Sunday Aug 2^nd – 1838 e
My dearest Sister,
I waited yesterday for your
letter which did not come until night and then
I could not answer it — I have been so hurried
all the week that I did not think any thing
about your expecting me at Canandaigua — I have
devoted nearly six hours of each day to Augustus
and his arithmetic — his school commences tomorrow
and he was anxious to come up with his class
the time he lost by my going to Utica occasioned
the hurry — beside this I have had Ellen Andrews
doing some plain sewing which I was obliged
to baste and give a great many directions about
after all the stitches were intolerably long — Jane
Perry’s baby died Wednesday — very unexpectedly
to us as we had but the day before heard that
it was unwell — Poor Jane grieves very much — We
all attended the funeral Thursday afternoon — she
was ill only a week with teething and summer complaint
Last Sunday evening Henry went to the American to call
upon Washington Irving who had been in church — was
on his way to Geneva to attend the wedding of
a nephew, brother of the clergyman — He came
home with Henry and spent part of the evening
Miss Paris his niece came with him — How
different he appeared from the Washington Irving I
had pictured in my fancy — he is a stout gentleman
about 5 1/2 high — very ordinary face nothing about
it to distinguish him from common mortals — and
then his voice is more like old Dr Rudds than

any other I ever heard — perhaps he had a cold — he is
very plain gentlemanly and affable but in no way
remarkable in his appearance — not a particle of
as ostentation about him — he does not seem in the
least sensible that he has written so many beautiful
books — his niece was a warmhearted sprightly
intelligent girl — Pa says she is not very young, he
knew her father — but this I did not discern — they
came at twillight — Peter Myres was with them I
suppose on account of his being a poet — They promised
us a longer visit if they returned this way which
I presume they will not — Next Wedensday Maria Beach
is to be married to Spencer Benedict — he is here — took
tea with us last evening — they are making great
preparations for the occasion — 12 dresses are being
made at Miss Gillets — the cards of invitation
were engraved at Albany — While I was at Utica
Miss Beach went round in their new carriage
and left her card with all to whom she purposed
giving invitations — Yesterday morning the cards
of invitation were distributed — two cards tied
with white ribbon one “Spencer S– Benedict” the
other “Miss M. Beach” — in very small letters
under the name – Mr “At home Aug 5^th at eight oclock”
these cards were enclosed in half a sheet of letter
paper tied with white ribbon on the outside
of which I am very sorry to say appeared the
superscription Mr Seward & Lady Mr McClallen & Lady

x

Clarinda McClallen

Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05

horrible — dont the laws of etiquette say any thing
on this subject — it is mauvais ton certainly
I put in those two French words to let you know that I am
taking French lessons among a thousand other things. I intend
to teach Fan and the boys — Mr Roberts is my teacher a young
man who was educated at Montreal — it is one of my desires
to keep my boys with me a little longer — Henry wants to sende