Letter from William Henry Seward to William Henry Seward, Jr., November 19, 1868
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Letter from William Henry Seward to William Henry Seward, Jr., November 19, 1868
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:keh
student editorTranscriber:spp:ahf
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1868-11-19
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Letter from William Henry Seward to William Henry Seward, Jr., November 19, 1868
action: sent
sender: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Washington D.C., US
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1839-06-18
Death: 1920-04-29
location: Auburn, NY
transcription: keh
revision: crb 2016-10-14
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Page
1
h
November, 19th 1868.
My dear William:
I have your
affectionate letter of the 16th.
Public life in responsible
places like mine involves
great expense, and is only
made possible by continual
sacrifices of individual
advantages and fortune.
I have had but one anxiety
on that subject since I began
a career which now happily
draws to a close, which was
Page
2
that I might save estate
enough at the end so that
I might not in any case
become a burden to children
whose advancement I ought
rather to aid than to embarrass.
I think that all permanent
improvements and repairs at
Auburn ought to be charged
to me, and, so far as it is possible
to ascertain them, all domestic
expenses which I in any way
create, and that those which
do not fall within those classes
ought to be assumed by you.
if your own pecuniary
is such that you can bear them
without impairing the principal
of your estate as mine at
present manifestly is being
Page
3
impaired by the expenses of a
double residence at the
capital and at home. It seems
to be reasonable, and I expect,
as I think all the other members
of the family do, that you and
your family will continue to
occupy our beautiful home
after I shall have returned
to Auburn as fully and as
freely as you do now. When
that time shall come I will
endeavor to resume the whole
or at least a very liberal share
of the expenses of the household
I fear additional supplies of
furniture and decoration even
less on account of the expense
than on account of the possible
want of adaptation. I dread
to have our now spacious
Page
4
free and simple country dwelling
furnished like the parlors
of merchants and bankers
in our great and ostentatious
cities Just as my life and
ways differ from theirs so
ought my surroundings. To my
eye, the garden, the fountain
and the birds that stretch far
out from the terrace away
from the house are richer
and nobler ornaments of the
drawing room than any
combination of damask, rosewood
and gold that the Fifth
Avenue of Madison Square
exhibits
I would ask dear Janet
to consult my perhaps peculiar
taste in this respect so far
Page
5
as to let me see a complete
plan of the furniture and
fixings such as she would
like, and when I shall
have been heard by herself
on the subject she shall
then be at liberty to have
just what she prefers, and
at my expense, and not
yours or hers.
Most affectionately yours
h
William H Seward
h
Unknown
Washington D. C.November, 19th 1868.
My dear William:
I have your
affectionate letter of the 16th.
Public life in responsible
places like mine involves
great expense, and is only
made possible by continual
sacrifices of individual
advantages and fortune.
I have had but one anxiety
on that subject since I began
a career which now happily
draws to a close, which was
that I might save estate
enough at the end so that
I might not in any case
become a burden to children
whose advancement I ought
rather to aid than to embarrass.
I think that all permanent
improvements and repairs at
Auburn ought to be charged
to me, and, so far as it is possible
to ascertain them, all domestic
expenses which I in any way
create, and that those which
do not fall within those classes
ought to be assumed by you.
if your own pecuniary
Relating to money • Consisting of money •
situationis such that you can bear them
without impairing the principal
of your estate as mine at
present manifestly is being
impaired by the expenses of a
double residence at the
capital and at home. It seems
to be reasonable, and I expect,
as I think all the other members
Birth: 1803-11-01
Death: 1875-10-03
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
of the family do, that you and
your family
Birth: 1864-11-10
Death:
Birth: 1862-09-11
Death: 1921-10-05
Birth: 1839-11-18
Death: 1913-11-09
occupy our beautiful home
after I shall have returned
to Auburn as fully and as
freely as you do now. When
that time shall come I will
endeavor to resume the whole
or at least a very liberal share
of the expenses of the household
I fear additional supplies of
furniture and decoration even
less on account of the expense
than on account of the possible
want of adaptation. I dread
to have our now spacious
free and simple country dwelling
furnished like the parlors
of merchants and bankers
in our great and ostentatious
cities Just as my life and
ways differ from theirs so
ought my surroundings. To my
eye, the garden, the fountain
and the birds that stretch far
out from the terrace away
from the house are richer
and nobler ornaments of the
drawing room than any
combination of damask, rosewood
and gold that the Fifth
Avenue of Madison Square
exhibits
I would ask dear Janet
to consult my perhaps peculiar
taste in this respect so far
as to let me see a complete
plan of the furniture and
fixings such as she would
like, and when I shall
have been heard by herself
on the subject she shall
then be at liberty to have
just what she prefers, and
at my expense, and not
yours or hers.
Most affectionately yours
h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10