Sunday April 8^th
My dearest Sister,
I received your letter Friday
but have been prevented writing by the distressing
pain in my head which seems to increase daily
I have not been entirely free from it one day
since I returned from Canandaigua. I am sorry
you employed Dr Rosecrans as all his opinion
is so very unsatisfactory. I believe I shall
come to the same conclusion with Sackett that
the doctors are all a “pack of fools”. I never
heard any thing more absurd than his saying
you have a diseased spine. It reminds me
of the time when Dr Humphreys came to
the same sapient conclusion about me, it
was the winter after I had the he
said there was no doubt that my spine was
diseased and I must submit to a course
of blistering as the only remedy. I told him
I should do no such thing while I could keep
about house. Miss Fosgate shook her head and
said it was the only remedy in diseases of
the spine, but I had no faith. I think
after all Humphreys had rather more to found
his opinion upon than Rosecrans for I suffered
exceedingly for many years with pain in my back
which was beyond doubt occasioned by general
debility as I seldom feel it now. The Dr

may be a genius but I should think him sadly
deficient in judgement and a little wanting
in common sense. I should have thought the first
thing would have been to have discovered whether
there was any tenderness in the spine before he
pronounced it diseased. I think he must have
decided upon the disease before he came.
I think as I did before the learned mans
that you are debilitated by disease of some kind
and that in your present feeble state it is
extremely hazardous to neglect a cough which
is much more likely to affect the lungs
than the spine —— As for your being nervous you
are no more so than any other person of a
nervous temperament debilitated by long illness
you probably will be no less so until you
recover some portion of health and strength—.
Henry leaves home tomorrow for New York –
we have been engaged in making garden since
he came home. Gusy has planted his flower
seeds but Mrs Miller says it is entirely too
early – she took tea with us yesterday,
expects Martha home next week, she will
not wait for the adjournments. Clary &
Mrs McCallen have not fixed upon an abiding place
the old Hamilton house is for to be rented I should
like to have them there. Frank Hamilton has lost
his wife – she died this morning, has been
sick about a fortnight. I have not heard
precisely the nature of her disease – Poor Frank
is said to suffer extremely, I heard that
she had a sister very ill in the same house

We did not hear of Mrs Hamilton’s illness until
a few days ago, the last time I sent to enquire
(yesterday) she was supposed to be better.
Sally Hults was here soon after I returned
from Canandaigua, she says you may have
her little girl if you wish – she is only nine
years old but her mother thinks very smart
I cannot encourage you much in this under-
taking from my experience with Maria but
as we are commanded never to be ‘wary of
well doing’ I do not think my poor success
in this instance would deter me from
making the attempt again. Mrs Hults is
living in Fleming five or six miles from here,
she wishes to get some employment in the
village this spring if she can. Poor woman
I fear [ she ] has difficulty in getting along
her little boy has I think from her account
the hip complaint though she does not seem
to apprehend the nature of his diseases, thinks
it the rheumatism. Smith is better he
may get about again. ——Saturlee Worden’s
wife has gone home to stay until the old
Demars place is fitted up for her reception.
I called the other day at the old place and
found another
Unknown there. —— I am glad
to see it raining to day I was apprehensive
we were going to have a drought similar to last
Spring, did you ever know so little rain in
March, I do not take the blue pills they do
not look at all blue to me. Mrs Sherwood sent me
the account of the case of Neuralgia you mentioned

do take care of yourself and make use of some simple remedies
for your cough. your own Sister Frances.
What did Frances have at the examination? We have a teacher
to assist me in instructing the boys. I will tell you
more about him next time – he teaches them 3 hours each morning
Henry says Granger has made a good speech at New York
I have not seen it – he has gone on to Washington —
Mrs Alvah Worden
Canandaigua
AUBURN
APR 9
N.Y.