121From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 27 October 1807 (Adams Papers)
I wrote a line to my father, from New-York, enclosing a letter for Mr: Shaw, and informing you of our safe arrival thus far, upon our Journey.—We stopp’d at New-York two days, and then proceeded with as much expedition as we found practicable, untill we reached Baltimore. We stopp’d only one Night at Philadelphia, and had no opportunity to visit any of our acquaintance there—We came on in the...
I received your Kind letter of the 8th. inst. and was extremely sorry to hear of the indisposition of the President and your Son Your own health is I trust considerably mended and that you will soon be enabled to return to your usual avocations I am sorry to repeat what I said in my last regarding Mr. Adams’s health I have not it continues very bad and I am very apprehensive it will end in a...
123From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 25 January 1806 (Adams Papers)
The first thing I look for in all the letters I receive from Quincy, is that which relates to our children, who cannot speak for themselves, and both of whom we left indisposed, and when I find that they are well, I feel myself relieved thus far, and only hope that the rest of the letter may contain information equally pleasing, of all the other persons in whose welfare I am so deeply...
124From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 13 February 1807 (Adams Papers)
I have received your kind letter of January; and shall particularly attend to your directions at Philadelphia, respecting the flour—It is at present my intention to leave this place the 4th: of next month; but the winter and the roads are now breaking up; so that I know not whether the roads will at that time be passable The termination of this Congress will leave our public affairs in a...
125From Hannah Phillips Cushing to Abigail Smith Adams, 28 April 1806 (Adams Papers)
We are again permitted to return home in good health, after having passed as pleasant a winter as the times would permit. Mr Cushing was confined to his room three weeks with a great cold, attended with a slight fever, but his spirits were good even at that time, & he saw company every day. He attended Court 19th. Feby & on the 22nd. sat near seven hours without once leaving the bench, with as...
126From William Stephens Smith to Abigail Smith Adams, 10 August 1805 (Adams Papers)
Agreable to your wish, expressed some months past, Mrs: Smith, accompanied by Miss Caroline and Our son William, pay you a visit, I lament that it is not in my power to accompany them, but agreable to the old tune, I cannot leave my post, as Besides the paper War is recommencing, and as We are threatned with a broad side, I must recive it, & proceed to action, against the Clintonian...
Your very kind letter has eased my heart of a load of anxiety, on account of our dear George, whose health appear’d to me to be in a very indifferent state. and I could not have quitted him with any satisfaction, had I not placed him under your protection. recieve my dear Madam our united thanks for your extreme kindness in taking him to Atkinson which journey I sincerely hope proved...
128From Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 11 May 1806 (Adams Papers)
A few days since I recieved your very obliging letter in which you mention having procured the articles I wrote for and for which I return you many thanks. I am much distressed at the idea your letter seems to convey of want of respect or attention to Mrs. Cranch it has ever been my most ardent desire so to conduct myself to every branch of your family as not only to merit their esteem but...
I had anticipated a visit from Mrs Adams, & both her Children, for a few days at least, when she came to Haverhill, & we regretted very much that it was not in our power to send for them, or to visit her while there—Abby, & I, both went down a monday, and had the mortification to find she went to Boston the Saturday before—Mr Peabody was absent the whole of your Thansgiving week, & I could not...
130From Hannah Phillips Cushing to Abigail Smith Adams, 10 September 1805 (Adams Papers)
I was much disappointed My Dear Madam in not having it in my power to see you again before we went to Newport & also in not calling on Mrs J Adams & Miss Johnston to have renewed my invitation to them that they would give us the pleasure of a visit this summer. I regret that I did not see them the day we were at Quincey; Delays are dangerous. Court held at Boston till Friy eveg prier to its...
I will thank you to tell Mrs. Cranch to give George a couple of teaspoonfuls of Castor oil and to give continue the black powders about three weeks longer repeating the dose of Castor oil at the end of six days Kiss them both for me and believe me dear Madam / your affectionate MHi : Adams Papers.
132From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 9 August 1806 (Adams Papers)
I left Cambridge yesterday, after having finished my weekly performance, to come here and meet my wife whom I expect hourly here—I received this morning letters from her, dated one at Philadelphia 30. July—and one at New-York 3. August—She was with my Sister, who was well and in good Spirits—She intended to stay over Commencement which was last Wednesday, and then come on as soon as possible—I...
133From Elizabeth Smith to Abigail Smith Adams, 23 January 1805 (Adams Papers)
In behalf of the kindest and best of Brothers I thank you my most respected Cousin for your kind attentions at this present time of affliction. I have known sorrow but none has equeall’d this, to be—to be brought to such an humbling situation by one who has always profess’d the most profound friendship is doubly agravating On Monday I thought it was more than human nature could bear,—but he...
134From Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody to Abigail Smith Adams, 9 March 1807 (Adams Papers)
It is a long time my Dear Sister, since I have written to you; but I consider it a priviledge that we can think of our Friends, animate our Souls by a view of their useful lives, & refresh ourselves by a retrospect of past scenes, when we cannot find one leisure moment to visit them, or impress our Ideas upon paper.— Ever since Thansgiving we have had one, or other of our Family sick in bed,...
After a pleasant although extremely fatiguing journey we have safely arrived at Mrs. Hellens were we found all the family in good health and spirits Mr. Adams’s health is much improved and he has gain’d flesh on the journey but I much fear that the exercise he takes will prove too much and again reduce him to his former state of debility- My spirits and health have both been very indifferent...
