Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Maria Worden, December 25, 1851
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Maria Worden, December 25, 1851
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:meb
student editorTranscriber:spp:cnk
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1851-12-25
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Maria Worden, December 25, 1851
action: sent
sender: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Washington D.C., US
receiver: Lazette Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01
Death: 1875-10-03
location: Canandaigua, NY
transcription: meb
revision: vxa 2019-02-15
<>
Page
1
Washington Christmas 1851
My dear Sister,
I should not have been
here two days without writing had I been
well, but I have not — I was sick every
day I was on the railroad and have
not been free from pain since I came —
Last night I went out to make some
purchases for Christmas & took a new cold —
The weather though cold for Washington is
so much warmer than it was at the
North that it seems to me I ought to feel
better — We left Philadelphia Monday morning
in a violent snow storm which continued
nearly the whole day and reached this
place — The Susquehanna was nearly impassible
with a boat — a passage cut through
the ice as it was at Albany — the
Chesepeake was frozen as far as we
could see — all the shipping fast in the
[top Margin]
I have a number of calls every day but
“Mrs Seward does not receive this Winter”
Thomas
the reason — which is pleasant —
[right Margin]
Fred was to send the
pin & cards by
Express to day — Page
2
ice at Baltimore — Henry
at the Depot & had been three or four
times before having never received our
Telegraph from Philadelphia until Monday
morning — Fred
to Mr Rockwells
house is in very good order — Bennet
does very well — she takes more care
of my things than any one I have ever
had since Maryanne — Henry had been
quite lonely & was very glad to have us come –
I have been busy unpacking clothes, silver
& linen — there is still some whitewashing
to be done and a carpet to make — but
I must feel better first — Charles
Sumner
in the office — I like him exceedingly &
so would you I think — he is frank &
fearless & sincere — very well looking
and gentlemanly in his deportment — he
sat until our dinner bell rang but would
not dine with us as he was going to the
Presidents
neither Congress or the President will make
Page
3
any arrangements for the reception of Kossuth
He has invited him and his suite to our house
they will not come & we could not entertain
them if they should — they will go to some Hotel
and pay their own expenses — is not this a burning
shame — you know public opinion in Washington
is made by a few persons — there is no enthusiasm
here for the noble Hungarian & because the
government cannot grant him the help he
wishes, he must be insulted by a manifestation
of apathy — I wish he would not come at all —
Did you read his address to the women of
New York?— Foote
he thought he should have resigned himself
if Foote had not, he was so unendurable —
How much I think of home & how sadly
compared with former winters — When I write
it seems as if my letters must be partly for
Pa
in this cold, dreary winter time is continually
before me — I found your letter here when
I came — I suppose you went home Saturday I
hope Trip
Fred went to 14 Franklin St when we came
down but could not find Bridget
Page
4
she had gone out — He will go there again
on his return — I enclosed the lett money
in a letter and he will leave it there —
In the letter I told Bridget she had better
write to Dennis
not quite sure where Betsy would be —
I shall be glad to hear that Bob and
Willie
Frances
happy with her Christmas toys –
she is lonesome without Willie — I wrote
to Clara
Augustus
on his part he was notified by the War
department that Augustus was detailed for
the Coast Survey and required to report
himself here — I hope he will not come
North until the weather is warmer as I fear
his health would suffer — It is quite uncertain
how long he will be here or where he will
be stationed — Professor Bache
the last I heard of him — It was very commendable
in Gen - Scott to remember our application made
last summer — If this letter is not intelligible
you will remember that I have a bad headache
Fred left us at 6 oclock Wed. morning — your own
Sister —
[left Margin]
Sister
Washington Christmas 1851
My dear Sister,
I should not have been
here two days without writing had I been
well, but I have not — I was sick every
day I was on the railroad and have
not been free from pain since I came —
