Florida June 3^rd 1847
My Dear Frances,
I feel it a duty to inform you and
Henry of the state of affairs with us.
Julia seems now to be running down she
has been afflicted a length of time as you very
well know with a rheumatism, but now it as-
sumes a more alarming state. I do not myself
know, but I am led to believe that the inflama-
tion and disease is centering in her throat
near the palate, she discharge largely matter
and blood is evidently growing weaker, has been
confined to her bed for eight or nine days.
She has had her sister her to nurse her
and Father [ throught ] the winter, but yesterday
her mother was sent for and Mary returned
home. Cloe is now at work there, and will
soon have a daughter (a girl of 16 years) to help
her. they have cows men and abundance of
work as usual, and it is difficult to tell
what is to be the result.
We are the next door neighbor, and by
lending a helping hand now and then we are
trying to make the matters go on as well as
we can. Father is quite feeble at times ap-
pears dejected and borne down.
He misses his nurse not only as nurse

but as clerk and agent.
The old gentleman is evidently at his wits end.
He is as close as ever and as severe in his
exactions when he can make the anyone yield
but those he has about him are breaking down
and he finds it as difficult to get along
John McGeth the tenant on the Fullerton
farm has lost a cow ^and a hog^ Father has lost one also
and the cows some 10 or 12 has come back on this
farm to add so much more to the labor
and increase to trouble of the family…
John wants to quit the place and so mat-
ters made bad enough…
For myself when I can do anything, it is
under circumstances that create no responsi-
bility and extends no farther than the matter
in hand.
I have just seen Dr. Schultz, who says that the
Inflamatory difficulties in Julia case has cen-
tered immediately behind the palatee and a large ulcer
has formed from which a portion has been drawn off
of the size of a black walnut, that he cannot deter-
mine whether there are other ulcer forming lower
down, but the probability is, there are that her lungs are
affected, her fever keeps up, and her symptoms are
are bad, he says she may recover so far as to be a-
ble to sit up and go about, but it very doubtful

there appears be a sinking and failing of strength.
I have thus been particular in a case I know
you and Henry will feel an interest in, in order
that you may form a correct judgment of the
matter and should anything ^special^ occur I will
write again…
The owners of the Drowned Lands elected a
new set of Commissioners
except Murray - and
are are now expectig
trouble…
Our families are all well, and should be
gratified to see a scrap of your face.
Tempe sends her love
Yours affectionately
Geo. W Seward

Mrs. William H Seward
Auburn
hG. W. Seward
June 3
1847