211John Adams to Abigail Adams, 24 May 1789 (Adams Papers)
I have received your Letter of the 16 th .— I have taken a large and handsome house, in a beautiful Situation, about two miles out of the City, upon the North River. The Rent is less, than I must have given for a much meaner house in Town, without any such accommodations of Stable Garden, Pasture &c I now desire you to come on, as soon as possible, and to Send by Tirrell, or some other Vessel,...
212John Adams to Abigail Adams, 8 February 1794 (Adams Papers)
I have rec d your s of the 30 th. Ult. and given the inclosed to son Thomas, who will do with it what he can. Congress have been together, more than two Months and have done nothing, and will continue Sitting two Months longer, and do little. I for my part am wearied to death with Ennui— Obliged to be punctual by my habits, confined to my Seat, as in a Prison to see nothing done, hear nothing...
213John Adams to Abigail Adams, 1 January 1795 (Adams Papers)
I wish you a happy New Year, and a Repetition of happy New Years as long as Time shall endure: not here below, because I shall want you in another Country, better than this. What do you say? shall I keep a national Thanksgiving with you? I hope before that Day We shall have good News from all our Family, tho We cannot be all together. Compliments of the Season to Louisa & all my good friends....
214John Adams to Abigail Adams, 10 February 1796 (Adams Papers)
The inclosed Slip from Benjamins Paper of this Morning will Shew you that the Electioneering Campaign is opened already. The “good Patriot, Statesman and Philosopher” is held up as the Successor. I am determined to be a Silent Spectator of the silly and the wicked Game and to enjoy it as a Comedy a Farce or a Gymnastic Exhibition at Sadlers Wells or Astleys Amphitheatre. I will laugh let them...
215Elizabeth Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams, 26 August 1792 (Adams Papers)
I hope you will not think me criminally negligent in not particularly addressing myself to you before now— You may be assured I always think of you with the tenderest affection, & wish that I could have time, in a more correct manner to evidence the ebulitions of a Heart, filled with every sentiment of Esteem Love, & Gratitude— When I write to my Sister Cranch, I generally write in great...
216John Adams to Abigail Adams, 15 February 1796 (Adams Papers)
This Morning I have your favour of the 3 d which raised my Spirits again after the mortification of passing the whole of last Week without one. Benjamin has grown very dull—No Abuse—No lies no Terrors no Panicks no Rant—in comparison of what he used to have— The Subject which you think will excite all their feelings is well known to every body in public Life, but is talked of by nobody: but in...
217John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 19 September 1792 (Adams Papers)
I wrote to my brother Thomas more than a fortnight ago, respecting the warrant, & requesting him to see it forwarded— But whether from an apprehension on his part of an additional delay, or from what other cause I know not, he has not done it, and last Evening in answer to my Letter I received from him one urging very strongly the necessity of his having an order to receive the money.— Two...
218Cotton Tufts to Abigail Adams, 28 September – 6 October 1790 (Adams Papers)
Yours of the 5 th. I rec d. the 15 t. Ins t. 1 By M r. Thomas who has reached You before this Time I wrote & enclosed M r. Adams Acc ts. and an Answer to a former Letter of Yours. Had I known that it had been necessary for Your Son to have come forward at an earlier Period and his Stay here had rested on his not being furnished with the needful. I should certainly have procured it by some...
219Thomas Boylston Adams to Abigail Adams, 5 May 1793 (Adams Papers)
Your last letter to me is dated the 18 th: of March, since which time I have not heared a single word of the family, either verbally, or in writing. We have news from France as late as the 15 of March, and one would think a letter from Quincy might have traveled the distance of 350 miles in the course of seven weeks. ’Tis my happiness, (some may think it a misfortune) not to distress my mind...
220John Adams to Abigail Adams, 31 March 1794 (Adams Papers)
I have scarcely a moment to acknowledge the Rec t of your favour of 22 this instant put into my hand. I rejoice in the Recovery of my dear Mother and hope to see her, but I cannot say how soon. We the old Sachems have enough to do to restrain the Ardour of our young Warriors.— We shall Succeed however, I still hope, in preventing any very rash steps from being taken. There is a dishonourable...
