Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, December 25, 1834
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, December 25, 1834
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student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1834-12-25
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, December 25, 1834
action: sent
sender:
Frances Seward
Person
Name: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
Person
location:
Auburn NY
Place
Name: City: Auburn
County: Cayuga
State: NY
Country: US
Place
receiver:
William Seward
Person
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Person
location:
Albany NY
Place
Name: City: Albany
County:
State: NY
Country: US
Place
transcription: cef
revision: ekk 2015-08-21
<>
Page 1
Auburn Dec 25th
There is so little of happiness in mirth that
I will not wish you a "merry Christmas" dearest
but I will wish you a "happy Christmas" and a happy
day it must surely be to all who think of it as
the birth day of our blessed Saviour. I have
been instrumental in making three glad hearts
and smiling faces to day the childrens stockings
were all "hung by the chimney with care" last
night and this morning they found them "over-
flowing" as Freddy
Name: Frederick Seward
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
says, the litle boys are now
arranging their toys and candies for a store and
Maria
she may go home this afternoon and display
her treasures, we have no other help yet but have
a girl in expectancy. I had counted the days all
along and thought my Sunday letter would come
to day but it came not and I must e'en content
myself to wait until tomorrow. What a fine
bright sunshine we have to day. I should be tempted
to venture out were it not quite so cold.
Every body has gone to church this morning.
I have been in the village but once, I went Teusday
to the confectioners to buy Christmas presents for
the Children, shopped a little and came home
pretty tired, of course I rode, took Eliza Andrews
last week. I was lame yesterday and thought I
had taken cold but as I am better again to day
conclude it must have been the effects of overexertion[ . ]
Reason:
Once I rode over to Mr Richardson
Name: John Richardson
Birth: 1780-12-19
Death: 1849-04-14
's shop to see
about the table these are the only times I have
been out of the house. Teusday I recieved your first
letter from New York
Name: City: New York
County:
State: NY
Country: US
and think from
your account
you must have very little time at your own disposal
I ni am anxious to hear how and when you returned
to Albany. Was Polydore
Name: Edwin Seward
Birth: 1799-07-02
Death: 1872-04-25
at Jennings
Name: Benjamin Seward
Birth: 1793-08-23
Death: 1841-02-24
', you do not
Page 2
mention him. Why does the 'Courier' say you stopped
at the Masonick Hall in Italicks?. I received
a letter from Lazette
Name: Lazette Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01
Death: 1875-10-03
this morning she thinks she
will come out New Years if she meets with no
opposition. Worden
Name: Alvah Worden
Birth: 1797-03-06
Death: 1856-02-16
I believe is in the village
very frequently. Eliza Burnham
Name: Eliza Thompson
Birth:
Death: 1842-08-29
was to have been
married last evening. I discovered that my letter
was too late about Chloe
I still think we had better take her in the spring
she may not be as good as Maria we can only
ascertain this by making the experiment, as
it will be impracticall to get her here this
winter perhaps it will be as well not to do
anything about it at present.
I think Clary
Name: Clarinda McClallen
Birth: 1794
Death: 1862-09-05
will not remain long after the 1st
of January but all is yet undecided. Isaack
very impatient to have his house occupied.
Mr Field
Name: Peter Field
Birth: 1753-07-07
Death: 1839-08-06
's family have gone to Cammillus
Name: City: Camillus
County: Onondaga
State: NY
Country: US
.
Maria
Name: Maria Hall
Birth: 1796-07-10
Death: Certainty: Probable
did not accompany them, she came here last
Sunday evening and purposes staying a week or
so, she is low spirited and much l more humble
than I have ever seen her. I feel much compassion
for her she has been deeply injured if the reports
have no foundation, she still persists in innocence.
