 (Adams Papers)
I feel a little uneasy about you and therefore write you again to give you a timely caution as there are whispers concerning the restlessness of your Class which lead me to dread an explosion Your own sense my dear Boy will teach you how foolish and imprudent it is to run any risk of expulsion or even rustication as the loss of a year to you who are so desirous of obtaining your liberty would...
191From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 14 July 1814 (Adams Papers)
You cannot think what a disappointment your not writing occasion’d me! I have been weighing and reflecting upon every thing which might have caused your silence and have only been able to attribute it to that of sickness, which fills my heart with uneasiness Your Aunt Smith, being about to return to America, I take the opportunity of sending you a Watch, which I request you will use in the...
192From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 17 October 1822 (Adams Papers)
I sent you from Philadelphia an odd volume of A Sketch of Old England which I wrote your name in and addressed to Quincy—The second was stolen from me but as their some good matter in the first and as it is a book in which there is no history to break it would be worth reading though it cannot rank as a perfect work in your collection—I shall soon send you the favorite of Nature which is said...
193From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 28 July 1818 (Adams Papers)
Although your last Letter was not quite so good as I could wish the consciousness and solicitude you appear to feel of its not being worthy of you convinces me it is unnecessary to for me to make any remarks on it—excepting that I must entreat you always to accustom yourself to do every thing as well as you can, lest you should find bad habits creeping on you which will be very difficult to...
194From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 25 September 1817 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter my dear Son was received by your father a few days since but he is so extremely busy it is impossible for him to answer it immediately—We are very sorry to observe by your Letter that you are disatisfied with your situation and I must say I think you formed an opinion before you had time to judge either of its advantages or disadvantages. You must be perfectly sensible that both...
195From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 17 November 1817 (Adams Papers)
You will receive a Letter from your father by the same Mail which conveys this Letter to you in answer to the one which you wrote to him last week in which I am sorry to say you assumed a tone highly improper and disrespectful—The tender affection I bear you and the ardent desire (which forms a part of my existence) that I must ever feel for your welfare has induced me frequently while in...
196From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 6 April 1821 (Adams Papers)
Your last Letter is as wild yourself you will acknowledge that is saying something? As to Diana Vernon’s they begin to be so common with us that every beau call’s his fair one by that appellation— Your aversion to thirty five is greater even than I imagined it is a bad sign as I fear you will at last be caught by some fair smiling face which may carry more years over it’s head than you...
197From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 25 April 1821 (Adams Papers)
You become so testy I almost begin to feel disinclined to write to you at all as my Letters instead of contributing to your happiness appear to produce a contrary effect—I do not think you more wild than young men of your age generally are but I think you suffer your passions frequently to master your reason and on this account I have sometimes been apprehensive that you might suffer severely...
198To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 8 March 1819 (Adams Papers)
8 March—Had a party of 48 or 50 in the evening which was less dull than I could possibly have flattered myself—Cards & music—Mr. A. dined with Genl Jackson who seems to think he is not fairly treated by the Executive—Engaged to accompany Mrs. Middleton to the theatre tomorrow evening— 9th. So unwell all day was obliged to stay at home and nurse—Reading Mr. Laws Book on Instinctive Impulses—It...
199From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 17 August 1818 (Adams Papers)
In the course of a week or two we propose to visit Boston and I expect to find your mind as much improved as your growth has improved your person. It has often occurred to me when writing to you on the subject of books to caution you as to the nature of the Books which you should read and to guard you against such as are licencious for such I am sorry to say and (to the disgrace of mankind...
200From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 10 April 1823 (Adams Papers)
You will no doubt have been fretting again at my unusual silence but it has been occassioned by a very unfortunate accident which befel your brother on his return from Rockville where he had been to visit Johnson—He was thrown from his Horse and fractured his right just in the elbow joint which is likely to disable him for many months—Your father and myself went immediately to Montgomery where...
201From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 23 May 1819 (Adams Papers)
Your letter of the 16 was received yesterday & I hasten to answer it that you may not have reason to complain of my silence—I mark all you say and sincerely pray that no circumstance may ever occur in your course through life which may lead to habits which will either cause misery to yourself or disgrace to your parents and friends—There all persons in the world who are weak enough to imagine...
202From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 14 November 1820 (Adams Papers)
How grieved I am my dear John at the news we have just received you may concieve who knew what an effect the same circumstance produced on me on a former occasion—Your father and I are in a state of great anxiety for the consequences of your fault and impatiently wait for the result which must fix your future destiny—Write me immediately and let me know how the Government feel towards you so...
203To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 4 January 1820 (Adams Papers)
4th. Jany The weather still severely cold—My Sons are gone to the House of Representatives to hear the Debates—Your Letter has just been put into my hands and I observe all yo u say upon the subject of Missouri. She has unfortunately a very intemperate Delegate who is not calculated to soften the impending storm. Much alarm evidently exists as to the consequences of this Question and Congress...
204To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 16 January 1820 (Adams Papers)
Jany 16 1820 Was disappointed of going to church in consequence of their having prepared the heavy Carriage which I was afraid to go out in. The boys, however went and the Horses behaved so well that I took courage after they returned to go and make two visits of ceremony—The evening passed at home— 17 Very busy all day preparing for my Ball tomorrow, taking down bedsteads, and furniture of...
205To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 22 January 1823 (Adams Papers)
22d The day was very unpleasant and I remained at home until the Evening when we went to the Drawing Room notwithstanding that it poured with rain. To our great surprize however we found a number of Ladies and Gentlemen and quite a sociable Party. We remained there about an hour and were rejoiced to get safe home. The young men went to the Circus to see the wonderful Rider who has just...
206From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 14 February 1818 (Adams Papers)
I have read the pamphlet you sent me my dear John and am much pleased to find that you begin to turn your attention to literature in any shape—I admire exceedingly the principles which actuate the society for whom this address was made, but I am afraid that their doctrines are not made for our corrupt and perishable world and that like old fairy tales they will only serve to prove to the world...
207From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 22 March 1819 (Adams Papers)
You reproach me unjustly my dear John and I suspect you received a long letter from me the 15 or 16 of the Month, in answer to your last; so that I am not so heavily indebted as you pretend It is very flattering to me, and affords me unspeakable pleasure, to find you so desirous of obtaining Letters from me, and it is so gratifying to me to seize every opportunity of evincing my affection for...
208From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 7 April 1820 (Adams Papers)
Your father has requested me to answer your Letter and to inform you that the Hume has already been given to Charles who finished it some time since but he desires me to say that he will give you one of the same if he can procure it or any other book which you may prefer to reward your diligence It therefore depends on you to name what book you wish and he will purchase it. He is doubtful if...
209To John Adams from Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, 16 April 1823 (Adams Papers)
I have not written to you for some time my Dear Sir because I had nothing but bad news to tell but being all once more in the mending way I hasten to assure you that Georges arm is doing as well as we can hope and that the recovery is as rapid as the injury received will permit although he must bear up against a very tedious confinement—Although his fever ran high for the first four days his...
210From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to John Adams, 13 September 1824 (Adams Papers)
I have not been able my Dear John to keep the promise I made to you at parting of writing in consequence of having omitted to bring my writing materials which you know must involve me in some difficulty as you have frequently experienced the embarrassment attending the acquirement of the means to carry on a correspondence in this house—We found your Grandfather so much altered that we were...