Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Augutus Henry Seward, September 16, 1844
xml:
Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Augutus Henry Seward, September 16,
1844
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:nrs
student editorTranscriber:spp:crb
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1844-09-16
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Augutus Henry Seward, September 16, 1844
action: sent
sender: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Auburn, NY
receiver: Augustus Seward
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
location: West Point, NY
transcription: nrs
revision: crb 2017-02-03
<>
Page
1
Auburn Sep 16th 1844-
My dear Augustus,
The arrival of your letter
last evening relieved me from much anxiety
it being a week over your usual time
I of course fancied you were ill –
I hope you new course of studies will become
more easy as you proceed – The method
of teaching Geography of which you speak is
that now pursued all over Europe, at least so
says the report of Mr Horace Mann
tendent of common schools in Massachusetts –
It undoubtedly is calculated to give a much
more thorough knowledge of the science and
when commenced early I presume is not
any more difficult than the old plan – I
wish it were possible for you to have shorter
lessons but that is beyond our control.
I remember when I was at school at Windsor
Vt – how awkward were our representations
of countries drawn from memory but the
lessons became much more easy by practice –
Page
2
In Europe drawing is also made an essential part
of every boys education – With this as almost
every other art some have a natural bias
which enables them to draw more easily
than others – all will improve by practice
unless like Capt – Taylor
because they think themselves deficient in
genius – You use the word "emerge" for
"immerge" or "immerse" – I mention this
not because I suppose you do not know
the difference but to caution you to write
with care as you would find such mis-
takes troublesome in a composition to be inspected
So much for studies, of which I suppose
you think you have enough without having
mothers letters filled with them –
Willie
father
Fred
he will forget how to talk if he does not
practice occasionally – Clarence
Geneva Wednesday, he is very impatient
for the time to come – I think he will
be obliged to study more than he has
done with Mr Hopkins
Page
3
there long – Aunt Clara
Sunday to Romulus – she did not intend
to be gone more than a three days but she
does not come yet – I hope she will
make a good long visit – it is a great
while since she has been there – A letter
from Aunty
East, probably to Boston, with her father
Mary Sibleys
this week – Thursday I believe – The Sibleys
have moved into their new house and as
Aunty says "are immersed" in satin, velvet
and blond" – Samuel Blatchford
to be married to a fashionable heiress, of Bosto[ n ]
Reason:
Miss Appleton
on which meets the active approbation of
his parents – Sam himself appears to
be in
a high state of complacency –
A letter from Goshen informs us that Grandma
Seward
me who is your room mate
in any other way, pray write – Do you find time
to read the papers – I will tell you a secret which
you may not know – Henry Clay
by his injudicious letters respecting Texas and Slavery
his election is, I think, becoming doubtful – The
Page
4
abolitionists will not vote for him after what he has
written – many would have done so had he remained
silent – I think these letters are not all
published in the Journal – They are in the Argus
Croswell
Write once in two weeks if you can – it is
one essential point in the happiness of your
Mother –
Augustus H. Seward
At the U. S. Military Academy
West Point –
AUBURN
N.Y.
SEP 17
Type: postmark
Auburn Sep 16th 1844-
My dear Augustus,
The arrival of your letter
last evening relieved me from much anxiety
it being a week over your usual time
I of course fancied you were ill –
I hope you new course of studies will become
more easy as you proceed – The method
of teaching Geography of which you speak is
that now pursued all over Europe, at least so
says the report of Mr Horace Mann
Birth: 1796-05-04 Death: 1859-08-02
, superin-tendent of common schools in Massachusetts –
It undoubtedly is calculated to give a much
more thorough knowledge of the science and
when commenced early I presume is not
any more difficult than the old plan – I
wish it were possible for you to have shorter
lessons but that is beyond our control.
I remember when I was at school at Windsor
Vt – how awkward were our representations
of countries drawn from memory but the
lessons became much more easy by practice –
In Europe drawing is also made an essential part
of every boys education – With this as almost
every other art some have a natural bias
which enables them to draw more easily
than others – all will improve by practice
unless like Capt – Taylor
Unknown
, they do not try, because they think themselves deficient in
genius – You use the word "emerge" for
"immerge" or "immerse" – I mention this
not because I suppose you do not know
the difference but to caution you to write
with care as you would find such mis-
takes troublesome in a composition to be inspected
So much for studies, of which I suppose
you think you have enough without having
mothers letters filled with them –
Willie
Birth: 1839-06-18 Death: 1920-04-29
came home last Tuesday with his father
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
– I was very glad to get him
home –Fred
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
grows unsocial – I tell him
sometimeshe will forget how to talk if he does not
practice occasionally – Clarence
Birth: 1828-10-07 Death: 1897-07-24
goes to Geneva Wednesday, he is very impatient
for the time to come – I think he will
be obliged to study more than he has
done with Mr Hopkins
Birth: 1786-04-25 Death: 1862-06-27
if he remainsthere long – Aunt Clara
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05
went
last Sunday to Romulus – she did not intend
to be gone more than a three days but she
does not come yet – I hope she will
make a good long visit – it is a great
while since she has been there – A letter
from Aunty
Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03
to day, says that Frances
Birth: 1826-12-12 Death: 1909-08-24
is to goEast, probably to Boston, with her father
Birth: 1797-03-06 Death: 1856-02-16
, afterMary Sibleys
Birth: 1822-09
wedding which is to come
offthis week – Thursday I believe – The Sibleys
Birth: 1802-01-29
Death: 1877-05-21
Birth: 1796-11-06
Death: 1852-09-08
have moved into their new house and as
Aunty says "are immersed" in satin, velvet
and blond" – Samuel Blatchford
Birth: 1820-03-09 Death: 1893-07-07
isto be married to a fashionable heiress, of Bosto[ n ]
Supplied
Miss Appleton
Birth: 1817-08-27 Death: 1901-06-12
– I believe the match is
on which meets the active approbation of
his parents
Birth: 1798-07-24
Death: 1857-12-23
Birth: 1798-04-23
Death: 1875-09-04
a high state of complacency –
A letter from Goshen informs us that Grandma
Seward
Birth: 1769-11-27 Death: 1844-12-11
is better again – You do
not tell me who is your room mate
Unknown
I
cannot find outin any other way, pray write – Do you find time
to read the papers – I will tell you a secret which
you may not know – Henry Clay
Birth: 1777-04-12 Death: 1852-06-29
is injuring himselfby his injudicious letters respecting Texas and Slavery
his election is, I think, becoming doubtful – The
abolitionists will not vote for him after what he has
written – many would have done so had he remained
silent – I think these letters are not all
published in the Journal – They are in the Argus
Croswell
Birth: 1797-05-29 Death: 1871-06-13
will not allow them to pass
unnoticed –Write once in two weeks if you can – it is
one essential point in the happiness of your
Mother –
Augustus H. Seward
At the U. S. Military Academy
West Point –
AUBURN
N.Y.
SEP 17