221John Adams to Abigail Adams, 12 December 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have just rec d your fav r. of the 4 th. I wrote you from stratford New York and from Philadelphia. Adets Note has had some Effect Pensilvania and prov’d a Terror to some Quakers and that is all the ill Effect it has had. Even the southern States appear to resent it. If Col Hamiltons personal Dislike of Jefferson does not obtain too much Influence with Massachusetts Electors, neither...
222John Adams to Abigail Adams, 20 December 1796 (Adams Papers)
I Yesterday dined at M r Binghams and Sitting next to Madam at Table, had Something like a political Conversation with her. She has more ideas of the Subject than I Suspected: and a correcter Judgment. She gave me the Characters of Several of the notable Foreigners, and I find has the Same Jealousies of them, which I have entertained. Talleyrand Liancourt, Volney, Caznove &c. Noailles is the...
223Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 11 December 1791 (Adams Papers)
I again take my pen to write to my dear sister tis a long time I know you think since you have heard from me. I have the same complaints to make of you, but once since you arriv’d in Philadelphia have I receiv’d a line from you— I know your time must have been much taken up in arranging your House & receiving company. this I hope & not sickness has been the reason I have not hear’d from you...
224John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 29 July 1794 (Adams Papers)
I am still waiting for the arrival of Col l: Hamilton whom it is necessary for me to see before my departure, and who has been detained several days in the Country by the sickness of a child. I received your favour of the 20 th: inst t: and my brother is now prepared to go with me.— We should be very happy to comply with your request respecting the bracelets, but we shall certainly not have...
225Elizabeth Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams, 10 September 1794 (Adams Papers)
My Cousins most agreeably supprized me by a Visit— I had been informed that your Sons were to sail the week before— I thought they were upon the wide Ocean, & many a fervent wish for their saefty T had breathed forth— I am sorry I could not have the pleasure of seeing my other Nephews, especially your eldest Son, as perhaps, it will be many a year before I see him, if ever— It is an unstable...
226Lucy Cranch to Abigail Adams, 23 October 1789 (Adams Papers)
Though we were all happy to see my honoured and revered Uncle again in his favorite Braintree, yet we were disapointed, greatly in not seeing you with him— we had indulged ourselves in the pleasing hope of meeting the sister the Aunt the Friend we all so greatly love and esteem. your presence would have enlivened our circle—and made many of the winter hours pass more cheerelly— we should have...
227John Adams to Abigail Adams, 26 December 1793 (Adams Papers)
I have enough to do to write Apologies in Answer to Invitations to dinner and to Tea Parties: but I have long Since taken the Resolution that I will not again loose myself and all my time in a wild vagary of Dissipation. As it is not in my Power to live on equal terms with the Families and Personages who exhibit so much real Hospitality in this City, I would not lay myself under Obligations to...
228John Adams to Abigail Adams, 18 June 1795 (Adams Papers)
M r Adet was presented to The President on Tuesday and accompanied by The Secretary of State made me a Visit immediately after his Audience. I was not at Home but in Senate. On Wednesday Morning I returned his Visit at Oellers Hotel. He is about the Size of M r shaw, Charitys Husband and looks a little like him: not quite so rosy coloured. He is not a Friend to Clubbs—announced to The...
229John Adams to Abigail Adams, 28 December 1792 (Adams Papers)
Your Friends who are numerous enquire continually after your health and my answer is that you have not informed me that it is worse, from which my conclusion is that I hope it is better. The Noise of Election is over, and I have the Consolation to find that all the States which are fœderal have been unanimous for me, and all those in which the Antifœderalists were the predominant Party,...
230John Adams to Abigail Adams, 21 June 1795 (Adams Papers)
The Sun is so bright and augurs Such heat that I am doubtful whether I shall go out to Landsdowne to dinner. I dined Yesterday at M r Wolcotts the Secretary of The Treasury with King Elsworth Cabot and a few others. The Conversation turn’d upon old times. One of the Company expressed such Inveteracy against my old Friend Gerry that I could not help taking up his Vindication. The future...
