Abigail Adams to Thomas Boylston Adams, December 27, 1801

Quincy December 27 th 1801

my dear Thomas

I have not written you a Letter for a long time, yet I have not
been unthoughtfull of you. 1 my mind is
often anxiously engaged for the welfare of my children. when my tongue is silent, and my
pen inactive; Your Brother and Family have been with me ever since their arrival, untill
last week when they got into their House in Boston; Mrs Adams has had a very allarming
cough & pain in her Breast which confined her almost the whole time she was here,
and it has not left her yet, tho she has been both Bled and Blisterd; her frame is so
Slender & her constitution so delicate that I have many fears that she will be of
short duration; the constant state of anxiety which has harrassed his mind upon her
account, have added a weight of years to his Brow, which time alone could not have
effected in double the , Start deletion, Time , End, Space— commencing anew the practise of the
Law, is very far from being agreable to him after a period of seven years in which his
attention has been altogether occupied by other objects— yet what is to be done a
Helpless Family to provide for; all public employment in its best estate precarious,
uncertain, unthankfull, and now disgracefull to a Man of Honour & principle— to dig
he cannot; to beg—he disdains.— to what but the profession in which he was bred can he
turn his attention? humiliating as the circumstances are, under which he must commence
anew the buisness— very little buisness of a profitable nature is to be found in Boston
where the practise is less lucrative than in most of the other States; I know very well
that it has been in compliance with the wishes of your Father that all my sons studied
Law—but it was contrary to my judgement, and I know it was so to your inclination; I
think you would have been more Successfully employd in a mercantile Line, but that is
now out of the question; the present state of our Country offers no great encouragement
to talents integrity or Patriotism; where we are to be whirled how tossed and Buffetted
Time will unfold, but that we are to experience a reverse in the prosperous situation of
our country is too evident; Have you read in the Washington Federilist some papers under
the Signature of a “Friend of the Constitution” upon the contemplated System of
attacking the Judiciary. they are ably and handsomely written, and are from the pen of
W. C. 2

I do not know whether I have thanked you for procuring my Ring,
which was executed quite to my mind; you will see by the papers that your Father
accepted an invitation to dine with those who celebrate Saint Forefathers day the feast
of the Pilgrims—and that upon this occasion, they were all “Republicans all Federilists”
the Lyon & the Lamb sit down together. the Son placed upon the right Hand, and the
ex Secretary Tim, upon the left; whilst Stephen presided as
President of the day, with perfect degage (you must make
out the meaning) that brazen effrontary which like Judas could say Hail Master and
betray with a kiss. not so poor Cabot whose conscience accused him of defection &
desertion, who saw and felt how wrong a part he had acted; 3 I am sometimes wholy at a loss to know what we
are made for? So inconsistant, so proud arrogant & selfish as Mankind are; and I
draw this conclusion, if in this Life only we have hope, then are we of all Beings the
most misirable—

“Hope Humbly then, with trembling pinions Soar

Wait the great Teacher Death, and God adore” 4

The Worscester Farmer has in his tenth Number basely and falsly
attackd our NE clergy, but he has pulld a Hornets nest about his Ears, that will Sting
him in, or out of his senses—he is the most of a Slavering Sycophant of any in the pack,
or Sect. 5

avaunt Politicks— Well pray inform [me] of the price current of
flower. it has much fallen here, [if] the best kind is to be had with you at Seven or
Eight dollors or will fall to that, request the Baker, to send me two Barrels more—

We all desire to be rememberd with Love respect &c to all our
kind Friends— most affectionatly / Your Mother

A Adams