Auburn March 7th
My dear Augustus
We are having a thaw
after our terrific snow storm and for
the first time in three months we can see
little patches of the earth where there
have been paths made – To day I had
a letter from Anna – written on Sunday
– it has been seven days on the road –
For three days all the rail roads have
been so impeded by snow that no mails
came through & to day I have a bushel
of papers and letters which should
have been here four or five days ago –
Anna writes that all are well in
Washington – and the excitement on the
subject of impeachment has subsided
for the present – Father & Fred were at
the department the day she wrote &
she had been to church for the first
time since the 5th of January – She

was bitten the next day – She has suffered
exceedingly and still has much pain.
– She begins to straighten out her finger
a little though it is at the expense of
much suffering – Dr. Barnes says the
large blood vessels were all destroyed
by inflammation – and that there is
but little circulation in her finger
She does not go out to parties but
has receptions every Saturday night
She and Fred were in N. York two
days two/a week ago – they came up
as far as Sing Sing – they were
looking at a place Mr. Wharton
wishes to purchase – So Will told
me – Anna & Fred dined at Mr.
Weeds – She says Harriet was better
than she expected to find her
though her ankles are yet much
swollen and are very painful
They had engaged their state
rooms on board the steamer which

sailed on the 22d of Feb – but the
doctors thought that Harriet was not
strong enough for such a long voyage
So instead they planned a journey
through the Southern States expecting
to be away six weeks – They were to
leave a week ago and intended to
stay two or three days in Washington
but as Anna has not written they
had been there they probably have
not gone – I had nearly sold my
house and made arrangements
to go into yours – but the bargain
fell through – the man wanted
it for $5000, and Father and Will
insisted upon $6000 – Which the
man higgled about for a week –
concluding to give $6000 and then
saying he could not pay it –
I am glad he did not – At present
every thing is covered with snow
high drifts – but it is gradually melting

I am still at Eliza's very comfortable
but if the snow melts away by the
first of April I shall go to my house
I have often wondered since this
terrible snow storm if it was any
colder in Boston than it has been
here – The mercury last week was
twice 8 degrees below zero at daylight
& at zero most of the day —
Will is in N. York – he was not very
well the day he left but he writes
he is better now – Jenny and the
children are well – Frances & Frank
spent three days with me – they came
out on Frank's birth day –
Your affectionate
Aunty –
Mr Dickens reads at Syracuse to-
morrow evening – a party from here is
going over to hear him – I understand
he likes Boston better than any other
place in the U. States –

Col. Augustus H. Seward
No 2. Bullfinch Street
Boston
Mass –
Auburn N.Y.
Mar 9