Abigail Adams to John Adams, January 25, 1799

Fryday—Quincy Jan’ ry 25 1799

my dearest Friend

I Received yours of the 16th on wedensday, and participated in
the Joy and pleasure you must have experienced in meeting a dear and amiable son after
a four years Seperation. how happy should I have been to have folded him at the same
time to my Bosom, and felt a pleasure which the Childless, can never experience.

I have already written both [. . .] you, and to him, respecting
his comeing to Quincy. I know so well your lonely situation, and your need of some
solace, from the weight & cares of your office, that I can restrain my impatience
to see him; whilst I know he is affording comfort to you;

I hope you all had an agreable Evening on wednesday. I should
have ventured a sleepless night I believe, if I had been with you. they have managed
the Matter better this year, than the last;

on Wednesday I received a visit from President Willard, & mr
Gerry. they were so polite as come on purpose; they both requested me to make their
respects to you. the President appears to be quite recoverd tho
paller and thinner than formerly; in the course of the conversation mr Gerry askd me
if the papers had yet been laid before Congress? I replied that I had not seen any
account of them. it is a subject of daily inquiry and some observe that, tho they
presume there cannot be any thing very important, yet as the Message denoted some
communications, it is rather extrodanary that they have not yet appeard.—

If they are detaind for comments: I should suppose they had been
long enough in the Hands of —— to write annotations upon them the S——y will not
acquire any popularity by this conduct. the public are quite competant to judge upon
them without any aid. I own I have felt angry with [. . .] ever since I read a
Letter.

Marshall has done more mischief than mr Gerry, as his own state
demonstrates— who ever questions the integrity of mr Gerrys Heart, does him an injury,
tho I thought yesterday from his slowness of Speech, and his round about & about,
manner of conveying his Ideas, I would as soon vote for a voluable old women to an
Embassy, as for him—

The weather is now very fine. I hope you have as good in
Philadelphia

Mr Porter wishes me to ask you, whether you meant the Barn Manure
or the yard manure carried upon the Hill? or Both.

with the tenderest affection I am / yours

A Adams

tell Thomas he must prepare to see his mother ten years older
than when he left her. time and sickness have greatly altered her