Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, March 6, 1842

  • Posted on: 19 December 2017
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, March 6, 1842
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transcriber

Transcriber:spp:cnk

student editor

Transcriber:spp:tap

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1842-03-06

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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, March 6, 1842

action: sent

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

location: Albany, NY

receiver: Lazette Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01  Death: 1875-10-03

location: Canandaigua, NY

transcription: cnk 

revision: crb 2017-11-06

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Page 1

Sunday night – March 6
My dearest Sister,
I have just read your letter by Worden
Birth: 1797-03-06 Death: 1856-02-16
for
the third or fourth time, this last was for Fred's
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
edification –
the other which you promised does not come yet – am I to take
it for granted that you head has been a proper subject for
a treatise on concleogy all this time? – When I wrote
last I recollect my ideas were in a very confused state
but I should have made out quite a long epistle could
Worden have waited for it – I wanted to send you
Greeley's
Birth: 1811-02-03 Death: 1872-11-29
lecture but it unfortunately came up missing
about that time – I have it again and shall keep it
until you come – which I hope will be before long – The
weather was so warm last week that Spring seemed
actually to have come among us — Thursday was a fine
day but I did not go out as our people were all
on the eve of going to Springfield
Unknown
about noon – After
many consultations however they concluded to wait until
Friday morning when Henry
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
and the two boys
x Birth: 1830-07-08  Death: 1915-04-25  Birth: 1826-10-01  Death: 1876-09-11 
Sam
Birth: 1820-03-09 Death: 1893-07-07

and Underwood
Birth: 1816-01-04 Death: 1859-05-25
all departed for the eastern railroad

[top Margin] Am I mistaken in thinking that Mrs Blanchard
Birth: 1819-11-09
and Harriet Martin
Birth: 1817-04-06 Death: 1883-10-16

both called here last Spring and that you & I returned their
call at Mrs Isaiah Townsends
Birth: 1784-08-11 Death: 1854-10-31
leaving our cards in consequence
of their being out — I forgot to mention the numbers
of the "Curiosity spo Shop"
 Publisher: Lea and Blanchard Place of Publication:Philadelphia, PA Date: 1841
to Fred before Worden left – he will get
them tomorrow he says —

Page 2

at 1/2 past 6 precisely – Most of the members of the Legislature
went – they reached Springfield at 2 oclock – were
met there by Governor Davis
Birth: 1787-01-13 Death: 1854-04-19
and the Massachusetts
Legislature making in all nearly 500 hundred –
They had dinner and speeches and toasacts all of
which was accomplished in the short space of two hours
in order to enable those who desired it to take the
3 oclock train to Boston – Most of the members went on –
Henry and a few others went as far as Worcester – Henry
and the boys staid at Gov. Davis' all night where
they had a very agreeable time Henry especially who sat
up until 1 oclock talking with honest John and his
wife
Birth: 1791-02-17 Death: 1872-01-24
— He and Sam have both come back wonderfully
impressed with Mrs Davis talents – Sam as usual when
he is pleased is hyperbolical in his encomiums – Mrs Davis
is a woman of a very strong, masculine mind, plain
and unpretending, and I doubt not good hearted but
so unfeminine that I always felt as though I was
talking to a man in petticoats – Notwithstanding I should
very much prefer her society to a frivolous fashionable
woman who has neither head or heart whose higher aim
Page 3

is to attract the admiration or excite the envy of beings
as frivolous as herself – But I am digressing perhaps it was
partly an apology for speaking what may appear ill natured
of a woman whom I really respect and doubt not could ^should^
esteem upon a more intimate acquaintance — All the
prominent political characters were discussed, Dickens
Birth: 1812-02-07 Death: 1870-06-09
described
and even Animal Magnetism came in for a share of attention –
They liked Dickens much – he staid all night with them – They
say is free and easy – but not vain or presuming as I feared
he might be – I agree with you entirely about the exceedingly
bad taste he exhibits in waistcoats and still worse in talking
about " international copy right" – Fred and I talked it all over
when we first read the Boston speech but as no one else seemed
to view it precisely in the same light we have said little
about it – Henry admits that it is in bad taste and also unwise
but thinks he makes it a matter of conscience – I am of opinion that
delicacy is not a predominant trait in his character – Mrs Dickens
Birth: 1815-05-19 Death: 1879-11-22

is I infer quite common place, good natured and I presume fat
as most English women are – I am glad he has the good sense
to decline being continually lionized – he says he has a mare
at home the original of Barnaby's who is quite as sagacious
and rather more so than the one represented – Henry and suit
left Worcester at nine in the morning, came to Springfield and
were detained until 10 at night waiting for the Western train
which was 6 hours behind the usual time owing to an obstruction
on the road occasioned by the washing away of a bank of
clay by the heavy rains – At that unseasonable hour they took
the cars for Albany – arrived here at 3 in the morning in the
midst of a drenching shower of rain having crossed the ferry
in a small open boat – I do not desire to see a more sleepy
congregation of men and boys than I have had for companions all
day – for myself I am not in a peculiarly bright state
as I slept very little after they came – and Willie
Birth: 1839-06-18 Death: 1920-04-29
took occasion
to get up and dance a jig about 5 this morning very much
to his own amusement – he seems to be overflowing with life – it
was rather amusing to see him get out of bed so deliberately while
it was yet dark and commence singing and dancing in front
of the bed – I should have laughed heartily had I not been very
sleepy – then he took the little bench and climbed into bed &
put his cold feet in my lap for comfort – he has many original
ideas – this dancing early in the morning is one of his own conceiving —
Friday was as warm as a June day – thermometer at 72 – I went to
Page 4

Church and then made visits until 2 oclock — This week Henry
is to have a supper, Clarence
Birth: 1828-10-07 Death: 1897-07-24
his dancing party and I would
like to get an opportunity to invite some ladies — Tell Frances
Birth: 1826-12-12 Death: 1909-08-24

the boys ask every day when 'Aunty and Frances' are coming —
It rained yesterday and I had a quiet day at home – wrote
to Clara
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05
and Augustus
Birth: 1820-05-18 Death: 1889-05-08
and accomplished sundry small pieces
of needful work —
Mr Tochman
Birth: 1797 Death: 1880-12-20
gives his third lecture Monday evening – I shall go
I lost the 2d not hearing of it in time – was told it was
very interesting – he was of the party yesterday — This
day it has rained and snowed alternately – We did not
get our breakfast sufficiently early to go to Church – I wish
Mrs Alvah Worden
Canandaigua
ALBANY
MAR
7
N.Y.
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W.H.S

[right Margin] you could hear 'Bob
 Death: 1844-01-25
' the mocking bird sing – he attracts general
attention by his musical powers – it is wonderful to hear
the variety of his notes — Freddy attended the examination
in his school last week – I believe succeeded very well