I have delay’d answering your very kind letter owing to my Baby’s having been very seriously sick and requiring all my attention during a fortnight. He is now entirely recover’d and has two teeth— I much fear it will be a long time before I shall be permitted to see you as every thing appears to be in such a state of confusion and hostility that it is impossible to form any idea of the time...
137From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 14 March 1806 (Adams Papers)
It is so long since I have had one hour of leisure that I could appropriate to correspondence with my friends at Quincy and Boston, that I am fearful you will impute to some other cause the length of the interval between my letters—My health however has been gradually improving ever since I left you, and on the whole has been better through the Winter, than for two years before.—A variety of...
138From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 3 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
I received some days since your kind letter of the 11th: of last month, and was delighted to find you had so far recovered as to be able to write—Since then I have been informed by my brother and Mr: Shaw, that your health continued improving and I sincerely pray to the great disposer of Events that it may be entirely restored and long continued, for your own comfort and the happiness of us...
139From Hannah Phillips Cushing to Abigail Smith Adams, 11 May 1808 (Adams Papers)
I had the happiness of receiving your excellent letter at Middleton, for which my heart is alive to gratitude. My dear Connexions were thankful for your kind rememberance of them. We returned home last week, & expect to set out for Portsmouth next Mony, when we hope to have the satisfaction of passing some social hours at Your Mansion. Excuse the brevity of this my Dear Friend, as many cares...
140From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 3 December 1805 (Adams Papers)
This morning I had the satisfaction of receiving your kind letter of the 21st: ulto: which partly relieved me from the anxiety occasioned by the letter of a previous date from my brother, mentioning your illness and confinement—The weather has of late been so remarkably fine and mild in this quarter that I hope its benign influence has been extended to your regions, and has restored you...
141From Elizabeth Smith Shaw Peabody to Abigail Smith Adams, 18 June 1808 (Adams Papers)
Mr Lion and his intended I suppose so , as the modern phrase is, called here last Wednesday—I was very glad to see any one from your house, that could give me any information of my Dear Sisters health & welfare—I told Mary, she I fancied, was going to add one more pair to the Nuptial Circle of your Dometicks—She with down cast smiling simpers, blushed the Affirmative— She talked as if she...
142From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 16 December 1805 (Adams Papers)
I received some days ago your kind favour of the 29th: of last month; and since then my brother’s letter of the 4th. instt:—from the last of which I am made happy by the information that you and my children are well I have occasionally forwarded packets containing the documents which have been communicated to us from the President, and others which have occurred since the Commencement of the...
143From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 30 December 1805 (Adams Papers)
Your kind letter of the 17th: instt:—together with that of my brother dated the day before has occasioned me some anxiety respecting the health of my dear George—I shall be uneasy untill I hear from you again respecting him, for from the manner in which you both mention him I could not avoid an apprehension that he was more unwell than you were willing to tell us—If you could so arrange it as...
144From Ann Quincy Packard to Abigail Smith Adams, 18 March 1805 (Adams Papers)
And her only child! my Dear Madam from her heart thanks you, for the kind consoling letter, recieved a few days since. You Madam, who knew so long, and so intimately, my Dear Parent, will believe I am a mourner; but to those who did not, to say I am deeply wounded by the loss, would seem like regreting; the sun had set at its accustomed hour; or that the rich abundance of autumn, was succeeded...
145From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 3 February 1807 (Adams Papers)
I have hardly been able to reconcile it to my own conscience for some weeks that so much time had elapsed since the Commencement of this Session, and that I had not written directly to you—The occasion of my silence has been explained in my letters to my father and my brother, which you have certainly seen—Your favour of 16. Jany: has been these ten days in my possession, but this is the first...
146From Hannah Phillips Cushing to Abigail Smith Adams, 17 March 1808 (Adams Papers)
We were blessed with fine weather & roads from Providence to Phila., where we staid a fortnight; & from thence here as good as usual in Jany. My Husbands health daily increasing, & my own entirely restored from the anxious & destressing winter, & summer, I had just passed through, also having heard as late as the 26th. Novr of the welfare of our dear Relatives at New Orleans, my spirits were...
147From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 19 December 1804 (Adams Papers)
I do not exactly recollect the date of my last Letter to you; but if it went safely you must have received it very shortly after the date of your favour of the 7th: which I received the evening before last. Indeed I am a little surprized that you had not received it before—By that you will find that in the frequency of my letters to my father and brother, I have not been forgetful of my dear...
I received with joy your letter of the eighteenth a few days since as I had suffer’d considerable anxiety at not hearing any thing of my children it is true I have no right to urge any one on this subject but having been compelled to leave them I cannot command my feelings and must trust to your kindness to let me hear frequently— I am very sorry to hear that George still continues subject to...
149From John Quincy Adams to Abigail Smith Adams, 4 November 1807 (Adams Papers)
Last Evening I had the pleasure of receiving your favour of 25th: ulto: which contained the first information we had received from you or from our children since we left Boston—and for which we began to be very anxious. I am glad to hear that George is so well satisfied with his situation and promises so well—If the french Gentleman will allow him to chatter with him according to his own...
150From Mercy Otis Warren to Abigail Smith Adams, 28 December 1806 (Adams Papers)
It is a long time since I have had a line from a friend who for many years I have cordially loved, and have been grieved that in so many of them, the intercourse has been seldom.—It is true I have by me an excellent letter of yours which has lain too long unanswered;—but the great debility which has long afflicted my eyes has & still deprives me of the use of my own pen, nor is it easy to...