Saturday Morning
My Dear Sis - I have just finished reading your last letter which kept me some
time from going to breakfast - I am sorry to hear Grandma has got the influenza
though I hardly dared hope she would escape it - you need not be in the least
alarmed about my cough I am quite well now though I presumed I coughed
considerable at the time Mr Reese left – I have never heard anything of the
kind you mention respecting Miss Blanchard hardly think it true - however I
will try and ascertain –. Mr Gilchrist told me the other evening that she was
said to be engaged to a young gentleman of Troy – I agree with you in think
ing they are all perfectly heartless I generally meet them whenever I go out –
I have indeed arranged all matters about going to Orange County so that we
shall be ready to come home as soon as the Legislature adjourn - I am
going down soon after the boats commence running which will probably be
about the middle of March – Henry of course will come for me as soon as he
is at liberty perhaps before the adjournment - I should like him to come that
I might return here and be in readiness to depart immediately after that event -
Gus is very much pleased with the promise of a letter from Frances he says
I must ask you to tell Cousin Frances that he is very much "obliged" to her for
writing – very polite – he wanted me to read for Freds edification the part of
the letter that reffreferred to him not doubting but Fred's gratification
would be equal to his own – they are both quite well now - Fred thinks "day"
as he call Gus is a complete affair - imitates all his naughty actions of course
The weather continues cold, cold, - I was not comfortably warm in my room all
day yesterday - We have been talking two or three days about going to Troy but
it is so cold I cannot summon sufficient resolution - I concluded my last
letter Thursday morning – that afternoon we went to call at Mancius – they
said they had been receiving calls all day - Mrs Mancius a is a very clever
little woman - the girls rather too artificial - Miss Brown Mrs M's — sister
a very pleasant girl - and the old man appears with wine, wassail, and the
gout to be perfectly stupid — Sarah Bowen who is a particular friend was there
making a call — not as pretty as she was in the evening and flourishes so much
that she is very disgusting - They urged us to stay to tea but I had some shopping to do
and could not — stopped about an hour a Little & Cummings book store to look at
books and prints and other pretty things - called at about ten stores to get
some white kid gloves and some blond edging — found none — came home sick
with at the long walk — went early to bed — Thursday morning Mrs Beardsley came
and invited me to ride with her — but finally we did not go as one of the horses
lost a shoe which discovery was made rather too late to allow us time to ride
before dinner - In the evening we went to Mrs Sanfords second Soiree - Mrs Julian
Mrs Beardsley and myself —Trummy not well enough to leave yet — it was a bitter

cold night but they live next door-& the house was as warm as a furnace — both rooms
were crowed - all the members invited - most of them there I should think I am sure many
that never attended a party before — Mrs Sanford looked charmingly — I think I have told
you she is a 2nd wife — he married her at Baltimore — she is not pretty but very animated
and ladylike - I do not know but I have told you all this before — I forget sometimes
what I do write - She has been married but a few years - has one little fat boy of 16 months
She was dressed the other evening in ^light^ blue silk - a white blond cap very becoming - She has
always worn a turban before when I have met her - Miss Sanford is a very pretty girl
17 or eighteen I should think - she wore white bobbinett over satin — as for Mr Sanford I think
he is a secondary consideration — I have never seen him though I understand he was there
but I had actually forgotten there was any such man — Mrs Sanford receives company
very gracefully without much display as she continued stationary in one room
until it was filled and then went to the other — I am altogether more pleased
with her deportment than any lady I have seen — She always says Miss Sanford
when speaking of her husbands daughter — that John A. King says is a la mode so I
suppose it is as he lives in New York and knows what is what — We had tea and coffee just
as we do at parties. sweetmeats ices mutton &c—Mrs Juliand and I came away before ten -
Granger was there the first time I have met him out — did not see much of him or
anyone else for that matter " there were so many housen” – of folks — Friday morning at six
oclock Mrs Juliand took her departure she having concluded to go to her little girl -
Mrs Julians’ brother was here and she returned with him. Mr J - had on a long face at the
breakfast table - I am very sorry she has gone she was amiable and pleasant - Mrs. Cary
says she is going so soon as the little boy gets well enough to ride but I rather think when he
gets well she will change her mind — cold, cold all day one or two members called during
the day & our Governor in the evening — Mrs Throop and Mrs Lupton also called but I
did not see them they stayed but a minute & when I went to the ladies parlour they had
gone to Mrs. Bronson's room — I was quite satisfied - Granger is about as well satisfied with
himself as any one I ever saw- he said there was a great collection of beauty at Mrs Sanfords Henry having
remarked that he never saw congregated together so many homely women —Speaking of Mrs Clarkson the Lieuten-
ant Governors daughter — I said I was told she was not there — yes she was said Granger she was
on my arm when I first saw you, you remember — no I did not remember the lady who
was so honoured — is she pretty said Henry — You may be assured of that said Granger for I
never offer my arm to a woman that is not pretty — a beautiful observation truly — dont
tell any body our Governor is so silly — he went on discounting the merits of ladies
dresses and faces — their minds being of no consequence as he is a kind of mirror of fashion
I will repeat some of his observations - of course I shall never expect the honour of the gentleman's
arm — he agreed with me that Mrs Sanford was very much a lady in all respects — the Miss
Bowers he said there was nothing of them — I observed I thought there was too much — he said
they were varnished not polished — might do at Cooperstown — but ' O horrid they had on
black velvet bands with their muslin dresses” — Mrs Throop and Mrs Porter dressed
shockingly without taste — Mrs Rufus King very spritely and entertained company
handsomely but no talent — Mrs Lupton singular but odd ^talented^ — The Miss Cains appear
to be favorites he spoke very highly of them — Upon the whole I found our tastes not
very dissimilar but I was provoked with him a man and a man who possesses the
confidence of a large party, to make as serious a matter of things so very trifling in
themselves — Friday during the day Mrs George Clark came and took up her abode
here — She has always put up at this house — Now do you know who Mrs George Clark is
you would had you heard as much about her as I have — She was once Mrs Cooper you
remember - her misconduct induced Cooper to get a divorce and she has
since lived with Clark having previously had t[ w ] o sons whose names were