231Mary Smith Cranch to Abigail Adams, 16–25 May 1790 (Adams Papers)
I last evening receiv’d your Letter without a date but believe it was your last as you mention Mrs Smiths removal want of some Furniture &c. mr Cranch will attend to the Packing & Sending them directly— I hope you have receiv’d my last letter. you will find by that mrs Norton for whome you have been so kindly anxious was much better & had escap’d what we so much feard but She is as thin as a...
232John Adams to Abigail Adams, 10 February 1794 (Adams Papers)
I have rec d yours of Jan. 31.— And it has relieved me from a Melancholly which has hung upon me and been taken notice of by every body, since you wrote me of my Mothers illness— Present her my dutiful Affection and tell her that I hope to enjoy the Pleasure of her Company yet for many Years— That I am of her Opinion that she has the best Daughter and that the best Mother ought to have such a...
233John Adams to Abigail Adams, 13 February 1796 (Adams Papers)
I have only time to inform you that Monday and Thursday have passed away without bringing me a Letter from you. It is the first Week that has failed me in the whole, tho sometimes the Letters have not arrived on the proper day. There is a D r Somebody here from Connecticutt, who pretends, with an Instrument made of some kind of Metal or Composition of Metals by a sort of Mesmerian, rubbing or...
234Charles Adams to Abigail Adams, 21 January 1797 (Adams Papers)
Permit me to congratulate you on the return of This Season and to offer my most earnest prayers that you may live to see many revolving years in health and contentment. The event of the late Election will force you from your calm retreat to more confused and active scenes the toil incident to the situation I hope you will be able to bear and I am more sanguine in this expectation as I hear you...
235John Quincy Adams to Abigail Adams, 20 February 1796 (Adams Papers)
By the present opportunity, I send you a few pamphets which may give you some entertainment in the perusal, and newspapers from which you will collect the current intelligence. For my own part I have been here so long in idleness that I have almost entirely doff’d the world aside and bad it pass.— You will observe in the papers a pretended preliminary convention for a pacification between...
236Charles Adams to Abigail Adams, 8 October 1792 (Adams Papers)
It is a long time since I have heard from you although I have not omitted writing. I hope it is not illness which hinders you from sometimes informing me how things are going in Massachusetts. The Baron returned from Steuben last week and I had intended to procure lodgings at some private boarding house, but when I mentioned to him my intention, he took me kindly by the hand “My dear Adams...
237John Adams to Abigail Adams, 1 December 1794 (Adams Papers)
Your Letter of the 19 th of Nov. gave me, in addition to the ordinary Satisfaction I receive from your Letters, the Pleasure of knowing that your Visit to Haverhill, the damp Vapour of whose River I dreaded, had not injured your health. You ask me, if D r Tufts may be collecting Materials, this Winter for Building on the Medford farm? I fear it will be a very costly Undertaking considering the...
238John Adams to Abigail Adams, 5 December 1794 (Adams Papers)
I returned, this Day the Visit of the ci-devant Duke De Liancourt. He is a Sensible Man. He is a Cousin German of the late Duke de la Rochefaucault, and inherited his Estate and for what I know his Titles: but neither the Estate nor Titles are of any Use at present.— What will be, the future destiny of these high Personages is a curious Problem. I endeavoured to impress upon him as I have upon...
239Elizabeth Smith Shaw to Abigail Adams, 14 February 1791 (Adams Papers)
By my Sister I have been informed of your Sickness, & of the distressed State of your Family, which gave me great, pain, & anxiety— more espicially for my Cousin Thomas, who when your Letter was written was still in great distress— I am sure I know how to pity a sick Family—For in the course of the last year, there were four months, when we were severely exercised with Sickness, & the voice of...
240John Adams to Abigail Adams, 12 May 1794 (Adams Papers)
The Weather is here very hot and dry, which renders our daily Service in Congress more irksome and occasions Some Anxiety for the health of the People and more for the growth of the fruits. I hope you have more rain and less warmth. The House of R. have a Committee out, to prepare a Bill for the Ways and means: how Soon they will report I know not: how long it will take the Members after the...