Friday night – Nov 5
My dear Sister
As I am in the way of letter writing at present
and do not seem to have any place in particular to stay I think
I wl will just congratulate you upon the result of the election
is it not beautiful – the indifferent Whigs I presume have
very satisfactory reflections – I believe the defeat is rather more
complete than the most desponding ventured to predict – Henry
will have a pleasant situation with a Loco Foco Legislature
this Winter – New York might easily have been saved but for the
Salem Witchcraft party alias those who are in such mighty
fear of being made Roman Catholics – Were you not surprised by
Verplancks want of firmness – he would have been elected by
the Catholic votes – it is no matter the Whigs do not bear
prosperity well it is time they had a reverse provided it
does not last too long – I think Mr Sibley is not in a
particularly enviable situation – he is considered accountable
for the loss of the Senate – I fancy there will be a falling off
in the candidates for Governor – Granger the Argus says
ran behind his ticket – I shall expect your letter Monday
Henry Morgan who is here says the railroad is open all the way

Did you see by the Journal of yesterday or the day previous how
well Dr. Canfield had behaved in the N. Jersey Legislature – I intend
to write him a letter immediately – I received a letter (a nice
letter is was) from dear Gus to day – he is pleased with the school
but says he is some homesick – I sent the letter to Pa and Clara
Henry I hope will go to West Point next week – Augustus says
the school is half a mile from the Point – on the River
there are 14 scholars about his size – They study 8 hours each
day – have Wednesday and Saturday to themselves – I believe
it is as good a school as we could have found – Clarence
came home Wednesday – Mr. Duff has I presume got through
at Cooperstown and is now going to Sing-sing to establish a
school – he with his family came on with Clarence – He
seems to be making large calculations about his new school
proposes having an immense number of scholars – The school
is to commence in two weeks when Clarence will go and com-
plete his term – if they do not break up again before that time.
Sunday night – I wrote so far Friday evening and as I expected
the letter still remains unfinished – – Last Tuesday we received
a letter from Augustus Seward saying that he had been recently
married – this was all the information he gave us on the
subject adding that he should by the same mail make a
similar communication to his Grandfather – He did not say
when where or to whom he was married leaving us in doubt whether
it is to some one in Westfield or N. York – When he left
here for Florida, it was with the expectation of having his Grandfather
supply funds to enable him to complete his collegiate course

I presume his Grandfather did nothing of the kind – he was to go to
New York a week last Saturday and from his letter I suppose will
soon be here on his return to Westfield – I am utterly at a loss to
know what he intends to do when he gets there – I do think
the Sewards are very much addicted to marrying – His Grand-
father will consider this ample cause for disinheritance – George and
Tempe left us Monday afternoon – Gusy went that morning alone
with a letter to Mr Kinsley — You will easily conceive how lonely
I feel without him – Fred goes regularly to school – Willie is a noisy
little urchin the whole time romping and playing with some one
he does not much fancy "Janes sister" as he calls her – She is a nice
little girl but he has his own opinion on all subjects – Friday
morning I went to attend morning prayers in our Church preparatory to
Communion – Mrs Pruyn Mrs Cornings niece was baptised also her
child about 3 months old – To day when I came home from
Church I found Sam Blatchford and Mr Minturn here to dinner – We were glad
to see Sam after a months absence – he has talked to me the whole afternoon
and this evening has gone on to Utica to see Miss Spencer to whom he is positively
engaged – The Lymans are in N. York – She returned to Utica to give him an
opportunity to pursue his studies – I told him I had a packet for him
and ran up stairs to get it – when I came down he was gone & laid the
packet on the table and stepped into the nursery – When I came
out again I found he had come in and taken possession of it (Tracy like)
we have never exchanged a word on the subject – I had copied
this message from your letter and slipped it into the packet
adding another seal – He intends coming here the 1^st of January to be
admitted – says he has lost all interest in politics and is entirely devoted
to his profession – returns here Tuesday and to New York Wednesday –
He had heard nothing of Augustus Sewards singular marriage which
I forgot to mention is a secret – said he thought Augustus would
come up tomorrow and probably Mary would come with him – We
were all up late last night consequently are sleepy to night – A young
woman came here yesterday to obtain a pardon for her husband in State
Prison – she was pretty and well dressed – artful, weak minded vain
and selfish – she had one or two interviews with Henry before I saw
her though I had been provoked with the noise she made – I was
sitting on the sofa when she came in last night – she immediately com-
menced crying loudly and wringing her hands – when Henry came in she

threw herself on her knees and commenced an extravagant supplication for money
for which act of impiety I saw fit to reprove her rather sharply
and Henry told her he could not talk with her at all unless she
sat down and behaved rationally – She then sat down and Henry tried
to reason the case with her – just as we thought she was getting a
little composed she was seized with a hysteric fit which con
tinued half an hour – we finally succeeded in getting her up stairs
on the bed – I persuaded her to take some opium and left her to
Maryann and Polly – She acted very perversely and very much like
a spoiled child – would not eat any thing though she disclosed
she had not eaten in 3 days – refused to get into bed and lay ot
all night on the outside –
I finally went to bed much afraid that she would succeed in making herself too ill
to leave the house in some time but was relieved this morning by an assurance
from Polly that she had risen early and taken her departure – I never have had
less sympathy for a person who pretended to be afflicted – I hear nothing from
from Clara – sent Augustus letters to Pa the day I received it – Miss Lansing is to
be married to Mr Pruyn Tuesday night – we have had her "at home" a week
Sam is coming back to the party – I was sorry I had no more of the vanilla
to send you but will send again – love to Frances– your own Sister –