Sunday afternoon
My dear sister,
If you think a letter from a person who has
had the toothache two days and two nights a desirable
thing you can have it– my face is swollen and my
teeth ache continually– All medicines fail to afford
more than temporary relief sometimes even then– I am
sorely tempted to take opium and presume I should have
done so before this time had I not had the succeeding
sickness before my mind– There is a gathering at the
root of my tooth much below the gum and I am
not a little apprehensive of ulceration– the tooth itself
is filled and one that I cannot well spare – Your
letter came yesterday– I had been expecting it some days
I am sorry you found your house in so uncomfortable a
situation but these are evils in for which there seems to
be no remedy– I have seen Clara but twice since
you left not being able to go there– She complains
of being very lonely– Fred and Willie have gone to
make their accustomed Sunday visit– I have just

finished an answer to a letter from my boy which I
received Thursday– he says the influenza has been
very prevalent there, he had it lightly– Clara thinks
Augustus is nearly destroyed every hard shower but he
says nothing about them– Mr Seward has in
some degree recovered his appetite and I think will be
as well as usual again in a week or two– Mother still
looks very feeble– Wednesday night just after Abbey
and I had finished our work (being alone again) and
covered the fire George Seward made his appearance
he came in consequence of a letter from Julia which
had alarmed him about his mothers health– he seemed
comfortably indifferent about the other branch of the family,
who was ill– Julia had very indiscreetly written that she
thought it doubtful whether Mother lived to return home–
When George came she was able to come down to her meals,
I am more and more confirmed in the belief that she
will depart first– her rest and peace are to be
found hereafter– George left Thursday afternoon
Mother wished much to return with him but the proposal
was not listened to with any favour–I hope she may
live to return – also — Wednesday morning our

wary maiden departed I having in the mean time engaged
the Irish woman recommended by John– she was to come
Saturday but hearing of a place for Jane I persuaded her
to leave immediately– The woman came Friday night
I was with her in the kitchen yesterday and found her
much more tolerable than the nation generally– she
has lived in N. York some years of course is not so perfectly
untaught as the girls we get here– she is quick about
her work and neat about the cooking– perfectly un-
acquainted with a cooking stove– she wants a range built
and the Croton river brought into a larger boiler, as
Mrs Somebody with whom she lived in Murray St.
had these conveniences – beside sundry other city notions
equally reasonable– You will see Weeds letters in the
Journal– Henry received a letter from him by the Caledonian
I think he will have no apology for not becoming a Roman Catholic
while under the especial care of 2 bishops– his letters are
very entertaining– he is in fine spirits–charmed with all he
sees– Mrs Miller was here Friday evening– she is
the only person I have seen– when my teeth get better I
can go to Clara; – my cough and the pain in my breast
are much relieved– Pa is not well– he will eat
cherries and is sick every night in consequence–

Our church is open again– Henry and Fred went this morning
That article on the Tractarian School is excellent– it is
taken from the Edinburgh Review – read if you find it–
Do you know that I have been much troubled in conscience about
some remarks I made to you on the subject of Unitarianism–
"Have I been so long with you, and yet thou hast not known me Phillip!
He that hath seen me hath seen the Father"e– This passage came
very forcibly to my mind when reflecting on upon our conversation–

[right Margin] I hope Fan

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Frances Chesebro

Birth: 1826-12-12 Death: 1909-08-24

will like her school and find time to be agreeable
to the company.
Your own sister —
Mrs Alvah Worden
Canandaigua
AUBURN NY JUL 24

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