Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, March 27, 1831

  • Posted on: 11 January 2016
  • By: admin
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, March 27, 1831
x

transcriber

Transcriber:spp:mep

student editor

Transcriber:spp:saz

Distributor:Seward Family Papers Project

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1831-03-27

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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, March 27, 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:
x

transcription: mep 

revision: dxt 2015-10-15

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Page 1

Sunday night 27th
My Dear Henry,
I have been too ill for the last two days to write back but I
am quite glad now because in the mean time I have recieved your
Thursdays letter and I felt much better to night. Friday I sent my
last letter. yesterday I was sick all day, the Dr
Birth: 1785-05-17 Death: 1848-03-09Certainty: Possible
did not come to see
Fred
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
and I think today he appears quite well again. Clary
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05
went
yesterday afternoon up to Lazette’s
Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03
to meet Ann Eliza Nicholson
Birth: 1793 Death: 1849-04-19
and
Miss McCay
Unknown
. Emily
Unknown
is there yet. Allen
Unknown
came home with Clary
he and Carhart
Birth: 1806-08-24 Death: 1874-05-16Certainty: Possible
were the only young gentlemen whom Worden
Birth: 1797-03-06 Death: 1856-02-16

thought worthy of an invitation, rather a dull season. I went
to bed at eight oclock feeling sick too sick to sit up, During
the night there was considerable thunder and lightning, How
lonely I did feel and how much I did wish you was with me.
the children were all sound asleep of course, I did not awake them
for company, but I envied their unconsciousness. I contin-
ued awake until the thunder had ceased and the moon had
emerged from the darkness in which she had been enveloped. This
morning I arose weak and languid, obliged to sit down a number of
times while dressing, nursing Fred through the night without
having taken much nourishment during the day had deprived
me of all my strength. I made the little child eat pork for his
breakfast. I looked in vain on the mantle piece for the letters which
according to my calculation must come this morning. I knew
you was in Albany on Teusday but I have not seen one of the
Journals for this week. Edward
Unknown
said he saw your name among
the voters. The letters came not so I came up stairs and reads over
the two last and went to bed, the mud prevented Clary’s going to church
though it was no hindrance to the presbyterians. Finney
Birth: 1792-08-29 Death: 1875-08-16
preaches Sunday
morning and evening. Teusday and Friday evenings always a full church.
Page 2

Lundy
Unknown
has so far advanced that he prays at the evening meetings. The young
men say that Mary Pitney
Birth: 1813-02-16 Death: 1893-10-14
imitates Finney in her manner of praying. How
perfectly destitute of refinement and delicacy a female must be to expose
herself to such observations. Clary has gone to Church this evening with Ezra
Birth: 1790-05-28 Death: 1856-05-10Certainty: Probable

when I went down to tea Edward
Unknown
gave me your letter which he had
got from the post office as a particular favour. The mail did not
come until 10 oclock this morning which was due last night.
I have read your letter once for Grandma
Birth: 1751 Death: 1835-10-03
once for Clary and three times
for myself so that I have become tolerably well acquainted with its
contents. How thankful I am that you did not break any of your
limbs in your fall which I think was very fortunate. I am glad to
hear all are well in Orange County, hardly know whether to be glad
or sorry Frances
Birth: 1801-01-16 Death: 1860-02-07
talks of coming home with you. Marcia
Birth: 1794-07-23 Death: 1839-10-25
gave Clary
so unfavourable an account of her character and her exceeding duplicity
that I should think her rather an unsafe companion-. now, but I did
like Frances very much when I was with her and should again un-
doubtedly which would prevent my using the discretion that I should.
how much I wish it was cousin Mary
Unknown
that was coming. I should have
no doubt about my feelings with regard to her. Augustus
Birth: 1826-10-01 Death: 1876-09-11
got a
chair and sit down as still as a mouse when I read your letter and
has been talking ever since about your falling about about Tommy Thorn
Unknown
.
he says I must tell you he has got a feather to train with (which by
the way I am not quite sure he ought to have) he got it at the office.
Peter says it belongs to a cap there which remains unsold. I would like
the shoes you speak of but hardly know how to send a measure in a letter?
I concluded from what Peter said that you had already written to
Pa. I do not think it worth while to do so. I will try and ascertain
what is necessary and employ Nathan Osborne
Birth: 1791
. Grandma says there
is no necessity for trimming the trees until April. I wish you were
home to see and give directions about the garden and shrubbery
I feel that I am quite deficient in taste and judgement both about
Page 3

these things. You talk about Lockie’s
Birth: 1805-07-15 Death: 1848-05-14
large baby you must not expect to see
Fred one third as large, he is a very tiny thing, he is almost nine months
old I weighed him three or four weeks ago and then he weighed 20 lb’s
however I am much better pleased with him as he is I never was much in
favour with of these overgrown babies. I have been trying to make up my
mind this some time to cut his hair it has grown so as to entirely
cover his neck behind. I shall not cut it in front, he may as well
look like a little girl a year or two, it is so soft and fine that
I shall feel considerable remorse in cutting it at all.
Clary has come home from church with Hugh
Birth: 1791-09-07 Death: 1860-11-16
for a beau. he came in
and stayed about an hour I cannot see as this affair is even
coming to a crisis. she talks of going to a concert with him next
week, and to church on Teusday and says he is an uncommon
fool all [ the time ]
x

Supplied

Reason: wax-seal
. I believe the managers have relinquished
the idea of [hole] another cotillion party from respect to the
feelings of the young converts who are quite numerous.
Judge Powers
Birth: 1789-07-11 Death: 1831-06-25
I am told, is not expected to survive long though I
have heard nothing particular for the last week. Who Did Daniel Jesup
Birth: 1795-07-01 Death: 1876-07-03

marry for his second wife?. Clary has been trying to tell me what
she heard about it but I am sure I have never heard. I am going to
sleep now with the hope that there will be no thunder showers to night.
Clary has got the hypo
x

hypo

A Greek preposition for under, beneath • A morbid depression of the spirits •
and says she intends to marry Hugh to get away
from here I cannot tell whether she is serious. I hardly think she
knows herself. I feel sorry for Clary it is unpleasant for her here a but I am afraid
she would not improve her condition by this step. Pa grows since his illness more and
more regardless of appearances. the bed is to continue in the front room all summer,
and he has been driving up nails in the wall in the sitting room to hang his clothes
on. I hope people will not think we are all crazy. Clary wishes me to remonstrate
Unwilling to go, or only running back • Unyielding • Stubborn horse •
but
I should feel no right to do so if I was going to remain here. Monday morning we are
all quite well again this morning. your own Frances. Say any thing you please for me
to the Tracy's
x Birth: 1800  Death: 1876  Birth: 1793-06-17  Death: 1859-09-12 
. I feel grateful for their kindly sentiments towards me (all on your account notwithstanding)
Page 4

William H. Seward
Albany
AUBURN N.Y. MAR 29
x

Stamp

Type: postmark

Hand Shiftx

William Seward

Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
Frances A. Seward 27 March