Saturday 10 Oclock PM 7 Dec 1844
My dear W^m Henry
Your beloved mother is still
(beyond the expectations of every one) with us
but more than A week since she has refused
every kind of sustenance except Paregoric
and cold water – She has passed through
every foreboding Symptom of death
,viz, tursyfaction of the extremities [ Diarria ]
cold sweat constant pain & anxiety so as
to be lifted from ones bed to another every
five minutes – since the [ suscession ] of all
those trying symptoms she has slept a
number of different knaps of from one to
three hours at a time is perfectly sensible
resigned to Gods time – Has called her
Children Grand Children near and dear
friends to gather as far as they are com[ p ] atible
and took her leave of them and exclaims
Oh my God if though art ready I am
willing but not my will but the Lords
be done – Oh Henry if you could be
with us in these days of trial & afflictions
now what can we say more – Why the
breath of life is still in her and she is
in the hand of her merciful re-
deemer and the will of the Lord be
done – You will say that I repeat often
those agonizing scenes – My answer is that
after hearing those groans and seeing
her struggles with Death - - The only
relief I have is to pour it out to
some friend from a lonely room
to mitigate my own aggonies

Sunday evening. Mrs Finn and Polydore
watched with her last night – she slept
much of the time - The Diaria continuing
this morning she called for food took
two table spoons full the first in 8 days
this is the last she would touch - has sleeped
and appears spedily drawing to a close I
suppose there is no prospect of your being with
us in this trying scene
Monday 3 OClock PM Mama has failed very
much the last twenty four hours – Has frequent
faint spells – and it appears as though each
succeeding one must be the last – should a
change take place this evening I will write
you again before the Mail leaves Goshen
Your affectionate and most
afflicted father
Samuel S Seward

Yours of the 29th relative to a Loan to
Col Mchan has been received and from the
Awfull situation of the family together
with my own indispositions I feel myself
compeled at least for a time to relinquish
all kind of business – The Idea of a Loan
to the Col in all Due, must at least be sus-
pended – untill a more suitable season
for reviewing such A corrispondence
Monday 9 Dec 1844
Yours SSS

Florida NY
Dec 9th.
Hon William H Seward
Auburn
Cayuga Co
N.Y.
hS.S. Seward
Dec 7^th
1844