Abigail Adams to John Adams, May 31, 1789

Sunday May 31. 1789

my dearest Friend

I received yesterday your Letter of May the 24 th and shall
begin tomorrow to get such things in readiness as will enable us to keep House. I feel a
reluctance at striping this wholy at present, because I am well persuaded that we shall
in some future period if our lives are prolonged return to it, and even supposing a
summer recess, we might wish to come & spend a few months here. an other reason is,
that I do not wish to bring all our own furniture, because congress are not, or do not possess sufficient stability to be sure of continuing long in any
one state,— I am fully satisfied with the House you have taken & glad that it is a
little removed from the city. the advantages will overbalance the inconvenience I doubt
not. I suppose Barnard has arrived before this. would it not be best to let him know
that he will have a full freight ready, returns as soon as he will, and that I must look
out for some other vessel if he delay’s, tho I have not the least prospect of getting
one, for mr Tufts’s is yet at Newyork Barnard’s is calculated for the Buisness, & I
could get a small vessel to come here to mr Blacks & take in my things & carry
them along side of Barnard, which will be less expence, & damage than carting them
to Boston. in the mean time I will get the Dr to look out, & see if any other vessel
can be hired for the purpose provided Barnard should delay at Newyork. this you can
advise me of by the next post. with the greatest expedition I do not think I can get
them ready under a week— I must leave Brisler to come by water with them, if you think
it best for me to come before my furniture is ship’d, but I do not see what advantage I
can be of, to you situated as you are. an additional incunberence to mr Jays family
would be still more indelicet than imposing the vice Pressident upon him for several
months, and rendering his situation so delicate that he could neither leave him with
decency, or stay with decorum, and to be at Jamaica I could do no more than if I was at
Braintree to assist in any thing the Trunks which I sent contain Bed & table Linnen
some Cloths & the cases contain carpets. I will however be directed wholy by your
wishes & come next week if you think it best, and you have any place to put me. you
must be sensible from the tenor of Your Letters that I have not known hitherto what to
do, any more than you have from your situation, What to direct. you will be as patient
as possible & rest assured that I will do my utmost with the means I have, to
expidite every thing. as to insurence there will be no occasion for it by Barnard who is
so well acquainted with the coast, & at this season of the Year

The Pressident & Lady dinned with me yesterday. 1 he has got permission for Charles’s absence—
Polly Tailor would cry a week if I did not bring her, for a House maid I know not where
I could get her equal. Elijahs mother thinks it is too far for her son to go, but if
they consent mr Brisler can take him on Board Barnard when he comes, but I shall not
press it. Poor daniel has been sick with a soar which gatherd in his Throat & which
nearly proved fatal to him. he expected from you
some gratuity for himself, oweing to the multiplicity of cares which on all sides
surrounded you, at that time, it was omitted. as it was Customary & daniels
expectations were dissapointed, he mentiond it to one or two persons, amongst whom
woodard was one, who having just returnd from Newyork, clapt his hands into his pocket
& taking out two crowns, gave them to him, telling him that you was so much engaged
at the time, that it had slipt your mind but that he saw you at Newyork & that he
had brought them for him. this came to my knowledge by the way of mr Wibird who insisted
upon letting me know it. I immediatly repaid mr woodard & thank’d him for his
kindness—

your Brother I believe will take care of the place when I leave it. the leave for
Breaking up the Hill came too late for this season, the weather is remarkably cold &
Backward, the pastures bare & vegetation very slow there is a fine blow upon the
place, & if the frost last week which killd Beans, has not injured the Blossom, we
shall have a large crop of fruit. I had yesterday a fine plate of fair Russets upon the
table, sound as when they were taken from the Trees my Garden looks charmingly, but it
wants warmth— I have got some Large asparagrass Beds made, & my little grass plots
before the door, pay well for the manure which I had put on in short I regreet leaving
it. your Mother is well as usual. her Eyes are very troublesome to her. you will let me
hear from you by the next post. I hope to be able to relieve you soon from [all?]
domestick, cares & anxieties. at least my best endeavours sh[all] not be wanting. I
know you want your own Bed & pillows, your Hot coffe & your full portion of kian
where habit has become Natural. 2 how many
of these little matters, make up a large portion of our happiness & content, and the
more of publick cares & perplexities that you are surrounded with, the more
necessary these alleviations our blessings are sometimes enhanced to us, by feeling the
want of them. as one of that Number it is my highest ambition to be estimated, &
shall be my constant endeavour to / prove in all situations & circumstances /
affectionatly yours

A Adams