Washington January 23rd 1863
My dearest Aunty,
I need not tell you
how very acceptable that combined
letter from yourself and Mother
was. We were very sorry, however,
to hear that you had taken cold,
and were sick. By this time,
we believe, you are safely established
at Auburn, with Tom purring
on your lap, and Carlo peacefully
reposing behind the stove. Perhaps
you are reading the Journal, and
having the latest news about
that strange state of affairs
which had come to pass in
Albany. I trust Mother
has got along without neural-
gia, while in New York; it
would seem as if the successive

attacks which she had before
leaving, ought to guaranty a
respite (of at least four or
five days. She said in her
letter that they would all
return Friday or Saturday, I
do not much expect them before
the latter, tomorrow.
I am very anxious to know
how you crossed at Albany.
Here we have had almost constant
rain, night and day, since
Tuesday evening. The streets
are of course rivers of mud.
Our “house-keeping” goes on
tranquilly enough. It is grand
to have Jenny & Nelly here. Nelly
has not yet been vaccinated be-
cause the doctor thought her teething.
But he concluded the latter operation
would be so slow that he had
better vaccinate her after all; and,
if Will comes in, as we expect,

it will probably be done today. “Nell–”
wishes to know who the “majestic”
rattle-box was for. Such vague
imitations aretrying to the
nervous systems.
Monday evening Preston King
dined here. He was sorry you
were gone, and said he had not
seen as much of you as he hoped
and expected to. That night
Father, Jenny & I went to Mrs
Hooper’s party. It was very pleas-
ant indeed, just an agreeable
size. It being a conversational
affair, your affectionate niece
spend her time in talking with
twelves varieties of the [ germs-horns ] . Among others Mr Leutze,
who advised her strongly never
to look at his picture except in
bright weather. Tuesday
morning Mrs Dr Wood called
to invite me to come to spend

the evening with her daughter
Sarah, & meet a few ^young^ friends. She
invited me to bring an escort.
No amount of persuasion could
make Augustus promise to do
more than take me to the house
& call for me to come home. As
father thought I had best go, he
went with me himself. His “spending
the evening” proved to be attending
quite a large dancing party; and
when we came away a great
many fashionable people, among
others the Carrolls & Hetzels

x

Susan  Hetzel

Birth: 1841-04-05  Death: 1908-06-04 

Margaretta  Hetzel

Birth: 1815-10-25  Death: 1894-12-15 

were
coming in, at half past ten.
We went there at nine. The
Hetzels were very demonstrative
in their greeting of me as an –
old acquaintance, and I did
not return their familiarity
with a corresponding warmth. I
told father I thought we avoided
quite bad company by coming
home early. I had the priv

privilege of seeing one young
lady come into the room, a
foreigner, with hair powdered
& frizzed, a bunch of flowers
on the top, and a humming
bird crowning the whole. I rather
suspect Miss Sue Hetzels hair
had been powdered, I have
an indistinct recollection that
it looked dirty. That Tues-
day night Preston King, Ira
Harris, & the Rev. Mr Mars, a college
classmate of Fathers, with his son
dined here. There were many very
amusing college reminiscences.
Wednesday Father thought
the reception ought to be held,
so Jenny & I received each other
all the after noon – we had
a call (gentlemen) a piece and
half a foreign secretary between
us. It rained continually and

was a day when no one would
care to venture out. Father dined
at Mr Schleiden’s, so we had quiet
evening, rather a dull & sleeping
one. Yesterday Mr Browning of
Ill. dined here. In the evening
Gen. King called, and then some
Boston people – Messers Barnum
& Milton, the Misses Milton &
Col. Amory. About
ten o’clock the President called
to go with Father after news. I
saw Gurowski at Mrs. Hoopers;
from his book don’t you think this
a pretty good definition of his
character? He was pointed out to
me thus by one of Mr Lincoln’s
secretaries “that is Count
Gurowski – he came here for the
purpose of throwing bricks at
peoples heads as they came, but
some one went out and invited
him into the house, and he could

not resist the temptation.”
It looks as dismal and grey
out of doors as is possible. I
must take this letter down to
be sent. Pray excuse scrawling,
having already written already a letter
I am quite tire tired – but I
wanted to let you know how
we had passed the time since
you left. We miss you very
much, and shall only be
even partially consoled by
those every-other-day-letters
which you promised me.
Love to Eliza & Katy & Harriet
and Tom & Carlo.
Do not fail to write very soon
again, to your
Loving niece
Fanny

LM. Worden