John Quincy Adams to Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, July 9, 1806

Cambridge 9. July 1806.

My dearest Louisa

I was just going to account as well as I could for your having been two days over the accustomed time, without receiving my first letter from this place, dated the 22d: of last month, of which delay you complain in your’s of the 29th: when receiving that of the next day, I rejoyce to find in it, that you had been relieved from your anxiety and received my letter—A new Post-Office seldom fails, to occasion same delay; but I hope you have regularly received all my later letters—The last I wrote you was this day last week; for on Sunday last an occasional occupation engrossed so completely the whole day, that I had not so much as a quarter of an hour for writing a line to you—It was not you may be sure an ordinary call, to which I could sacrifice any of the time appropriated for you, and you have a right to know what it was. My Nephew John Smith takes his degree at New-York the 6th: of next Month; and is to deliver an English Oration—Sometime last Winter his father wrote to request that I would write his Oration for him; but I thought he would do better to write one himself, and supposed I should not have the Time, so that I then declined—Last week, however I received a letter from my Sister, in which she renewed the request, and I found it utterly impossible to refuse her—This then was the purpose to which I devoted the Sunday, and I have now sent him his Oration—I had no other day which I could borrow, for I am oppress’d with the composition of Lectures which I am to deliver once a week, and each of which it takes me a week of very close assiduity to compose.

I have invited John Smith to come and reside with us; and if he accepts the invitation he will perhaps be ready to accompany you by the time you reach New-York. The 4th: of July was celebrated in Boston with unusual brilliancy—There was a federal dinner of five hundred persons at Faneuil-Hall, to which I was invited, but felt no inclination to go—I therefore spent the day coolly and studiously, upon the occupations which my present duties require, without going out of Cambridge. Neither could I spare the time to go out to Quincy on Saturday—For I find that this visit nearly deprives me of three days—The Saturday to go; the Sunday there; and the Monday to return—So that I shall be obliged to content myself for the future with going out once a fortnight.

I most sincerely hope your Sister Harriet will yet preserve her child—As you have said nothing in your late Letters of little Walter, I hope he has quite recovered from his indisposition.

I heard last evening from Quincy, by Mr: Greenleaf, who dined there yesterday, and who brought me a line from my Mother—Our dear children, are both perfectly well. Mrs: T. B. Adams is not yet released from her burden .

This word brings to my mind a circumstance which may divert you—A few days after I came home, I took George by one hand, and John by the other to walk with me in the Garden—Come said I; great burden on this side, and little burden on that—It set them both a laughing and ever since it has been a by-word between them—George says, “I am Papa’s Great Burden, and John “I am Papa’s little burden.” John goes regularly to Meeting every Sunday—About a fortnight ago the Minister, who was a Mr: Bradford of Roxbury, preach’d a Sermon, contrasting the characters of Herod, and of John the Baptist. After meeting, returning home, John says “Grandmama the Minister preached all the time about me .”—The name of John , so often repeated in the Sermon, had caught his attention, and he concluded it must mean him.

Next Saturday, I intend going to Quincy; and as I shall have no Commencement Oration to write, I hope on Sunday, to give you some further account of myself and of your darlings—Mean time I am ever affectionately your’s.