Sunday afternoon
My dear Sister,
Your letter came yesterday – I hasten
to commence an answer before I am incapacitated by
headache – It is a charming spring day – we have all
been to church except Pa and our Unitarian guest –
He and Henry have now walked over to Judge Conklings
Fred has taken Willie to divert and I am left alone –
I hope now our Spring is fairly commenced we have
had a long Winter put it all together – I have
a letter from Augustus to day – his vacation will
commence in less than 3 weeks' – he begins to talk
of coming home and is inclined to think the
river will not be open – We hear nothing new from
Washington in relation to his appointment – John C.
Spencer has become Secretary of the Treasury – the War
department being left vacant – I suppose if he does
not choose to use his influence to get a warrant
that this will afford him some sort of an
though it is none in truth – I feel perfectly
willing to have it all in the hands of Him who
'seeth not as man seeth' – We had a dull preacher
to day I don't know who – Mr. Croswell was not
there – Fernando Wood is here again and I have

not called upon Anna – This is inexcusable – Though the
the weather has been tolerable and I have many visits
to make I have not been out this week – Clara
would not go with me – I could not even per-
suade her to go and see Mr. Hardings pictures
Henry says he is making an excellent likeness
of Pa – Willie's eyes have been so bad this last
week or two that I have taken much care of him
Dr. Robinson, whom I like more & more, advises
me to consult an occulist, or at least concurred
in my opinion that it was best – he offered to write
to Dr Beigler and ask ascertain whether he had
neglected any homeopathic prescriptions which would
be of use but I do not think he can be benefitted
by a physician – Henry does not seem quite
sure that Dr. Munn is as good an occulist
as he is represented for no other reason than
that he does not know him – I hope he will not
grow any more [ sceptical ] as he grows older
for I think now he is rather too much addicted
to doubting – I feel unwilling to have our dear
little boy shut up in a dark room, excluded from
the delightful air and sunshine of this next
8 months – patient as he is it is cruel to
neglect any means which may lead to a
restoration – Gurnee came and went again very
suddenly – I only saw him at dinner he returned

the same day – he says Aunt Schooley is nearly
blind her eye sight is so imperfect that she
does not recognize her own children until she
hears them speak – Poor woman if her life of toil
and trouble is to be closed in darkness I trust she
will have a brighter home in a future state of
existence – She and Schooley old and helpless as they
are, are living entirely alone – Verily the love of
children is not in an ascending series – Harry
did not seem to know any thing about his parents I
hope he will not look for filial love and reverence
from his children – but he will, and complain
of their ingratitude if it is not rendered –What
reasonable creatures we are – I presume there are
two versions of the corrosive sublimate story – I trust
the homeopathic physicians will not kill as many
in this way as the allopathy have with calomel
and the improper use of other remedies – Once in a while
you come across one honest enough to confess how much
mischief has been done in this way – Dont you think I
am reading Mrs. Trollope – I took up the book yesterday
and was surprised to find how my views and sentiments
had changed in 10 years – Her censures though very
illnatured have generally their foundation in truth –
I think I shall pursue her journeyings forth tomorrow–
Fred and I went out to look at the comets tail
last night it was visible though dim — Fred thinks
he has seen it today but the sun light almost

blinded him – this will be a “sign in the heavens” for
the Millerites – I have a letter from Clarence – he
says I have not heard from Mamma since Nov —
Love to Frances — your own
Sister
3 cups of dough – 3 eggs – 2 sugar –1 butter – a little pearlash
Mrs Alvah Worden
Canandaigua
AUBURN N.Y.
MAR 12