John Quincy Adams Digital Diary

6. XI:15. The journal of yesterday was the business of this day—and to get through it I was obliged to write in the Evening; I walked with Mrs Adams to Brentford, and just returned to escape a shower of rain, which prevented the continuance of my walk— The same cause drove us in almost immediately from the Garden after dinner. There has been this Season nothing that could be called warm weather— By this Evening’s Post I received a Letter from R. W. Fox junr. at Falmouth— W. Cook, the man whose boy has the small-pox at Brentford came again with his girl, and told me the child was getting better every day. Lucy Hauel, the only person in our house, who has not had the small-pox, or the vaccine, was this day inoculated with the vaccine matter, by Dr Cook’s partner— Two other men, came from different parts of the Country to enquire after work—ragged, penniless, and almost famished— At the shop where we stopped in Brentford there was a woman who came from Basingstoke in the same condition— The distress of the Country, about which so much has been saying these nine Months, is just beginning to shew itself here, in this shape. The Colliers who were on their way to London, have been stopped by Magistrates, sent out for that purpose; who purchased their Coals, persuaded them to return home, and gave them money for their journey back. The effect of this example remains to be seen— The ministerial newspapers praise it as an act of great wisdom in the Home Department.