Sunday afternoon –March 31^st
My dear sister,
Willie has been quite sick for two days
but to day he is well again– he had considerable fever
Thursday night and all day Friday suffered exceedingly
with sickness at the stomach– Friday night was so
hot and restless that I as usual feared the Scarlet fever
I gave him Aconite and Belladonna– his fever was mit–
igated but in the morning the same distressing nausea
returned– I then sent for the Dr who instead of giving
medicine as I had done to remove what I supposed might
create the nausea, he gave medicine to apply to the nausea
itself– a small portion of Ipecack relieved him in about
an hour and he then at took some food for the first
time in 40 hours– he was soon playing about the room
and to day is apparently as well as usual though his
little merry face is not quite so full– he took no
other medicine whatever– I thought the Dr himself was a
little surprised by the operation of his own remedy– it was
so immediate and so effectual– I shall to night

commence with the sulfur again for his eyes– which
remain about as when I last wrote– Tomorrow
Henry and Fred go to Albany– We have since the death
of Mr Wilsons son become anxious about Fred– he is
so absent at times that it frightens me– Henry intends
to keep him moving this Summer–they went to Syracuse
together one day last week– will be four or five days
at Albany– I believe when I wrote last the matter
about the house of Debby's was not decided– I had promised
Debby to say nothing to dissuade Clara from going and as
I had before then told her all I thought on the subject it
did not seem necessary– the day after I was at Clara's
Bronson came in the evening to get Mr McClallens answer
McClallen had insisted upon 20$ more than Bronson was
willing to allow and upon the whole did not care much
about going any way– Bronson held fast to the 20$ and McClallen
finally told him that he would talk with Seward about it and
give him a final answer the next morning– Bronson immediately
took his hat in wrath– "did not see what Seward had to do with
it"– and left the house– Mc Clallen went to Henry for advice
who told him that he could not advise him to go having never
thought it expedient– The next morning McClallen

made known his final determination not to take the house on
any terms, which I suppose has given great offense– Henry
and I will undoubtedly be blamed for the disappointment–
I did not say so but I should have been sorry to have seen
Clara there toiling for Debby, Jane Perry, and others of this kind–
The remembrance of Debby's visit is still fresh in my recollection
I pray most fervently to be spared a repetition– I have
never felt quite satisfied with myself since for listening
to such malicious gossip– The matter has been so unpleasant
that I have not been out the past week– and seen no one
but Clara and Margaret who called one afternoon– Mrs Nichols
is still at Scipio– I think they will return to Michigan
this Summer– Yesterday was a January day– I found
the snow pretty deep this morning going to Church but
it is rapidly disappearing– Henry had a letter from
his father Thurs[ day ] saying mother's health was failing fast
I wrote to her the same day– Henry wishes to get time
to visit her th next month– I doubt whether she
survives the Summer – Mr Seward dwells principally
on his own ailments– A few lines from Julia
to me gave us to understand how low mother was
She is a good woman and will find that peace and
happiness ^in the next life^ which has not been her lot in this–
How doe ^1–^ the does the French progress– Has your
new clergyman come yet– we have church every
day this week – I finish this letter in haste as
Clarence is waiting to carry it to the office
Your own sister
Not a word from Augustus

Mrs Alvah Worden
Canandaigua
AUBURN N.Y. MAR 31