I received yesterday your Letter of Novbr 27th. and was rejoiced to learn that you and the Children were well. I was just contemplating writing a Letter to my son to chide him for not writing to inform me, how George was grown, and improved, what he said when he saw his pappa again, and how mister John came on, whether he is as grave as his Brother George was how Master Georges socks fitted...
Inclosed you have a Letter, to mr Rutledge which you may if you like send to your Brother if you think it will be of any service to him. We yesterday received a few lines from mr Adams of the 14th from which I learnt you were all in tolerable Health, I want to know if his cough has left him, and whether he has any thing of the Rheumatism in his Limbs. I would have him pay particular attention...
I received two days since your Letter of Febry th 11. it containd information the most agreable that mr Adams was in better Health and Spirits is cheering news to me. I feared through want of attention to himself that his cough would fix upon his Lungs, and produce very allarming concequences—the time is fast approaching when Congress must rise, whether they have done good, or whether they...
4From Abigail Smith Adams to John Quincy Adams, 29 November 1805 (Adams Papers)
The reason that you did not receive a Letter from me when you arrived at Philadelphia, was oweing to my being so sick that I could not write. I got your Brother to write, but not so soon as I should, if I had been able. as soon as I could hold my pen I wrote you a few lines, since which I have received your Letter from Newyork; I have rejoiced in the fine weather which has followed you ever...
I received your Letter of december 6th on the 14th and was very glad to hear of your safe arrival at washington; the journey at this Season when the days are so short must always be fatigueing. It must have been less so to you than it would have been with the children, tho I doubt not you must miss them very much. they are very well. John is as thick as he is long, has out grown his cloaths....
Your Letter of Jan’ry 6 I received last Evening. your Children are very well, and very well taken care of. so do not give yourself any anxious solisitude about them. I believe they are much better off than they could have been at any boarding House in washington, where they must have been confined in some degree; or have mixd with improper persons; with respect to John, the Child enjoys...
I shall begin my Letter by putting your mind at ease respecting your children, who are both very well. George I saw yesterday quite in Raptures; his uncle Cranch had made him a little Sled with a small box upon the top; similar to one which Dexter had made John; and which employs half his time. Sometimes to draw about miss Juno, who seems to like the ride very well, and sits in it as grave and...
Untill this day, I have been from the moment when I left you, in such continual motion that I have not had a moment of leisure to perform the promise I made, of writing to you on my way home—We had a rainy day from Washington to Baltimore, where I parted with Messrs: Tracy and Dana, on the moment of our arrival—Mr: McHenry having taken them both to his House—They were to come on two days...
The first pen I put to paper after reaching my journey’s end must be to inform you, my dearest friend, of that Event—I left New-York, at four O’Clock of the afternoon of the first of this Month; the same day that my last Letter to you was written—My Sister concluded to remain there with the Coll: at least for the present—Her prospects and those of her family, are of a gloomy cast, but I can...
I wrote you last Sunday, the day after my arrival at Quincy and gave you an account of the progress and termination of my journey from New-York. On Tuesday I went with my father to Cambridge to attend the inauguration of the new President of the College, Mr: Webber.—The ceremonies of the day were sufficiently dull—The performances mostly in Latin, with a comfortable proportion of English in...
The Children are both in perfect health; both contented with their situations, and both beloved by all around them—George appears to have lost none of his sensibility, but has a placidness and ease of temper, which must have come to him I think from some of his Remote Ancestors—He reads tolerably well, and still prides himself as much as ever in his learning. He agrees very well with his...
I wrote you this day week, last Sunday that I intended to return to Boston the next morning—But, I did not go untill Tuesday. I have been chiefly there untill yesterday afternoon when I came out in the Stage, and found the family here all well; and particularly both the children—The first thing John said to me was to enquire whether I had sent a kiss for him to Mamma—I cannot stay many days...
I expected to have this letter from Quincy, where it was my intention to have gone yesterday in the Stage— But it was to have called for me at Whitcomb’s where I still lodge, and by some mistake went away and left me. It was the cause of no small disappointment, as I had flattered myself with seeing our two darlings, for whom I had got a little book and a toy to give them from their Mama— But...
Yesterday was the first Saturday since I arrived here, which passed over without bringing me a letter from you; and although I am willing to hope that it may be owing to some delay at the Post-Office, or to some accident which prevented your writing at the usual time, I cannot help feeling some degree of uneasiness least the omission should have been caused by the state of your health—Indeed...
I have just this morning received your kind favour of the 2d: instt: which at once confirmed my apprehensions, and in some degree relieved my anxiety—From the time that the Saturday pass’d over untill now I have had an aching heart, and although I learn from your letter that you had been very ill, yet to know you were on the recovery, and had pass’d what I had long looked forward to as a very...
