Auburn Tuesday 20^th 1838
My dearest Sister,
I received your letter yesterday
it seems to have been three days on the road—
I am sorry to hear your cough is no better—I should
think calomel would reduce your strength nearly
as much as bleeding. I have great faith in the
efficacy of the mercurial ointment having
frequently used it myself, but it requires great
caution and no inconsiderable degree of patience.
If the weakness of your eyes proceeds from a dis-
ordered stomach would not Beckwiths pills be
of service—they are sometimes very efficacious—
I do wish you would try and see Dr Rosecrans
if you cannot get any word to him address
him a note by the Post Office—You do not
seem to feel the absolute necessity there is of
doing something immediately – In your present
feeble state should disease become fairly seated
upon your lungs I should apprehend the
worst consequences – I know how hard it is for
any one to make such exertions for themselves but
does not your duty to your child require it?
I have often seen the time when I could have
watched calmly the progress of disease which
was to terminate my existence—worn out as
I was by a long protracted illness— Had it
not been for the untiring perseverance of the best

of men I should have yeilded without a struggle
to what I considered my destiny – It seems
marvellous to me now that I could have been
so indifferent to my children ——my feelings
were morbid—my energies prostrated—Yet this
was far from being submissive or Christian resignation
it was impatience of living because the ails
of life had become unendurable—God grant
that I may never have a return of those
feelings—the days of sickness come frequently
now and drag wearily along but a submissive
spirit renders them it much more tolerable
I have received two letters from Henry since I wrote
he will probably be at Canandaigua Thursday
or Friday if he does not kill himself with work
he said he was working 16 hours each day
to arrange his business so as to leave this week –
Rathbone e was to meet him at Batavia so you will
have the pleasure of seeing him.
Clara and McClallen have not decided upon
a house yet—they have about a dozen in view
but most of them are unpleasantly situated – I do
not think they will leave before the 1^st of May
Mary Blood left last Tuesday—the girl
we have—has a very bad character and is far
from neat—spends much of her time in the
streets—but we must keep her until we
can do better of which there is no immediate
prospect—She went out yesterday to make
some calls—went to Mrs Smiths—she says Smith
is no better I should think from her account
he is failing—he cannot use either of his arms

suffers extremely with pain—has lost his appetite and
is very much depressed in spirits—can take
but little stimulus of any kind—we did not
see him—found Mrs Lucas very much engaged
in having the Church enlarged – I cannot conceive
the motive as it is never full now—
Went to see Sally Bacon and Mary Ann Nichols
who is staying with her—Mary ann had gone out
Sally is so dreadfully changed that I scarcely
knew her—she is very thin—her skin which
was once so fair is dark and rough &
her eyes weak and inflamed–how horrible
it is that she can never recover from the
effects of that loathsome disease—
We made a long call at Mrs Compstons
where we found them all at home and kind
and friendly as usual—they made many
enquiries about you—
If Rathbone comes this way I shall send
the black veil by him—I wonder I did not
think of it when Mrs Sherwood e went, but I had gone
to bed with the sick headache when her man came to let
me know she was going—Clara says I can tell you
that she meets with the society this after noon
which signifies visiting in company with Warren
and his wife— Mrs Miller and Mrs Yates —they all
meet at a Mrs Woods who lives somewhere on Governor
street—Mrs Yates has just been here—Martha has gone
to stay at Schenectady until Isaac returns from Albany
One of our ponies is sick—not the one that was lame
Nicholas called a Dr last evening love to Fanny –
your own Sister –

Mrs Alvah Worden
Canandaigua
AUBURN N.Y.
MAR 21
hbad as the world
respect is always e