Friday 31^st Jan –
My Dearest Sister,
I will take it for granted that you have received
the letter I sent by Beardsley and commence with the next day.
Freddy was just then beginning to get better - he is today well enough
to go down stairs to his meals with Maryann. I have moved the
rocking chair back to the parlour and am beginning to feel at home
here again. Fred was quite sick four or five days and after the
fever left him he wished me to hold him on his lap much of
the time - so I devoted myself to nursing him - kept on
my calico dress and stayed in the nursery - he has now
got a little set of pewter cups and saucers with which he
plays constantly. I did not go to Church on Sunday - the day
was not pleasant and Fred was peevish and wanted to eat
the whole time. Mr Kellogg and Bronson dined with us.
Kellogg behaved himself remarkably well - I felt much better
disposed towards him than I did the last time I visited
there. Bronson did not appear at all at his ease - looks
old and homely enough. Mrs Cary and I left them at the
table. I saw them again a few moments in our room.
Bronson wanted to know if you did not leave Auburn
very unexpectedly said you told him the evening before you
left that you intended remaining three or four weeks longer.
I did not believe this and told him that you staid much
longer than you purposed doing when I left home.
Monday Mrs Cary and I went to return calls found very
few of the ladies at home - among the number was Mrs
Dix who is as exquisite a price of affectation as I
should care to see. I came home had a delightful headache
the remainder of the day. Tuesday afternoon we went
for a ride two or three miles down the river on the ice
the day was rather cold for an excursion of this kind
but not quite equal to the time that we went to Troy
last winter - when we came back I stopped a few
moments at Williams store and thereby encountered Mrs
Emma Willard - she was very gracious - made many

enquiries about you. I rather think she dont know that I
have not purchased one of her books which have been out
some time. I promised with Mrs Cary to attend her
examination which takes place in a fortnight.
Then we went to the Mansion house to call on Mrs
Smith and Mrs Beardsley - members wives - then
we stopped a few moments at Mrs Lockwoods to
see Mrs Tracy and then we came home - found Henry
(who left us at Mrs Lockwoods) and Weed having a tete to tete
Wednesday was a day of no small importance as we were
to dine at Mr Isaiah Townsends - my first dinner -
at four oclock we all got into Uncle Cary beautiful
new sleigh. Mr and Mrs Cary, Mr J. C. Spencers and
Henry and myself - we found assembled about 20 ladies
and gentlemen the greater part of whom were acquaintences
among them were Mr and Mrs Bloodgood and Mr and Mrs
Paige - we went through the usual ceremony as we
do at tea parties in about 20 minutes the folding
doors were thrown open and discovered the dinner
table - the room was lighted with lamps and
branches on the table - the table looked beautifully
on elegant china dining set &c. but all the minutia
I will reserve until I come home - we sat at
the table about 2 1/2 hours - tasting in the mean time
of five different kinds of wine gave me the sick headache
but there was no such thing as refusing. The grapes
nuts figs wine and mottos were finally disposed of
and I was very glad to go to the other room where
we soon had coffee and cake and then came home.
Upon the whole the party was pleasant and had I
been well I should have enjoyed it extremely - by no
means as formal as I expected much less so than
a tea party of the same size. Rathbone was one of
the guests - by the way I wish you would tell some
good reason who you cannot come here and spend the
winter as he is determined not to be satisfied with any thing

that I can say - he calls often and always appears much gratified
when you make mention of him in your letters. When I
came home I found a dear good letter from you which
almost cured my headache. Now dearest I will not kiss
you when I come home if you say one more word about
not having any thing interesting to write - you know or ought
to know that any thing about yourself or Fan even to the
colour of a dress or the purchase of a new toy interests me
more than any thing else that you can write. If you knew
how much more eagerly I read your letters now when
you talk of your own employment and feelings than I
did when you was able to give me the whole Auburn
gossip you would not doubt what I tell you. If the
scenes you described then interested me it was because you were
an actor in them and now that they are deprived of that
magic I should find them "stale flat and unprofitable."
Mr Dodge has been in town about a week - left for Syracuse
on Thursday. I called upon her - she is a melancholy
and rather as interesting looking woman - not in the least
resembling her spouse - the daughter has a round red face
as Dodge said entirely a different style of beauty from
Sarah. I should say there was very little beauty in
the affair. Baldwin was been here and accompanied them
to Syracuse. Mrs Foster and her aprons are not here. Mrs Foster
says her health is so much better at home that she has concluded
to remain there - a very sensible determination. I forgot to say
that Dodge could find no rooms for himself and wife except at
the Temperance house where they were when we called. Friday Mrs Cary
Mrs Tracy and myself went to ride again on the river the day was
warm and pleasant and the ride delightful - Mrs Tracy always enquires
about you and regrets very much that you have so little society at
Aurora. I showed Tracy your enquiry about him - after reading
it he observed that you wrote "very beautifully" - this was the
most satif satisfactory answer I was able to obtain. Mrs Tracy
spent the afternoon here on Thursday - yesterday I went again
to return some calls with Henry. De Witts Barnard, and Rathbones
I do not think Barnard will have any occasion to write poetry about
this wife - in the first place I do not know what he could say and
secondly she will not die very soon I imagine from her looks.
Mrs De Witt was not at home - Mrs Rathbone is very youthful in
her appearance and rather pretty. I went to Mrs Lockwoods and

called on 7 ladies - by the way they have a housefull more than
at any other house in town. Mrs Tracy has a fine room handsomely
furnished - last evening Mr & Mrs Cary, Spencer, Henry and Myself went
to the Theatre to see Master Burke. He is indeed a prodigy - I never
was more gratified in my life. I saw him in 7 different
characters all of which he performed admirably - he is now 17
but appears much younger - he played an Italian air on the violin
sweetly and danced a hornpipe with as much care and execution
as if he had done nothing but dance all his life - my enjoyment only
required that you should share it with me to be complete. The
comedy was "she stoops to Conquer" Burke - Tony Lumpkin - the
after piece that "march of intellect" in which he had 6 different
parts - he is a sweet ^intelligent^ looking boy in his ordinary dress. I have filled
this sheet without telling you a word about Henry and the Chancellor
which Henry told me to be sure and not forget - but I must
Mrs Alvah Worden
Aurora
Cayuga County
ALBANY NY
FEB 1

[right Margin] keep it for the next letter. Henry had a letter from Pa

x

Elijah Miller

Birth: 1772-04-11 Death: 1851-11-13

yesterday
all were well at home. I hear nothing from Clary

x

Clarinda McClallen

Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05

. Mrs Cary
has just been in and sends love. Your affectionate Sister Frances
I think that motto and device of yours the prettiest imaginable - the cord
is indeed tighter my own sis the farther we are apart though I always
thought I loved you about as much as was possible.