changed by the Legislature from Cl Cooper to Clark after the divorce — I do not know
whether she was ever married to Clark at all events he has a wife and family in
England — he is very wealthy and they spend a portion of each winter here - Mrs
Bronson says the ladies have no intercourse with her whatever - She was at tea last
night and is a very bold disgusting looking woman taller and nearly as large
as Miss Bissel - coarse in her manners and conversation - her husband
if he is so has been here some time — She came as accompanied by her son and
sister e - a plain woman – Mrs Clark employs most of her time in staring
people in the face — Mr Clark has not attempted to introduce any of us to her–
Monday morning — Saturday afternoon Henry Mr Cary and I went to Troy we crossed
on the ice perfectly safe though there are some fears about its firmness — stopped at
Titus’ and left Mr Cary then we went to Mrs Boardman's — the dear
very glad to see us — she and old Mrs Jenkins were quilting — Maryann is about as presice
as ever and Columbus Do.— William is still in New York and Augustus at Princeton - every
thing seemed just as comfortable and as much like home as it used to do — Mrs B. employed
most of her time in repeating observations of yours — she said I must give a great deal
of love to you when I wrote again - I promised to go again and take the children —
Henry and Mrs Cary went about half an hour over to Mrs Willards where there is now going
on a 7 days examination - The old lady is flourishing as largely as ever- Henry said
the room was full of spectators - many of the Members of the Legislature - he staid but
a short time & returned to Mrs Boardmans to tea - we came away as soon as we finished
our tea as it was quite dark — took in Mrs Cary and Fuller at Titus' — had a very merry
ride home - found Mrs Cary looking very sorry — Trumbull continues quite ill yet
Yesterday morning I went to the 2^d Presbyterian church - heard Mr Campbell - was pleased
with that portion of the discourse I heard but unfortunately went to sleep — came home
with the headache [ in ] the rain — went out to dinner found Mrs Clark had seated hers[ elf ]
just opposite me and s[ tared ] at me all the time — could not eat —. She Commenced
talking to Mrs Cary to [hole] she has not been introduced - I thought it would be my turn
next so I came aw[ ay ] before the desert — Henry thinks to avoid future annoyance I had bette[ r ]
not go to the table for a few days and if she persists in keeping that seat we will go
to the other end of the table and sit with Maynard - of course we do not wish to
render ourselves too conspicuous in such an affair — in the afternoon I went up to Mrs
Bronson's room found her and the baby both sick — went to Mrs Beardsley's room found
her in bed with the sick headache - Mrs Cary very desponding about Trummy —
upon the whole Mrs Clark and all I found myself pretty tolerable homesick — In
this humour I wrote about as a flat a letter to Serene as I ever saw — had a letter
from Cornelia this morning she remains well yet — This morning is dreary enough - snowing
constantly — Mrs Cary and I continue to eat in our rooms — Trumbell no better - I am
reading Count Robert for Mrs Cary — Maryann Boardman said something about Miss
Blanchards being stabbed — but the conversation was changed and I got no particulars — Mr
Cary says it was Miss Ellen Blanchard and the man was supposed to be a discarded
lover of hers — I hope I shall be able to hear some more about it — Will you tell me all
you remember to have heard about Mrs Clark alias Cooper — I cannot come at much infor
mation — Gus says he wishes you would ask Frances when that letter is coming & to tell
her there is a great many boys here little and big - I hope Grandma is better by this time
I feel very anxious to hear from her — There is to be a speech made the 22 — I shall go to the
ball if the children keep well - Tuesday morning very cold Trumbell no better his eyes are
dreadfully inflamed he has not opened them for three days — poor Mrs Cary she looks miserably
they have sent to Geneva for their oldest son Walter — I do not think the Dr is alarmed at all
he says he has had many cases– Just received an invitation to Mrs Savages' to tea suppose

I must go as I have refused an invitation there — I am sure I shall freeze if I do - Wedn Tuesday
night — Well we went to Mrs Savages Tuesday evening had a very pleasant party-
Wednesday I employed most of the day altering my ball dress which Miss Carpenter had pretty
much spoiled —Mrs Otis made a speech at ten oclock which no ladies went to hear
not fashionable I suppose — I went early in the morning to do a little shopping previous
to going to the ball gloves belt ribbon &c…We went to the Ball at nine oclock but a
description of this must be deferred until the next letter — came home at eleven being
on my feet constantly and going up and down stairs so much has made me so fatigued
that I have done nothing today but sleep and hold Augustus whom we think is getting
the measles — I feel reproached for not sending this letter earlier because I know you
are expecting it — Trumbell is getting better and Mrs Cary beginning to look like
herself again — Mrs Beardsleys little girl has got the measles — some of the ladies went to
the Ball from here but myself - O yes Mrs Clark did but I will tell you all about
this in the next letter — Rathbone said he wished you could be there you would enjoy
it so much —I responded — kiss Fran - Your own Sis Frances —
Mrs Alvah Worden—
Auburn—