 | Letters of Mrs. Adams, |  |
TO JOHN ADAMS.[1]
The morning after I received your very short letter,
I determined to devote the day to writing to my
friend; but I had only just breakfasted, when I had
a visit from Monsieur Riviére, an officer on board
the Languedoc, who speaks English well, the captain
of the Zara, and six or eight other officers, from
on board another ship. The first gentleman dined
with me, and spent the day, so that I had no opportunity
of writing that day. The gentlemen officers
have made me several visits, and I have dined twice
on board, at very elegant entertainments. Countd'Estaing
has been exceedingly polite to me. Soon
after he arrived here, I received a message from
him, requesting that I would meet him at Colonel
Quincy's as it was inconvenient leaving his ship for
any long time. I waited upon him, and was very
politely received. Upon parting, he requested that
and dine with him the next Thursday, with any
friends we chose to bring; and his barge should
come for us. We went, according to the invitation,
and were sumptuously entertained, with every delicacy
that this country produces, and the addition of
every foreign article that could render our feast
splendid. Music and dancing for the young folks
closed the day.
The temperance of these gentlemen, the peaceable,
quiet disposition both of officers and men, joined
to many other virtues which they have exhibited
during their continuance with us, are sufficient
to make Europeans, and Americans too, blush at
their own degeneracy of manners. Not one officer
has been seen the least disguised with liquor since
their arrival. Most that I have seen, appear to be
gentlemen of family and education. I have been
the more desirous to take notice of them, as I cannot
help saying, that they have been neglected in the
town of Boston. Generals Heath and Hancock have
done their part, but very few, if any, private families
have any acquaintance with them. Perhaps I feel
more anxious to have them distinguished, on account
of the near and dear connexions I have among them.
It would gratify me much, if I had it in my power,
to entertain every officer in fleet.
In the very few lines I have received from you,
not the least mention is made, that you have ever received
a line from me. I have not been so parsimonious
as my friend,—perhaps I am not so prudent;
and not give utterance to some of the abundance
which is in it. Could you, after a thousand
fears and anxieties, long expectation, and painful
suspense, be satisfied with my telling you, that I was
well, that I wished you were with me, that my
daughter sent her duty, that I had ordered some articles
for you, which I hoped would arrive, &c. &c.?
By Heaven, if you could, you have changed hearts
with some frozen Laplander, or made a voyage to
a region that has chilled every drop of your blood;
but I will restrain a pen already, I fear, too rash, nor
shall it tell you how much I have suffered from this
appearance of—inattention.
The articles sent by Captain Tucker have arrived
safe, and will be of great service to me. Our money
is very little better than blank paper. It takes
forty dollars to purchase a barrel of cider; fifty
pounds lawful for a hundred of sugar, and fifty dollars
for a hundred of flour; four dollars per day for
a laborer, and find him, which will amount to four
more. You will see, by bills drawn before the date
of this, that I had taken the method which I was
happy in finding you had directed me to. I shall
draw for the rest as I find my situation requires.
No article that can be named, foreign or domestic,
but what costs more than double in hard money what
it once sold for. In one letter I have given you an
account of our local situation, and of every thing I
thought you might wish to know. Four or five sheets
of paper, written to you by the last mail, were destroyed
my aversion, though I believe I should set a value
upon them, if I were to receive them from a certain
friend[2] ; a friend who never was deficient in testifying
his regard and affection to his
| Letters of Mrs. Adams, | |