Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, February 22, 1852
xml:
Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, February 22, 1852
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:tap
student editorTranscriber:spp:cnk
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1852-02-22
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 Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, February 22, 1852
action: sent
sender: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Washington D.C., US
receiver: Lazette Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01
Death: 1875-10-03
location: Auburn, NY
transcription: tap
revision: fdc 2019-05-22
<>
Page 1
Washington Feb 22d –
My dear Sister,
I am glad you are better –
my cough improves every day and I think
will get well if I do not put on thin sleeves
again – While I think of it I will say that
we all like the new paper "Wilders' paper"
as we call it – Henry
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
asked me to askyou to have it sent regularly – some time ago –
I send you a Tribune which among other things
contains some of Horace Manns
Birth: 1796-05-04 Death: 1859-08-02
address –I hope you will approve the sentiments
as I do – I shall try to get the whole of it
but have not seen him yet this winter
Mrs Mann
Birth: 1806-11-16 Death: 1887-02-11
is here but out of health –He declined an invitation to dinner but
said he was coming to see me soon –
I hope Frances
Birth: 1826-12-12 Death: 1909-08-24
will enjoy her
anticipatedpleasure in keeping house – young dreams do
not often prove realities, but the awakening
comes soon enough – – Parties & balls are in the
increase – We have cards for three soiree's at
Mr Corcoran's
Birth: 1798-12-27 Death: 1888-02-24
and one at Madam Bodisco's
Birth: 1824 Death: 1890-06-20
those invitations are in great demand – Henry
will not go to any evening parties without
me – He says respect for Grandpa's
Birth: 1772-04-11 Death: 1851-11-13
memorywould prevent his attending a ball this
Winter – – You will read the Correspondence
about Kossuth
Birth: 1802-09-19 Death: 1894-03-20
– which will probably makethe same difference in your opinion of Kossuth
that it did with us – just none at all –
Mr Hodge
Birth: 1784-04-19 Death: 1870-02-04
is a good sort of a man as
thewor[ l ]
Supplied
and at that time was undoubtedly very much
frightened – The Washington papers are filled
constantly with [ anadmadversion ]
Alternate Text
of Kossuth – it was opposition to him
was the moving cause of the celebration
of the 22d here and opposition to intervention
to the burden of all the speeches there –
How very miserable it all appears –
how sad it is that a man cannot
have genius and earnestness of soul
without incurring the hatred of his
fellow man and having every flaw
in his character picked out and
held up for theextension ^diversion^ of the
multitude –
It is the same course of conduct which has
been pursued towards Henry always by the
narrow minded and the cold, who always
think that any manifestation of feeling,
of philanthropy or benevolence which exceeds
their own, is hypocrisy – Mr Schoolcraft
Birth: 1804-09-22 Death: 1860-06-07
is an honest and an honorable man, he
knows that Henry is a good man because
he has lived in the house with him, he
admits it because he is a Whig, but he
has no sympathy with many of these ^the^ noble
impulses which actuate him & which to you
and I are so attractive – I am But towards
Charles Sumner
Birth: 1811-01-06 Death: 1874-03-11
who has been so fearless
achampion of human rights, who is as honest
and honorable as himself, Mr Schoolcraft
entertains unkindly feelings – doubts his
sincerity and encourages the abuse of Whig
papers because Sumner is not a Whig –
So the world goes and so it will go until
the more universal prevalence of that spirit
which teaches us "to rejoice not in iniquity
but to rejoice in the Truth" –
I will not venture to send this letter to day because
I do not know your where a bouts – I hope you
are in Auburn – I wish you were so far on
your way here – Col N Amory
Birth: 1802-11-05 Death: 1885-09-04
dined withus Saturday – he has been much about the world
and talks more than he did formerly – well
he likes Henry is honest & true – Mrs William
Appleton
Birth: 1794-03-06 Death: 1860-03-29
of Boston, wife of the member of
Congress
Birth: 1786-11-16 Death: 1862-02-15
is his sister – They occupy the house the Kings
Birth: 1791-05-08
Death: 1853-10-03
Birth: 1788-01-03
Death: 1867-07-07
had last Session – Col Amory told me much
of the doings of the gay world which is so important
to people who live in cities – Sunday was a beautiful
day but so wet that I did not go out – Mr
Schoolcraft came up to dinner, about 15 minutes
before dinner came ^was brought^ up, Charles Sumner came in –
Mr Schoolcraft immediately left the room
and never came back – I knew he would not
when he went out – Sumner said very
unconsciously "I hope Mr Schoolcraft has not
left because I came" – I said no which I
knew was untrue – he of course remained
until after dinner though he ate little as
he was to dine with the Calderon's
Birth: 1804-12-23
