Adams Papers Digital Edition

Adams Family Correspondence, volume 1

Abigail Smith to John Adams

John Adams to Abigail Smith
John Adams to Abigail Smith, 15 August 1763 JA AA John Adams to Abigail Smith, 15 August 1763 Adams, John Adams, Abigail
John Adams to Abigail Smith
Monday Morning 15 August 17631

The Disappointment you mention was not intended, but quite accidental. A Gentleman, for whom I had much Esteem, Mr. Daniel Leonard of Norton,2 was so good as to offer to keep the sabbath with me at Braintree—a favour that would have been very agreable if it had not detained me from the most agreable of all Company, to me, in this world, and a favour that will I know be sufficient with you to excuse me.—A good Nights sleep I have had but not more than I should have had, for a Friend always keeps me awake till Midnight and after.

Shall return from Boston I hope time enough to obey, which I always do with more Pleasure than I ever command.

Yours, J. Adams

RC (Adams Papers); addressed: “For Miss Nabby Smith Weymouth.”

1.

Day and month supplied on the assumption that this is a reply to AA's letter of 11 Aug., preceding. But the date she gave her letter is not quite satisfactory, since she appears to have been writing on a Saturday, and 11 Aug. 1763 fell on a Thursday. No resolution of this puzzle occurs to the editors.

 2.

Daniel Leonard (1740–1829), Harvard 1760, lawyer, author of the “Massachusettensis” papers (1774–1775) to which JA replied over the name “Novanglus,” loyalist, and chief justice of Bermuda ( DAB ).