She says now that though she has suffered greatly,
she hopes it is all for her happiness and may will
lead her to place her hopes and affections where
sin and sorrow cannot come. I see so little
company that I am unable to tell the prominent
subjects of gossip at this time. Clary has been
two evenings to the schoolhouse to tie boughs
for Christmas, had much sport with your Dromier Tucker
Name: Samuel Tucker
Birth: 1803
Death: Certainty: Probable
. I should suppose the man had
not common
sense from. evening this is the third or fourth time
I have sat down to write and have employed in that
way all the leisure I have had from household duties
you may judge from the length of my letter how much time
I have had. Grandma
Name: Paulina Miller
Birth: 1751
Death: 1835-10-03
wanted a Christmas dinner and
Pa
Name: Elijah Miller
Birth: 1772-04-11
Death: 1851-11-13
is to have a Christmas supper, eating seems to be
the end and aim of everything, it is now dark and I am
compelled to conclude hastily your own Frances.
Page 3
William H. Seward
Albany.
Auburn N.Y. Dec 26
Type: postmark
Name: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
Frances A. Seward
December 25. 1834
Auburn Dec 25th
There is so little of happiness in mirth that
I will not wish you a "merry Christmas" dearest
but I will wish you a "happy Christmas" and a happy
day it must surely be to all who think of it as
the birth day of our blessed Saviour. I have
been instrumental in making three glad hearts
and smiling faces to day the childrens stockings
were all "hung by the chimney with care" last
night and this morning they found them "over-
flowing" as Freddy
Person
arranging their toys and candies for a store and
Maria
Unknown
is hurrying through her work
thatshe may go home this afternoon and display
her treasures, we have no other help yet but have
a girl in expectancy. I had counted the days all
along and thought my Sunday letter would come
to day but it came not and I must e'en content
myself to wait until tomorrow. What a fine
bright sunshine we have to day. I should be tempted
to venture out were it not quite so cold.
Every body has gone to church this morning.
I have been in the village but once, I went Teusday
to the confectioners to buy Christmas presents for
the Children, shopped a little and came home
pretty tired, of course I rode, took Eliza Andrews
Unknown
with me, she has been sewing here thelast week. I was lame yesterday and thought I
had taken cold but as I am better again to day
conclude it must have been the effects of overexertion[ . ]
Supplied
Once I rode over to Mr Richardson
Person
about the table these are the only times I have
been out of the house. Teusday I recieved your first
letter from New York
Place
you must have very little time at your own disposal
I ni am anxious to hear how and when you returned
to Albany. Was Polydore
Person
Person
mention him. Why does the 'Courier' say you stopped
at the Masonick Hall in Italicks?. I received
a letter from Lazette
Person
will come out New Years if she meets with no
opposition. Worden
Person
very frequently. Eliza Burnham
Person
married last evening. I discovered that my letter
was too late about Chloe
Unknown
's girlUnknown
before you wroteI still think we had better take her in the spring
she may not be as good as Maria we can only
ascertain this by making the experiment, as
it will be impracticall to get her here this
winter perhaps it will be as well not to do
anything about it at present.
I think Clary
Person
of January but all is yet undecided. Isaack
Unknown
seemsvery impatient to have his house occupied.
Mr Field
Person
Place
Person
did not accompany them, she came here last
Sunday evening and purposes staying a week or
so, she is low spirited and much l more humble
than I have ever seen her. I feel much compassion
for her she has been deeply injured if the reports
have no foundation, she still persists in innocence.
She says now that though she has suffered greatly,
she hopes it is all for her happiness and may will
lead her to place her hopes and affections where
sin and sorrow cannot come. I see so little
company that I am unable to tell the prominent
subjects of gossip at this time. Clary has been
two evenings to the schoolhouse to tie boughs
for Christmas, had much sport with your Dromier Tucker
Person
sense from. evening this is the third or fourth time
I have sat down to write and have employed in that
way all the leisure I have had from household duties
you may judge from the length of my letter how much time
I have had. Grandma
Person
Pa
Person
the end and aim of everything, it is now dark and I am
compelled to conclude hastily your own Frances.
William H. Seward
Albany.
Auburn N.Y. Dec 26
Stamp
Person
December 25. 1834
date:
Thursday, December 25, 1834
receiver:
sender:
year: