Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, July 20, 1856

  • Posted on: 4 May 2022
  • By: admin
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, July 20, 1856
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transcriber

Transcriber:spp:meb

student editor

Transcriber:spp:amr

Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive

Institution:University of Rochester

Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections

Date:1856-07-20

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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, July 20, 1856

action: sent

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

location: Auburn, NY

receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16  Death: 1872-10-10

location: Washington D.C., US

transcription: amr 

revision: jxw 2022-01-13

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Page 1

Auburn July 20 t
My dear Henry
I have your letter of
Friday and find you had the
same oppressively hot weather
that we had here — to day it
is cool, with bright sunshine —
I walked over with Lazette
Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03

to look at the Morgan
Birth: 1808-06-04 Death: 1877-04-03
house
and lot — We have been twice
to the Little Farm — the lot
which you selected is a beautiful
situation I do not think there
is a more desirable building
lot in the town — The distance
from our house and from any
other house is the only objection
there — The Morgan lot is
better than I supposed and the
house might be altered at an
Page 2

expense of $400 so as to accommodate
Lazette though it would then
be smaller and less convenient
than the one she proposes building —
but the proximity of neighbours
would be a constant annoyance —
neighbours which are near
enough to see and hear much
that is done are always
disagreeable to persons of exclusive
taste and habits — Lazette prefers
the Little Farm, but to gratify
my wish to have her near she
feels more inclined to sacrifice
her choice and if you advise
it I think will take the Morgan
place — still I am not sure it
would be wise, when the time
comes to reject the sacrifice
as come it will, I shall be
very heartily sorry that it
was made —
Page 3

Brown
Birth: 1805-04-19 Death: 1886-01-20
says the expense of a stone
cottage would be $200 more
than one of brick — which has
determined Lazette to have brick —
he also says that it is time
now to dig the cellar if it
is to be done this season — the
house which Will
Birth: 1839-06-18 Death: 1920-04-29
built being
commenced too late — After you
read this long letter and find
time will you give your opinion
of the matter —
Amanda Schooley
Birth: 1842-02-01 Death: 1916-05-13
has come to stay
a few weeks with Fanny
Birth: 1844-12-09 Death: 1866-10-29
— they
are preparing for church this pleasant
morning — I wish I felt able
to go with them —
Dennis
Birth: 1827
commenced cutting the
hay Thursday — they are getting
along very well —
Page 4

I read Mr Weed’s
Birth: 1797-11-15 Death: 1882-11-22
article and
have it yet — His abandonment
seems to have been a matter of very
cool calculation — Worldly wisdom
certainly does impel a person to
“swim with the tide” — and if
they can judge unerringly which
way the tide runs, may bring
them to port — A magnanimous
friendship might suggest a more
elevated course and even reconcile
one to struggling against the current
if necessary but magnanimous
friendships are rare — incompatible
I think with an absorbing desire
for power —
I wish you could walk in
the garden this pleasant morning
the birds and squirrels are
having merry times —
your own Frances —