Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to Frances Miller Seward, March 21, 1840

  • Posted on: 4 October 2017
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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to Frances Miller Seward, March 21, 1840
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transcriber

Transcriber:spp:crb

student editor

Transcriber:spp:dxt

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1840-03-21

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Letter from Benjamin Jennings Seward to Frances Miller Seward, March 21, 1840

action: sent

sender: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23  Death: 1841-02-24

location: Westfield, NY

receiver: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24  Death: 1865-06-21

location: Albany, NY

transcription: crb 

revision: tap 2017-03-28

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Page 1

Harmony HallWestfield March 21. 1840
My dear Sister,
It is true, that I have returned to
my wanted home – safe returned – but my mind
still lingers with you and your dear family
x Birth: 1830-07-08  Death: 1915-04-25  Birth: 1826-10-01  Death: 1876-09-11  Birth: 1839-06-18  Death: 1920-04-29  Birth: 1801-05-16  Death: 1872-10-10 
in
Albany. A thousand nameless little occurrances
daily bring my loss to mind: but it is accompanied
I believe I may say always, with the delightful re-
flections, that the change I feel was clearly due
to her
Birth: 1794-07-23 Death: 1839-10-25
I mourn & was as truly best for me: and
that I am yet highly favored with friendships, in
which my mind always adverts first to you & Henry.
It is strange to me, that I am so alone in the world!
I have now no one around me, with whom I can
converse about the by gone scenes of other days:

[left Margin]
able to give me sound terms upon the price when I see her, since
she was too timid to sing for me: a kiss for her. –
I am made very happy
by the appointment of my
friend R.C. Wheeler
Birth: 1795-12-01 Death: 1847-08-13
in N.Y. - I
expect Augustus
Birth: 1820-05-18 Death: 1889-05-08

to be an inmate
his family.
The Lord bless you
my dear sister with
his sustaining grace
in your peculiar
responsibilities.
You will I know
be willing to write
me a few lines
when health & leisure favours
- I need scarcly say that I
am happy, always to receive
your letters. The Misses Finns
x Birth: 1817  Death: 1883-04-17  Birth: 1822  Death: 1907 

^send^ affectionate regards - & so does
cousin Harriet Brown
Birth: 1807-04-20 Death: 1883
- who always
enquires after you with interest &
begs to be remembered.
Your unworthy brother B.J. Seward.
Page 2

no one here is acquainted with my Illinois or my
New York city friends: no one, to sympathize with
me in the occurrences of former years in the great
Western valley: no one who can advert with me to the
fulfilment of the present, of the promises of the past!
And although I am not want to be lonely it often
& often comes over me, that I am shorn of companions
& inmates, that once favored me with delightful
opportunities ^of^ reminiscent remark & reflection.
But I must not dwell upon this topick - allow me
to dismiss it with this only remark: now as heretofore
I am happy to be enabled to say, that the loss I mourn
is unaccompanied with a disposition to murmur or a
spirit of depression or gloominess. No the prevailing
impression is, that the bright example of holiness, so
vividly brought to view, must be followed: & instead
of repining, that it has been terminated, I am to be
favoured thankful that I am favoured with its soften-
ing influences so long.
Let me hasten to say that, dear artless niece
Birth: 1834-07-25 Death: 1922-02-28

& I had a pleasant little visit of a couple of days
with aunt Clara
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05
& another of 3 or 4 hours with

[left Margin]
We have just finished Nicholas Nickelby. For the life of me I cannot tell you
which of the characters I think the best drawn, for laughter. It is a great
book.
Page 3

Aunt Cary
Birth: 1788 Death: 1863-06-22
. We had pleasant weather & kind Prov-
idences to help us on & on the whole, thought our
trip a pleasant one. Niece saw many strange things
and several interesting persons. The fear of indul-
ging in presumptuous feelings, alone restrains her
from loving, very much, several persons she
fell on with: & particularly Aunty Evans
Birth: 1794-08-30 Death: 1876-12-31
& Mrs
Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03
– the former of whom, won her by
her Kindness & the latter by her anni-
mation & intelligence. But what is of
more singular interest to me was, that
she should have interested Augustus in
Auburn in a German puzzle - at ^with^ which
they amused each other a long time - notwithstand-
ing aunt Clara's opinion of him, that he is all
Miller & feels that he must run every time a
little girl is in question. The Finns are made
very happy by being here together & I am very
happy to have them with me.
I think of you and of Mrs Worden a great
deal. When with you, I was restless to return
to my business - now returned, I regret that I
Page 4

did not assume more contentment & stop longer
& see more of you: and after all, considering
how much company you have, it was best
that I left you. May I not hope to spend
a few days with you while you may be
visiting in Auburn, during summer -? Tell Fred
that Clarence
Birth: 1828-10-07 Death: 1897-07-24
is in a struggle trying to be rea-
dy to enter college with him. Remember me very
affectionately to Mrs Worden - & to Dr Canfield
Birth: 1798-11-26 Death: 1865-01-05

when he comes. I hope Miss Frances
Birth: 1826-12-12 Death: 1909-08-24
will be
Mrs. W.H. Seward
Albany
N.Y.
WESTFIELD NY
MAR 22
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Stamp

Type: postmark

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Frances Seward

Birth: 1805-09-24 Death: 1865-06-21
Jennings March
1840