Last night I went out to make some
purchases for Christmas & took a new cold —
The weather though cold for Washington is
so much warmer than it was at the
North that it seems to me I ought to feel
better — We left Philadelphia Monday morning
in a violent snow storm which continued
nearly the whole day and reached this
place — The Susquehanna was nearly impassible
with a boat — a passage cut through
the ice as it was at Albany — the
Chesepeake was frozen as far as we
could see — all the shipping fast in the
[top Margin]
I have a number of calls every day but
“Mrs Seward does not receive this Winter”
Thomas
Unknown
our new waiter seems to
comprehendthe reason — which is pleasant —
[right Margin]
Fred was to send the
pin & cards by
Express to day —
ice at Baltimore — Henry
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
was
waiting for usat the Depot & had been three or four
times before having never received our
Telegraph from Philadelphia until Monday
morning — Fred
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
went with Miss Avery
Birth: 1833-09-01 Death: 1893-11-14
to Mr Rockwells
Birth: 1805-04-26 Death: 1888-05-19
and I came
home — thehouse is in very good order — Bennet
Birth: 1811Certainty: Possible
does very well — she takes more care
of my things than any one I have ever
had since Maryanne — Henry had been
quite lonely & was very glad to have us come –
I have been busy unpacking clothes, silver
& linen — there is still some whitewashing
to be done and a carpet to make — but
I must feel better first — Charles
Sumner
Birth: 1811-01-06 Death: 1874-03-11
was here yesterday I met himin the office — I like him exceedingly &
so would you I think — he is frank &
fearless & sincere — very well looking
and gentlemanly in his deportment — he
sat until our dinner bell rang but would
not dine with us as he was going to the
Presidents
Birth: 1800-01-07 Death: 1874-03-08
— Henry feels unpleasantly thatneither Congress or the President will make
any arrangements for the reception of Kossuth
Birth: 1802-09-19 Death: 1894-03-20
—He has invited him and his suite to our house
they will not come & we could not entertain
them if they should — they will go to some Hotel
and pay their own expenses — is not this a burning
shame — you know public opinion in Washington
is made by a few persons — there is no enthusiasm
here for the noble Hungarian & because the
government cannot grant him the help he
wishes, he must be insulted by a manifestation
of apathy — I wish he would not come at all —
Did you read his address to the women of
New York?— Foote
Birth: 1804-02-28 Death: 1880-05-20
has
gone home — Sumner saidhe thought he should have resigned himself
if Foote had not, he was so unendurable —
How much I think of home & how sadly
compared with former winters — When I write
it seems as if my letters must be partly for
Pa
Birth: 1772-04-11 Death: 1851-11-13
— Our old home
standing alone & deserted in this cold, dreary winter time is continually
before me — I found your letter here when
I came — I suppose you went home Saturday I
hope Trip
Birth: 1851-06-13 Death: 1862
& Betsy
Death: 1906-10-30
are with you —
Tell BetsyFred went to 14 Franklin St when we came
down but could not find Bridget
Birth: 1810 Death: 1897-03-16
— they saidshe had gone out — He will go there again
on his return — I enclosed the lett money
in a letter and he will leave it there —
In the letter I told Bridget she had better
write to Dennis
Birth: 1827
if she got the money — I wasnot quite sure where Betsy would be —
I shall be glad to hear that Bob and
Willie
Birth: 1839-06-18 Death: 1920-04-29
have arrived safely — I
hopeFrances
Birth: 1826-12-12 Death: 1909-08-24
is better — Fanny
Birth: 1844-12-09 Death: 1866-10-29
is
veryhappy with her Christmas toys –
she is lonesome without Willie — I wrote
to Clara
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05
this morning telling her
aboutAugustus
Birth: 1826-10-01 Death: 1876-09-11
— Henry says that without any actionon his part he was notified by the War
department that Augustus was detailed for
the Coast Survey and required to report
himself here — I hope he will not come
North until the weather is warmer as I fear
his health would suffer — It is quite uncertain
how long he will be here or where he will
be stationed — Professor Bache
Birth: 1806-07-19 Death: 1867-02-17
was in Maine
the last I heard of him — It was very commendable
in Gen - Scott to remember our application made
last summer — If this letter is not intelligible
you will remember that I have a bad headache
Fred left us at 6 oclock Wed. morning — your own
Sister —
[left Margin]
Sister