I pass’d the day yesterday, in anxious expectation of having a letter from you again, but it did not come—The fear that your illness should have continued or returned to prevent your writing, heavily weighs upon me; and the only probable contingency that my Imagination offers me to account for your omission again to write at the usual time is that you received my letter enclosing the deed on...
The day before yesterday, after having taken a very satisfactory view of the solar eclipse, I received your letter of the 9th: the last lines of which, mentioning that you had recovered so far as to go down stairs again, were as cheering to my heart, as the first beams of the great luminary after his total obscurity, had been to the senses—The deed though executed with superabundant caution,...
Here I am at length, established as an intimate, in the family of Dr: Waterhouse; but from a variety of delays I did not come from Boston, untill the Evening before last—And being once here I concluded to adhere a sufficient time to get habituated and reconciled to my new Situation before I would absent myself from it—This prevented me from going out yesterday to Quincy, according to my...
In the course of the last week I received your kind favour of the 15th: instt: which in assuring me that your general health was so much improved gave me one of the most pleasing satisfactions that in my present state I am capable of enjoying—I have spent the week at Cambridge in a state of great tranquility, and without the occurrence of any incident worth mentioning to you; except the...
You will receive I presume at the same time with this a letter from me written yesterday at Quincy, in the ardour and satisfaction of Hope. This morning on my coming into Boston, your letter of the 23d: so lovely by its tender sensibility, so admirable by its resignation and fortitude, yet so distressing to me by the affliction in which it was written, and the marks of suffering apparent even...
On going yesterday into Boston, I received Mr: Hellen’s letter of the 22d: of last Month, with the few lines which I am afraid you must have cruelly suffered in writing; and also your’s of the 24th: which at least administered the consolation of knowing that you were as well as you could expect—My great concern is that in the tender effort you made when thus severely ill to write, was too...
I was just going to account as well as I could for your having been two days over the accustomed time, without receiving my first letter from this place, dated the 22d: of last month, of which delay you complain in your’s of the 29th: when receiving that of the next day, I rejoyce to find in it, that you had been relieved from your anxiety and received my letter—A new Post-Office seldom fails,...
I wrote you from Cambridge last Tuesday, and then promised that my next should be from this place—Yesterday morning I walked from Cambridge into Boston, intending to come here in the Stage—My Passage was engaged, and I waited from four O’Clock in the afternoon, at Whitcomb’s untill Six expecting the Stage to call for me; but he came away and left me—having previously engaged as many passengers...
I did not expect to have written you this day from this place; for as I have before mentioned to you, my present occupations confine me so closely and continually that I cannot spare the time to come out here every week; but yesterday afternoon, Dr: Waterhouse having occasion to come as far as Mr Baxter’s, within a mile of my father’s house took me with him; and I expect to return this Evening...
From your letter of the 20th: which I have just received, I am in doubt whether even this letter will not reach New-York, too late to meet you—I wrote you last Thursday a letter directed to Washington enclosing one hundred Dollars for defraying the expences of your Journey—I hope you have left such directions, that the letter will be transmitted safely to you— The house which I expected to...
From the moment when I left you untill the present, I have been so constantly in motion, that I have not been able to write you, on the road—Nor have I put pen to paper, except to direct a couple of pamphlets which I purchased for Mr: Shaw, at New-York—I came on as far as New-Haven by Land—Then embarked in a packet and landed at New-York last Sunday morning—After passing that day at Coll:...
I have been expecting to hear from you these two or three days, and begin to feel some anxiety to learn how you all have been since I left you. Yesterday was the day at which the Session of Congress commenced, and a Quorum of both houses appeared—The President’s Message has just been read, and is very long—But it gives no information on the subjects of the highest importance to the Nation—the...
I am still without any letters of intelligence from you or any of my friends at Boston and Quincy, since my departure—I presume you waited to hear of my arrival before you wrote—My letter of 28. November, the day after my arrival must have reached you before this time. I enclose you two letters from Eliza, who is at Mr: Boyd’s—I dined there, day before yesterday; and all our family were to...
Last Evening I received with heart-felt pleasure your letter of the 25th: ulto: which was the first line I had from you since my departure—It has been a long time on the road, and should have reached me sooner— The information respecting the children was delightful—George’s reluctance at his french lesson he must overcome—No French—no Horse—I am glad John has begun seriously upon his...
I have nothing new to tell you from this place. I have no letter from you of later date than 25. Novr:—My purpose now besides enquiring how you and the children, are is to enclose the within from Kitty to Caroline. Our weather for some days past has been very bad—Snow-Hail-Rain and Sleet have followed one another in uninterrupted succession—It was so bad last Evening that the Ladies could not...