From Abigail Smith Adams to Harriet Welsh

I beleive you thought me very imprudent to consent to the Presidents going to Town So cold a day as yesterday—but the cold increased much after the morning and I was quite anxious untill he returnd—much pleased and gratified with his days excursion there is Such a thing as Staying at Home untill it becomes wearisome to us change of place, or dear variety compose part of our happiness

I enclose you the last journal—and mr vanderkemps Letter. poor mrs A——s is Sadly beset with preachers go where She will—I really pitty a liberal minded person obliged to hear what they cannot beleive, and must abhor—what do you think of mr vanderkemps translating 40 folio volms? I hope they will pay him well—give my Love to mrs Crufts when you See and tell her I hope she will come & take Quincy air as Soon as the Spring opens. upon calculation we have found more old people living in this place than in any Town between here & Boston. there are ten or Eleven between 70 & 80 within half a mile of us—But the only line of Ossian which made a deep impression upon my mind is that in which he Says “old Age is dark & unlovely” Yet it is what Human nature covets—when I took my pen, I thought only of writing a line to ask you to get me a yd of Line as good as you may find for 6 or 76 pr yd for a Small cap. if the weather is fine the Boys may come as the Sleighing is So good. I do not think it worth while for them to bring their every day cloaths. it only makes a Bundle to Send back as they return on Sunday—Yours as ever