Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, December 3, 1842
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, December 3, 1842
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:pxc
student editorTranscriber:spp:srr
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1842-12-03
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, December 3, 1842
action: sent
sender: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Auburn, NY
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Albany, NY
transcription: pxc
revision: tap 2017-11-22
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Page
1
Saturday Dec 3d – 1842
My dear Henry,
I have this morning received your
Thursday's letter – you have discovered before this
the cause of the detention of my letters – we are
still a day behind the times receiving to day
the Thursday's in place of the Friday's papers –
I am very lonely to day – Lazette
home this morning – I have thought much of you
and the boys
– Augustus is so cut off from
us by the freezing of the river that my
solicitude about him increases every day – A
month seems a long time to wait to see Fred
but dear Willie is well and my own health
better than in many years – I will try not
to be ungrateful – Willie is a dear little boy
the only one of the trio who is decidedly like
yourself – I talk with him more now I am alone
Page
2
and am daily charmed and astonished by the develop-
ment of his powers – he is awake every morning long
before it is fairly light and talks incessantly –
The weather has been extraordinary the last
week – Tuesday the thermometer was only 4 deg.
above zero – Wednesday it snowed all day
and all night – Thursday the roads were almost
^impassable^ yesterday the sleighing was fine – to day it is
rapidly disappearing under the influence of a bright
sunshine – I am sorry to say our
front parlour still remains in status quo – Curtis
has not set the grate – John Richardson
finished hanging the pictures and the remainder of
the furniture is yet in the carriage house —
I think you had better reserve the dining room
stove – the one here is very, very small and
entirely out of repair I will not attempt to
use it though I believe it impossible to make
either the the south or front parlour comfortable
without – The little room in the basements
proved too cold for the plants things are distributed
Page
3
in corners of various rooms – drooping from the effect of
the frost — I believe Pa
new lodgings – the birds are also made very
comfortable with a close stove – Lazette
and I paid numerous visits yesterday in a
hired sleigh – Willie would go along though
he announced that he preferred "Nicholas'
We took tea at both the Beardsleys - Williams
and Nelson's while Lazette was here and were
obliged [ to ]
Reason: hole
decline other invitations on account
of unfavorable weather – yesterday went to see
Mrs Porter
prospect of a four winters at the Capital –
I believe every body is pleased with Webbs
so says Mc
duel immediately — Remember me to H. Under-
wood
Frances —
Page
4
William H. Seward
Albany
AUBURN N.Y.
DEC 3
Type: postmark
h
Mrs Seward
Dec 1842
Saturday Dec 3d – 1842
My dear Henry,
I have this morning received your
Thursday's letter – you have discovered before this
the cause of the detention of my letters – we are
still a day behind the times receiving to day
the Thursday's in place of the Friday's papers –
I am very lonely to day – Lazette
Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03
returnedhome this morning – I have thought much of you
and the boys
Birth: 1839-06-18
Death: 1920-04-29
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
us by the freezing of the river that my
solicitude about him increases every day – A
month seems a long time to wait to see Fred
but dear Willie is well and my own health
better than in many years – I will try not
to be ungrateful – Willie is a dear little boy
the only one of the trio who is decidedly like
yourself – I talk with him more now I am alone
and am daily charmed and astonished by the develop-
ment of his powers – he is awake every morning long
before it is fairly light and talks incessantly –
The weather has been extraordinary the last
week – Tuesday the thermometer was only 4 deg.
above zero – Wednesday it snowed all day
and all night – Thursday the roads were almost
^impassable^ yesterday the sleighing was fine – to day it is
rapidly disappearing under the influence of a bright
sunshine – I am sorry to say our
front parlour still remains in status quo – Curtis
Birth: 1814-08-13 Death: 1885-08-16
has not set the grate – John Richardson
Birth: 1780-12-19 Death: 1849-04-14
has notfinished hanging the pictures and the remainder of
the furniture is yet in the carriage house —
I think you had better reserve the dining room
stove – the one here is very, very small and
entirely out of repair I will not attempt to
use it though I believe it impossible to make
either the the south or front parlour comfortable
without – The little room in the basements
proved too cold for the plants things are distributed
in corners of various rooms – drooping from the effect of
the frost — I believe Pa
Birth: 1772-04-11 Death: 1851-11-13
is very comfortable in hisnew lodgings – the birds are also made very
comfortable with a close stove – Lazette
and I paid numerous visits yesterday in a
hired sleigh – Willie would go along though
he announced that he preferred "Nicholas'
Birth: 1801-12-24 Death: 1893-02-15
carriage"We took tea at both the Beardsleys
Birth: 1816-03-27
Death: 1900-01-25
Birth: 1807-05-30
Death: 1894-01-15
and Nelson's while Lazette was here and were
obliged [ to ]
Supplied
of unfavorable weather – yesterday went to see
Mrs Porter
Birth: 1800-04-12 Death: 1886-03-29
– John
Birth: 1790-10-24 Death: 1874-02-03
seems very happy in theprospect of a four winters at the Capital –
I believe every body is pleased with Webbs
Birth: 1802-02-08 Death: 1884-06-07
pardonso says Mc
Birth: 1791-09-07 Death: 1860-11-16
— I hope he will not fight anotherduel immediately — Remember me to H. Under-
wood
Birth: 1818-02-08 Death: 1881
— Kiss our boy — your
ownFrances —
William H. Seward
Albany
AUBURN N.Y.
DEC 3
Stamp
Hand Shift
Birth: 1820-03-09 Death: 1893-07-07Samuel Blatchford
Dec 1842