11 September 1834
adams-john10 Neal Millikan Health and Illness Family Finances (Adams Family) Religion
400

11. V:15 Thursday.

Quincy Josiah Adams J. Q. 2d

My wife continued extremely ill all Night and all this day; and just at dinner time had so severe a turn that I sent for Dr Woodward again, he having been here this morning. He was gone to Boston, but came after his return in the Evening— She was then a little relieved, but has yet a ceaseless cough— He thinks she has a lung fever— President Quincy called upon me, and returned me the mortgage upon my two houses in Tremont Street, Boston, which I gave on the 6th. of October 1826. to secure the payment of the bequests in my fathers Will, to my brothers two elder Sons Thomas Boylston and Isaac Hull— He said he had discharged the mortgage upon the record in Boston; and there now remains only one of the four mortgages which I then gave to be discharged; and that cannot be effected before the year 1838— It is on the House and Store in Court Street, Boston Mr Quincy spoke of the present condition of the University as on the whole satisfactory; though with some qualification— The Prosecutions at the Court of Common Pleas in the County of Middlesex have terminated as he would have wished— One of the young men who were indicted having made full confession, and thrown himself on the mercy of the faculty— The Prosecution had therefore been withdrawn. Another had 401pleaded a noli-contendere, and had been sentenced to a fine of 20 dollars upon one Indictment, and 30 dollars upon the other; and the third has absconded. About ninety Students have been admitted in to the several classes— Of the Junior Class, the whole of whom, excepting three, were dismissed as Sophomores, thirty-three have applied for readmission— Sixteen of them have been readmitted, and no decision has yet been made upon the rest— There was some disorder in the freshmen Class, the night before last; by a bonfire made in the College-yard; upon which the faculty met, and closed the term of probation of one Student detected in the act of making the fire— The number of the freshman Class is upwards of seventy, and there will be more than forty finally in the junior Class— I spoke to Mr Quincy of the pamphlet sheet I had received under a blank cover; called a Review of the life and character of Jesus—and asked him if it had been sent to him— He said he had not received it—but that he had received several other pamphlets of the same stamp— I asked him if he knew who and what this faction of Atheists were; and how they were working— He knew not much about them; but said they had weekly Meetings on Sundays, at the federal Street Theatre; where the most unqualified Atheism was preached; of which he gave me a shocking Specimen. I asked him if he did not think that a steady watch should be kept, over the progress of this Spirit, with a view to counteract its mischievous tendencies— He said he did; but did not know how it was best to be counteracted— He told me that one of the principal persons of the Atheist crew was Green, the Postmaster at Boston— Charles returned this Morning to Boston— I went through my indispensable daily task, but had scarcely half an hour for exercise in the garden and Nursery— I employed it, in transplanting Seedling Apple trees; to range them in rows— My nephew John Quincy was here this Morning.

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