Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, January 23, 1831

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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, January 23, 1831
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transcriber

Transcriber:spp:alc

student editor

Transcriber:spp:cef

Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1831-01-23

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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, January 23, 1831

action: sent

sender: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24  Death: 1865-06-21

location: Auburn, NY

receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16  Death: 1872-10-10

location: Albany, NY

transcription: alc 

revision: ekk 2015-09-09

<>
Page 1

Sunday evening
My Dear Henry. A letter from you this morning which I consider
a very good commencement of a day have been engaged most
of the day in trying to get some more information of the
biography of Aaron Burr
Birth: 1756-02-06 Death: 1836-09-14
your letter interested me so much
I have got collected a motley assembly of books taken
from that reservoir the bed room over the hall. “Burrs Trial
Old “Balances ‘Port Folios’ etc innumerable. So far I have
not been very successful, the ‘Trial’ is almost unintellegible
to any one not acquainted with the particulars of the
conspiracy, and the very number of the “Balance” which
contains these particulars is among the missing. Augustus
Birth: 1826-10-01 Death: 1876-09-11

and Grandpa
Birth: 1772-04-11 Death: 1851-11-13
are down stairs discussing the merits of
the hobby horse Grandma
Birth: 1751 Death: 1835-10-03
is meditating. Clary
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05
and
Catherine
Birth: 1800 Death: 1874-01
are reading, still further down little Fred
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25

lies asleep in the cradle attended by Sarah Levit
Unknown

and Ann
Unknown
who I hope for his happiness does not figure
very conspicuously in his dreams. It is the coldest of
a succession of cold nights the snow is more than
two feet deep the thermometer lower than at any
time this winter. I can hardly tell what we have been doing
since I sent my last letter by Joshua Burt
Birth: 1810-09-27 Death: 1871-06-13
. That was on
Wednesday. The only occurrence on Thursday of any interest
was the arrival of the hobby horse which has made Augustus
almost crazy ever since, his Grandpa has purchased it of I.
Miller
Birth: 1791-04-30 Death: 1853-04-03Certainty: Possible
, it abides in the little bedroom off from the upper
kitchen. Augustus and his Grandpa make it periodical
visits. The little fellow has not much comfort riding it is so cold
Page 2

though he asks my permission twenty times during the day to go a
“little while and see hobby.” He at first concluded not to tell
you any thing about about it but wait until you came home and then
take you in and surpise you but this was too long a time
and to day he requested me to inform you the very next
time I wrote. I always read what you say about him and
Fred in your letters it delights him very much and he is not
satisfied unless I repeat it a number of times. I hear nothing of
the scarlet fever for the last few days. I shall certainly apprise
you of its first appearance here should we not escape. I
read of course all that passes in the Senate saw the discussion
of your resolution, hated George Throop
Birth: 1793-04-12 Death: 1854-02-23
, reproached myself
for asking if Mr Tracy
Birth: 1793-06-17 Death: 1859-09-12
had a heart, and felt quite a
drawing towards Maynard
Birth: 1786-11-11 Death: 1832-08-28
because he voted as you did.
I do not understand now who it was that voted, there were
only 23 that cannot be all the members of the Senate is it?
Friday I sent your letters to Lazette
Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03
to read the cold
weather and snow precluding all hope of going there very soon
Nancy
Birth: 1809-04-10 Death: 1879-08-19
has gone and Harriet
Unknown
come back again Lazette
complains of being very lonely. Friday night Peter recieved
directions to put three pair of boots and shoes in Pa’s lodging
room over night as he intended going to Syracuse in the
morning, so cold in the morning did not go, had a frenzy
at dinner about a piece of beef Caterine Catherine McDonald
spectator. She said all men behaved so sometimes when they
were disappointed about any particular dish. I told I knew
of one who did not. Augustus little rascal was a witness of the
scene, while reading his lesson in the afternoon he came to the
word, meat, “m e a t, meat, such meat ma as Grandpa
scolded so about,” said he. I tried to persuade
To influence by argument, advice, or intreaty • To convince by arguments, or reasons offered •
him it was not
scolding but he appeared rather skeptical.
Page 3

What a snow storm this is we have hardly been able to see across
the street to day. I think St Peters congregation must have
been very small. Grandma is wondering if the East River is frozen.
Little Fred was very sick in the night breathed very hard
appeared to be almost choked with phlegm, had he not vomited
before morning I should have been obliged to have given him an
emetic, he appears quite well now has one more little tooth
which made it first appearance yesterday. How I do wish
the eclipse of the sun was over with I have been dreading it this
long time it will be so gloomy if none of Grandmas evil
forbodings are realized. I wish you could be here then I
should not care a straw about it. I hope we shall not all be buried
in the snow before that time comes. Monday morning. I sat up last
night until 12 o clock reading Burrs conspiracy having fortunately
found the vol. of the Balance which contains the account did
not finish it, the weather appears somewhat more settled to day,
fine sleighing. Did I tell you I wrote to Cornelia
Birth: 1805 Death: 1839-01-04
last Sunday?
We have not seen an individual lady from the village since Debby
x

 


was here. Clary has not been to Compstons
x Birth: 1800  Death: 1851-06-04  Birth: 1790  Death: 1850-04-03 
to get the news and we
are quite in the dark about what is going on. Serene
Birth: 1805 Death: 1884-01-19
has not
been here since I moved. Lazette said she was in to see Miss Danks
Unknown
,
she was making a new cloak for the Dr’s
Birth: 1786-11-18 Death: 1853-04-20
new wife
Birth: 1797-12-04 Death: 1862-05-06
, he had
been and given all the directions was very anxious to have it
Completed before Sunday. They had rather an unpleasant
day for a display yesterday. Augustus says I must tell Pa
that hobby has got hair on him just like a live horse and a
saddle, bridle and stirrups all of which you have seen
I suppose. I intend to send Clary out to day that I may have
something new to tell you before I write again, your own Frances.
Page 4

William H. Seward.
Albany.
AUBURN N.Y.
JAN. 25
x

Stamp

Type: postmark

Hand Shiftx

William Seward

Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
F. A. Seward
25 Jan 1831