Auburn July 1^st
My dear Son,
The letter which I have been expecting
from you for some days does not come so I
shall wait no longer – Since I wrote last
your Father has been two weeks attending
court at Canandaigua – Last Saturday
he came home and brought Aunty with
him to spend Sunday – it was a short
visit but we enjoyed it very much
it is the only time I have seen her since
I returned from Washington – Frances wishes
very much to attend the Commencement
exercises at Schenectady and her uncle
promises to send Clarence with her –
We all hoped you would be home before
that time – but have no doubt your
decision was best – Fred says the Commence-
ment will be unusually dull as there is
other celebration at the same time which
has been an additional attraction for some
three years past – Grandpa is very anxious
to have Fred come home to read for him
Grandpa is in excellent health and looks

better than he has done for a long time – He
feels the want of some occupation very greatly –
The impaired state of his eyesight makes him
almost entirely dependent upon others for en-
tertainment – Letters from Florida represent
Grandpa Seward as very infirm – he has
recently had a paralysis which for a
time deprived him entirely of the use of his
arm – He is now so feeble as only to be
able to sit up to have his bed made –
I am anxious to go there for a visit and
almost afraid to wait much longer
for your Father to go with me – He
will be in Court at Canandaigua one
perhaps two more weeks – It is my
present purpose to go next week to Florida
and wait for him to join me – The Erie
rail road is completed to Binghampton
I shall go that way in preference to going
by the way of Albany – Aunty wishes
Frances to go with me as she is not quite
as well as she was when she returned
from Flatbush – I shall try to have her go –
Our little Fanny has been quite sick for
a few days past – to day she is dressed
and running about again –

Willie is very desirous to go to Canandaigua
to spend the 4^th as he thinks the fire works
there preferable – I do not know how he
and his Father will settle the matter –
Willies eyes are so much improved that
he is able to study now much more than
he is willing to do – however he is improv-
-ing slowly – I am to bring home from
Florida with me Uncle Polydore’s second
daughter Frances – Augustus Canfield
who is studying law with his uncle wrote
to your father a few days ago asking him
to use his influence in getting him a d situation
in some of the departments at Washington.
Your Father advised him to continue his studies
and declined assisting any of his relatives
in getting an office – He considers such situations
very detrimental to a young man – Augustus
says he is very tired of the Law – and doubts
his success even were he through with his
studies – There is some prospect of the
establishment of Agrig Agricultural schools
which I hope may induce some young
men to seek other occupations than the
profession of law which is getting to
be the only resort when a young man

seeks a profession – Of course half of them fail
when they commence the practice – and are
obliged to seek some other occupation at last –
I hope you received the Life of John Quincy
Adams sent you a week or two ago by
your Father – you will find it very
interesting – It was completed by Mr Austin
the Universalist Clergyman
Aunt Clara is well and sends love – She
says she shall not visit Canandaigua
again until you come home –
The Cholera increased f very much in
New York during the warm weather of last
week – there are some 5 or 6 cases a day
at Albany – we hear of it all around
us but no cases here yet – I have examined
the papers carefully but see no mention made
of cholera at Ft Towson or Ft Smith –
I hope it may not reach you –
May God keep you –
your affectionate
Mother –