Wednesday morning
My dear Sister,
I received your letter Monday
it came in good time to assure me of the
welfare of my little boy. The night
previous I had been alarmed by the
ringing of the street door bell between
one and 2 oclock and I found it
might be the bearer of some ill tidings
The bell rang three or four times I in vain
tried to summon one the of the girls and
finally left baby and went to the door
myself but the person whoever it might
be was gone so that we were left in
ignorance of the cause of his visit —
I sent Fred to the American to the
depot and post office but gained no light
from either source — your letter came
that afternoon and allayed my anxiety
about my dear little boy — how much
I miss his smiling face and so does
Sister Fan. The tulips are making a gorgeous
display but if this hot dry weather continues

their stay with us will be very fleeting —
I have but the one letter from Henry of which
Clarence informed you — I expect him home
this week — Clara intends to move this
week has not commenced yet — the house is
finished I believe — I have a woman
cleaning house one by the way whom I
think of employing for the summer
Frances will remember the woman
she saw who had lived at Judge Conklings
I am pleased with her so far and have
always doubted Ann's capacity to take
charge of the work in the kitchen —
I called last week with Clara upon the
two brides — Mrs Cox was very stately
not at all at ease in the new character
which she has assumed — Mrs Reed
looked and appeared better than I ever saw
her before — She I believe is generally much
the most commended the comparison being
very favourable to her — Mr and Mrs
Reed were to go to Rochester Tuesday —
We also called upon Mrs George Throop at John
Hulberts — She and Eliza are here for a
few weeks — Eliza has grown and improved

in her manners — I went to Church Sunday
morning — heard a very indifferent sermon
from Mr Cox — was much fatigued by the
long service — Aunt Clara took care of Fran
Saw the Horners at church they hardly
condescended to answer my salutation
I wish they knew how little I regarded
any of them except James and his mother
I have seen Debby once but heard nothing
particularly new — I wish Willie could see
sister sitting in the cradle talking to the bellows
she is very nice — takes her three regular
meals of bread and milk every day —
Clara sits up with her until 10 or 12 o[ clock ]
then I keep her in bed — She know that "kitty"
means the cat and is much diverted by
the little kittens when they are shown her
Henry says Augustus is thinking much of
his return which I trust will be in
about one month from this time —
You will see by the paper that Jared Rathbone
is dead — he must have died suddenly —
I am very glad Dr Matthews has seen Willie — I have
much confidence in his prescriptions — does the little
boy begin to think about coming home Kiss
him many times for mother and Sister Fan —We all

miss him very much — Mrs Child's 2^d series
of letters from N.Y. are published I have read
one very interesting extract — Love to Frances
Your own Sister
I write in haste as I am engaged in cleaning house
as soon as Mary comes & takes Sister
Tell Willie I keep the strawberry blossom he picked for
me yet
Mrs Alvah Worden
Canandaigua
AUBURN N.Y.
MAY 14