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214 Mrs. Susan Wallace, the mother of Horace Binney Wallace, lived opposite Washington's house in Philadelphia. She was the daughter of Mrs. Mary Binney of Philadelphia, and married John Bradford Wallace, who died in 1849. He was the nephew of Mr. Bradford, the second attorney-general of the United States. Mrs. Wallace was also one of the close friends of Mrs. Washington.

The letters of Abigail Adams form a valuable contribution to the published history of our country, laying open as they do the thoughts and feelings of one who had borne an important part in our nation's history. Mrs. Adams' character is worthy of contemplation for all her countrywomen even to-day, for though few may rise to such pre-eminence, many can emulate the sensibility and tact which she combined with much practical knowledge of life, as well as the firmness that sustained her in all vicissitudes.

She was Miss Abigail Smith, the second of three daughters, and was born at Weymouth, November 11, 1744. She was descended from genuine stock of the Puritan settlers of Massachusetts. Her father, the Rev. William Smith, was, for more than forty years, minister of the Congregational Church at Weymouth, and the ancestors of her mother, Elizabeth Quincy, were persons distinguished among the leaders of the church. From the ancestry, it may be inferred that her earliest associations were among those whose tastes were marked by the love of literature. She was not considered physically strong enough to attend school, consequently, the knowledge she evinced in after life was the result of her reading and observation rather than of what is commonly called education, which all the more emphasizes her native talents. The lessons that most deeply impressed her mind were received from Mrs. Quincy, her grandmother, whose beneficial influence she reverently acknowledges in her letters.