Letter from Frances Adeline Seward to William Henry Seward, July 30, 1866
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Letter from Frances Adeline Seward to William Henry Seward, July 30, 1866
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:rag
student editorTranscriber:spp:cnk
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1866-07-30
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Letter from Frances Adeline Seward to William Henry Seward, July 30, 1866
action: sent
sender: Frances Seward
Birth: 1844-12-09
Death: 1866-10-29
location: Auburn, NY
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Washington D.C., US
transcription: rag
revision: zz 2021-06-02
<>
Page 1
Auburn. Monday.
30th July. 1866
My dearest Father,
Your letter of Saturday
came this morning. I was glad to hear
of the closing of Congress, and about
Mr Harlan
Birth: 1820-08-26 Death: 1899-10-05
& Mr Browning
Birth: 1806-02-10 Death: 1881-08-10
, and of
your pleasant drive. The news
of Mrs Aldens
Birth: 1823-07-05 Death: 1896-01-26
loss is very sad – it
seems as if it must almost kill
her to give up the last of her chil-
dren
Birth: 1861-02-01
Death: 1861-02-01
Birth: 1855-12-20
Death: 1857-10-22
Birth: 1854
Death: 1866-08-31
Birth: 1848-02-29
Death: 1852-03-09
the blow this is to Mr Weed
Birth: 1797-11-15 Death: 1882-11-22
and Harriet
Birth: 1819-02-06 Death: 1893-11-01
– who were so tenderly
attached to the little invalid of
whom we have had so many sad
accounts.
Will
Birth: 1839-06-18 Death: 1920-04-29
left this morning for the West –
he was to stop either at Hamilton
Unknown
or Detroit tonight. Yesterday being
his last opportunity to visit the lodge
on the lake, we all went up there –
taking the children
Birth: 1862-09-11
Death: 1921-10-05
Birth: 1864-11-10
Death:
Unknown
the nurse. I went in a buggy with Will.
We dined and rested at the lodge –
and visited Horatio Robinson
Birth: 1830-06-24 Death: 1891-04-27
&his
family
Birth: 1860-01-25
Death: 1909-08-21
Birth: 1856
Death: 1921-12-03
Birth: 1857-08-25
Death: 1947-06-14
Birth: 1855
Death: 1884-02-15
Birth:
Death:
have been there a fortnight, enjoying
it very much.There was such a
strong breeze that the water had
risen near the porches of the houses –
the waves beat the shore with a
force and a sound not unlike
the ocean. Little Nelly entered
only too fully into the pleasure of
the day. She came home suffering
with an attack like sea-sickness.
Dr Robinson
Birth: 1804-02-04 Death: 1889-07-28
“pere” saw her this
morning & said it was caused by the
exposure to the sun. This afternoon
she is nearly as well as ever, and
has been out for a drive.
Fred’s
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
telegram was brought to me
about three o’clock today. I have answer-
ed it in the negative by telegraph.
Now I wonder if you are all going,
and how long you will stay, and
all about it!
Will told me I had better write
you the condition of my health – and
I intended doing so – To tell ^you^ of it
now will explain my decision about
Newport. I wish I could tell you
that I was perfectly well – and next
to that I would choose not to mention
my health at all – never troubling you
with reports of ailings. Since I came
home I have had a continuation of
the fever to which I became so accustomed
in Washington – I have also had a
number of slight chills. I hoped they
would prove to be only the effect of the
fatigue of traveling – and that rest
would put an end to them –
so I have not told you of them –
hoping for something better to report.
Saturday Will told me I ought to
try some new means of checking
them – the quinine taken from
time to time not proving effectual –
We wrote Saturday to Dr Norris
Birth: 1828-03-09 Death: 1895-11-10
, giving
a little statement, and asking
advice.
To meet you all, and go with
you to Newport would be charming,
in health – and is even now a
great temptation. But the journey
from Washington here was so
very fatiguing, and I was so long
in getting over it, that I think
it is better not to attempt this.
At present I am obliged to rest
a good deal – I rise feeling pretty
well ^and go down to breakfast, and to lunch^
but my ailings often keep
me in my room or on a sofa
from soon after breakfast till
afternoon. By three or four
o’clock ^sometimes earlier,^ I am well again – and at
liberty for the rest of the day. To
add the fatigue of the journey to
this would make me unfit I think
to take any part in your pleasures
& occupations & Newport – so I have
said “no” to myself & to Fred’s in-
vitation. I hope you will
all go – & will all be refreshed –
and invigorated, and find all
manner of enjoyment. Meantime
I will stay here quietly and try
to get as well as I can.
I wrote Mrs Souder
Birth: 1814-06-05 Death: 1886-12-22
that I would
make her a little visit after the
middle of August. I am hoping
during the time between now and
then to get strength for the journey,
and drive off chills.
You will not be anxious about me, will
you dear Father? I beg you not
to – and not even to think of the
worsening indisposition which I mention
so reluctantly lest it give you unnecess-
ary pain. Please think of me as
I am in the afternoon – joining in all
family pursuits – going with the
rest to drive, or taking a quiet
walk, and in the evening in
the library, receiving with delight your
customary letter, reading, working, or
chatting with some visitor. Think
of me as buoyant both of step
& of spirit, and you will be as
apt to be thinking of me as I really
am at the time, as if you imagined me
otherwise. We thought you might be
coming home some day, and it would
be more pleasant for you to know
how I am than to find me
less strong than you might be
expecting.
Aunty
Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03
has come down – &
I have left her a moment to
close my letter after dinner, for the
mail tonight. a propos of dinner
I will add that I have a
capital appetite. I rest well at
night too.
Much love to all.
Most affectionately your daughter
Fanny