Death: 1882-02-06
Birth: 1790
Death: 1861
famille" He spoke good naturedly of the uncharitable
observation of the Tribune correspondent, evidently
does not understand that they are the result
of his having joined the Free Soil Party –
Thursday – I have kept this letter since Sunday
to ascertain where to send it – yours of Sunday
came this morning and I am so sure this
fine weather will induce you to go to Auburn
that I shall direct there – Mrs Wrights
Birth: 1806-12-25 Death: 1875-01-04
paraphrase was p very amusing I must
read it to Henry – I fear our church
will find it difficult to keep the next
generation from thinking for themselves –
Yesterday was so warm & pleasant that I
went for a drive taking Mrs Howe
Birth: 1808 Death: 1866-04-16
withme – she is not well and talks of going
home soon – Mr Howe
Birth: 1801 Death: 1860-07-15
is to go Norththis would be a fine opportunity for you
& Clara
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05
– The debate in the
Senate onintervention I think will be deferred two
or three weeks longer – I hear nothing from
Augustus
Birth: 1826-10-01 Death: 1876-09-11
though I am
every day looking for aletter – Henry thought he would like to see
Fred
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
presiding at that meeting –
he undoubtedlylooked meek – When you come I want you
to stay until I go home which will be early
in May – Miss Bennet
Unknown
who has heard thather sister
Unknown
is sick feels very uneasy – I tellher she may go whenever she pleases which
I think is the most effectual way of rendering
her less impatient – I have been waiting a week
or two for Henry to find an evening for me
so last night we went to the Presidents
Birth: 1800-01-07 Death: 1874-03-08
to seeMrs Fish
Birth: 1816-12-17 Death: 1887-06-30
and Mrs Davis
Birth: 1803-10 Death: 1886-03
– having two veryagreeable visits – I like Mrs Fish – the
Gov
Birth: 1808-08-03 Death: 1893-09-07
– is not as Sumner says, a man whowill be very likely to bear a cross for liberty –
He has the apology of always having lived in
N. York – I want to talk with you more
than I can tell about a thousand things – I am
all the time in a hurry and cannot write to
you half as much as I wish and I wrote so
many letters that they are all spiritless –
Whenever I can I assist Henry in that way –
The children
Birth: 1839-06-18
Death: 1920-04-29
Birth: 1844-12-09
Death: 1866-10-29
it a duty to read to th Willie as much as
possible – he will never I fear be able to read
much for himself – I am troubled about your
eyes – I think if you can take care of them
for a year or two at this time of life that
they will recover from their present weakness –
you have taxed them too severely for two or three
years past – I would prefer you should consult
a physician in New York or Philadelphia – I
think you would like Dr Kirby
Birth: 1801 Death: 1876
better than DrHelmuth
Birth: 1801-09 Death: 1880-04-08
– he is energetic – Do not read at
allat night – I know this is a great privation
p particularly when you have not constant society
but it is essential – I was in that state for
four or five years & could not for a year
or more read more than 4 or 5 pages of good
print without suffering – My eyes gained
strength with renewed health – Yet I am
now obliged to use caution – I had the same
pain that you speak of though not frequent
or long continued – I think there is danger
of injuring your eyes irremediably by using
them in this state – The Children are to sit
for their pictures together to Frankenstien
Birth: 1817-12-19 Death: 1881-04-16
–I could not persuade them to go separately –
Frankenstein has just been here – I am of course
to go with them – I am with them at their
French lessons and they insist that I shall
go with them to dancing school which I have
not yet been able to do – I have not
sent the Tribune I mentioned because
I do not know where – Clarence
Birth: 1828-10-07 Death: 1897-07-24
Ilearn this morning has purchased the
Beardsly
Birth: 1820-07-11 Death: 1906-08-14
house – I am glad – I do notthink he could do better & Henry had
notwithstanding my expressed wish to
the contrary asked h him to bring his
family
Birth: 1852-02-26
Death: 1927-04-04
Birth: 1828-05-22
Death: 1906-12-09
Mrs Tracy
Birth: 1800 Death: 1876
said– "men are strange" –[right Margin] Where
Clarence writes that he would have accepted
the offer had he not made the purchase
previous to receiving his Uncle's letter –
It would have been pleasant – I hope
you will open the house – how glad I shall
be when I do not have it before me
so desolate – I should write to
Clara this week but I know you
will be there – It was a summer
day here yesterday – Mrs Davis
gave me the Canfield letters of
which she had made copies – I
like Mrs Davis as well as ever –
I have not had time to read the
letters yet – It is just two months
since I came from home – it seems
much longer – If Clarence goes to
housekeeping how does Abbey
Birth: 1822 Death: 1895-09-16
get alongwith her engagement to him – I wonder
if they will any of them remember that
I want her to open our house the
middle of April – Love to Clara
Your own Sister –