Monday evening
My dear Sister,
I am sorry to learn by your
letter that you have been ill – the dismal
weather we have had for a week past has not
been particularly calculated make any one
feel in very exuberant spirits – I hope the
good people at Canandaigua will manage
to be amused this Winter – how eminently
childish it does appear to see women 40
years of age seeking occupation to pass
away time – I wonder if such persons ever
arrive at the knowledge that they are
responsible beings and are required to make
themselves useful in their day and generation
I have not the least knowledge of the
amusements of the people in our village
either present or prospective – I manage
to get to Clara's once a week but unless
she has seen Debby I do not learn much
that is new from her – Yesterday I prepared
to go to Church but the horses were so active
that I abandoned my purpose and left Henry
and Willie to go alone – Dennis sobered
the animals by driving them about town
all church time — Henry went to Coopers-
town last week during that violent storm –

[top Margin] and happy in his domestic relations
of course this was not the
best ground for this surmise –
I like Margaret

Unknown

very much – you can tell her mother

Unknown

if
you see her that I shall allow her 6/ per week –

was obliged to walk and push the engine
occasionally on the rail road and after
he left Fort Plain, Thanksgiving day,
to walk about two thirds of the way
to Cooperstown frequently stopping to help
the driver extricate the sleigh and four
horses from a snow drift – He came
home late Saturday night and Sunday
evening at six oclock took the cars
again for New York – I think he will
destroy himself by this continual driving
from one place to another and then engaging
in some exciting controversy – he will
be absent all this week – Maria is getting
along slowly but I fear will remain deaf
I must have mentioned her deafness which
came on during her illness and has continued
to increase – has returned but
I do not know whether he does any thing
for her – I have not been there recently –
I should like very much to come out
Christmas but it is altogether uncertain
there are so many contingencies that I
think it not best to expect us – Fred
will come if you wish it – I will come
if I can – were it not that I have lost another
tooth and am thereby impelled to seek a
dentist I should perhaps give up coming

at all, the cold weather is so unin-
viting for expeditions with children, and
trust to your coming to see me which
you can do as well as not if Worden is
away as I presume he will be in the course of
the winter – I find Fred very agreeable
company so much so that I dread the
time when Clarence will come home and
monopolize him – now he is seldom out
of the house, never for an evening – I should
be blessed far beyond my deserts could I
have all my children at home again
for one year – but I fear that time is not
coming – Willie draws Fanny out
on his hand sleigh every day which she
enjoys exce[ e ] dingly – she is well and very
merry – had an ill turn which lasted only
one day last week – Walter Cary spent the
day with us Wednesday – on his way from
Boston N. York &c – he is now going to Buffalo
to commence the practice of medicine – he made
many enquires about you and Frances –
Am I mistaken in thinking you sent a note to Clara by
Eliza with the packet – I sent it by Willie with
a caution if I rember rightly not to lose the note
which was tied on the outside – he left it at Mc
Lallens shop and says he remembers seeing it
with the note appended – I do not know how
long it remained at the shop but I believe some time
and when Clara got it the note was gone

I hope it contained nothing treasurable – Sampsons

x

Marmaduke Sampson

Birth: 1809-04-18 Death: 1876-10-03

work is called "Sampsons Medical Jurisprudence"
I believe – I have not seen the work you mention
I have read Dombey & son and am much interested
in it – Fred has amused me to day with
Yankee Doodle – "it is very funny" as Fanny says
I am sorry to hear what you write of the Waylands
it is an unthankful world and his profession one
which allows great scope to the ungenerous & exacting
remember me to them kindly —
Mrs Alvah Worden
Canandaigua
AUBURN N.Y.
DEC 1

[right Margin] How sickening the details of the wreck of the Atlantic
There was nothing to be said about Mr Ortons

x

Gerrit Orton

Birth: 1801-07-14 Death: 1846-11-18

death except
what you saw – A rumour without the shadow of a
foundation prevailed, that he had committed suicide
he was in good health p prosperous in his business

[left Margin] h

Unknown

1847