Letter from Helen Matilda Webb to Frances Miller Seward, December 26, 1849

  • Posted on: 6 October 2017
  • By: admin
xml: 
Letter from Helen Matilda Webb to Frances Miller Seward, December 26, 1849
x

transcriber

Transcriber:psn:amm

student editor

Transcriber:psn:crb

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1849-12-26

In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to person elements in the project's persons.xml authority file. In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "pla" point to place elements in the project's places.xml authority file. In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to person elements in the project's staff.xml authority file. In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to person elements in the project's bibl.xml authority file. verical-align: super; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: underline; text-decoration: line-through; color: red;

Letter from Helen Matilda Webb to Frances Miller Seward, December 26, 1849

action: sent

sender: Helen Morgan
Birth: 1827-11-30  Death: 1896-10-03

location: Liverpool, England, UK

receiver: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24  Death: 1865-06-21

location: New York, US

transcription:  

revision:  2016-11-09

<>
Page 1

Liverpool December 26t 1849
My dear Mrs Seward,
I was very sorry not to have seen
you to say good bye, before you left the Astor
House as a long time will probably pass before
we meet again. I hope the bombazine
A twilled fabric of which the warp is silk, and the weft worsted, formerly black for mourning garments, but now made of various colors •
suited
you. We left in a very great hurry. We thought
that we would not sail until the eleventh but
father
Birth: 1802-02-08 Death: 1884-06-07
came home on Wednesday and told us we
must leave Saturday morning. You may judge how
hasty our preparations were. A great many of our
things we were obliged to leave to be sent after us.
We arrived here the evening of the eighteenth
The passage was a quick one, but it was very rough.
The first five days we suffered a good deal with
sea sickness. The weather was very cold the first
eight days and it rained so much that we were
confined to the cabin. When we went on deck
Page 2

the vessel rolled so that we were fastened to our seats.
We spent whole days in this manner and not being
able to work or read much the time passed very
slowly. It was a difficult matter to sleep as we felt in
continual dread of being thrown from the berth.
The utter disregard of personal appearance and
the indifference with which one sees things spilt
or broken at sea, is really sublime. The only thing
you care for is to escape with unbroken limbs and
as few bruises as possible. Liverpool is not a very
interesting place. Its docks are really magnificent,
but the town is too modern to interest a stranger.
I did not realize that I was in England until we
went over to Chester We could only spend a few
hours there but I could have remained a week and
found occupation for every day. We attended
evening prayer in two of the choir of the Cathedral
and I enjoyed it very much. There is one instance
of early piety that I must mention to you. On one
of the houses is the inscription in old English
characters “Gods’ Providence is mine inheritance.” It
was placed there by the owner in gratitude, his
being the only house which escaped the plague in
Page 3

This Christmas has been a very sad one
to us separated as we are from those we love.
We went to church in the morning and the evening
we have employed in writing. Day after tomorrow
we leave for London visiting Lichfield
x

Gloucester
and Peterborough
x

on our way. We will probably
be in London a month and as there is a great
deal of sight seeing to be done our time will pass
quickly. It seems three months instead of three
weeks since we left home. We shall always be very
glad to hear from you my dear Mrs Seward when
even you can find time to write to us. You may
be perfectly certain of having your letters always
promptly answered as we value our friends too
much to lose them through any negligence on
our part. We are glad to learn from father that he
has received an order from the Governor for a
piece of parlour statuary for you, which Louisa
Birth: 1830-12-14 Death: 1918-12-04
and
myself will select. I hope you will accept it from
me as a token of our love. Give my love to Fanny
Birth: 1844-12-09 Death: 1866-10-29

and remember me to the Governor
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
. Louisa sends
her love.
Yours sincerely
Helen Matilda Webb.
Page 4

Hand Shiftx

Frances Seward

Birth: 1844-12-09 Death: 1866-10-29
Matilda Webb
Jan. 1850