Sunday Oct 16^th
My dear Henry,
I wrote a few lines yesterday in a
hurried manner to assure you that we were all
well - the rain continues with occasional intermission
no going to church to day. McLallen went early
this morning to Albany, returns some time this week.
Mrs George Wood has a young daughter. Mrs Dean
is with her, this is all the news that I have heard
and this was communicated by Mrs M. Miller
and Mrs Yates who called yesterday afternoon. Maria
with her characteristick complaisance cobserved that
our babe was too pretty to have such a name as Cornelia.
She is very much inclined to give up housekeeping
because she had so much trouble in getting her plants
into the house! –– how many kinds of trouble there are
in the world, by the way that makes me think of
my own folly in allowing my finger to make me
write you a letter full of complaints. I have not
seen the Dr but once since and then said nothing
about it, my finger is no worse and therefore I
hope it will be better in time. I feel very often
that I have not that confidence and trust in the
goodness of God which I ought to have or I would
not [ yeild ] to despondency for trifles like these.
My dear Henry I think you can and will be a
Christian without either the enthusiasm or the remorse
which many persons feel and which many consider

so essential. if he only is required to "love much" to
whom "much is forgiven" you certainly need not be
an enthusiast to be a christian. God has blessed you
with a keener moral sense and a more even temper
than often falls to the lot of mortals - consequently your
errors and contrition are less frequent. But our bible
tells us that there is no man who sinneth not and
it is a truth which no one can doubt who carefully
examines his own heart. Trust in the merits of a
saviour an constant endeavour to follow his precepts
with frequent supplication for divine assistance
are the chief requisites to form a christian character.
"He that keepeth my commandments he it is that loveth
me" "For this is the love of God that we keep his command-
ments" "If ye continue in my word then are ye my
disciple indeed" are some of the texts which prove
that "pureness of living" is the only external evidence
which we can have of a saving belief. All those
internal evidences which are so much dwelt upon
vary with the disposition and temperament of the
persons who experience them, and I do not think
we have any scriptural authority for placing our
dependence on so fluctuating a foundation. I will
conclude in the words of of an article which
I have just been reading in an old magazine
"Where persevering faith and obedience are found,
I conceive that peace and joy are almost invariably
known ultimately to follow-"-
Monday morning. Dear Henry I have just
received your last letter written Wednesday

morning. I am sorry that we may not expect you
home as soon as we anticipated. Gus is very
much afraid the nuts will be all gathered before
he goes to Chautauqua. Lazette is here to day
she hears nothing from Worden yet. I think she
is gaining strength but very slowly she is still
troubled with pain in her side. Mrs Benedict
came this morning. The wind is stripping the
leaves from the remaining branches of the trees
the sky is overcast and the mud about a
foot deep on the cross walks so that I do
not lose much by being confined to my room
Judge Conkling I hear is about accepting a
professorship at Clinton but will remain here
through the winter. they have visited Mrs Porter and Mrs Hills. Bronson thinks Margaret Conkling almost intelligent enough to appreciate
him. Aurelia Bissel has gone to Rochester
Mary remains with Mrs Hills through the
winter. Please to tell Harriet that Peter and
his wife send abundance of love to her and Nicholas
Maria was home last night. Dean has lost her
youngest child. they had considerable difficulty in
getting any men to assist at the burial. I
have not heard any thing from Willis and take it
'granted that he is well. Darkness has come
over the land so good bye dearest your own Frances

William H. Seward
Westfield
Chautauqua County
AuburnOct. 18, N.Y. F.A. Seward
Oct 18, 1836