Tuesday April 23d 24d
My dearest Henry,
I received your first letter from
New York Sunday. I was glad to hear from my
“soft muff” as Freddy says. I had little expectation
of ever seeing it again. So you are at the City
Hotel instead of the Astor House. Old Mrs Hamilton has just been here and made enquiries
about your spiritual condition. What do you
think I told her, just what I thought, that you
are a very good man but too much engrossed
with the world to devote much time to
religious meditation - was I wrong - but the
time will come, dear Henry, “When care and weariness
and solitude will press heavily upon your heart
and you will sigh for something better greater
more permanent more satisfying.”
The weather has been cold and cheerless enough
the last four or five days, nothing has been
done to the garden since you went away
Nicholas continues his white washing when the
state of the weather will permit, the hot
bed has been frozen and the seeds which
Augustus and I planted will hardly give us any
flowers this summer. My head has been much
better this summer. My head has been much
better the last week and as health produces cheer-
fulness every thing passes along brightly and smoothly
along, cares are much less burdensome when we are
not deprived of the energy necessary to bear them

I have no letter from Lazette this week I begin
to feel anxious about her. Mrs Miller has
been quite unwell with a cold. Isaac has
returned home perfectly satisfied with one winter
of public service, he says it is the last life
he would choose. He brought me the book you
sent which is something of a puzzle to me.
I cannot think you ever purchased it at the
enormous price of 12$, if you did you must
have done so without acquainting yourself with
its contents, it seems to be the most approved
method of improving or retaining personal beauty,
a subject which I think you will agree
with me in thinking not very important at
thirty two if one could imagine it otherwise at
eighteen. I say all this with perfect security
my faith is so strong that you did not
purchase the book or if you did were
ignorant of its contents. I shall be very
sorry I have written so freely if it is otherwise
will you explain the riddle.
I think Clara has concluded to wait for the
house occupied by Cobb, she thinks it would
be so much more agreeable to have some fixed
home. Cobb told McClallen he would leave
it in six months if he could find
another place that suited him. Lazette
will be greivously disappointed about her
visit, it is only in this view of the
case that I can feel any regret. Capt Chase
thinks Joseph Colt will purchase his place

Since I commenced writing I have a letter from
from Lazette, she says her cough is better but
the pain in her side encreased. I close this
letter to answer hers, my eyes are suffering
from the effect of my studies. Gus is so anxious
to have me study with and assist him in his
Latin that I have not found it in my heart
to deny him. When shall I apply to have
my purse replenished, the Donation to Mr Lucas
Nicholas’ drafts and girls wages have consumed
my resources. Isaac did not bring us any shad
it was not convenient for him to get them the
day he came away. Freddy has a bad cold
the hoarse croup cough but I hope to be able to
manage it without calling a physician.
Sherman Beardsley’s brick store on the corner
has been a subject of much solicitude and
speculation this last week, last night the south
wall fell destroying considerable hardware, in digging
the foun cellar of the new store they destroyed
the foundation of the old, it was very well
that it fell in the night as the corner has been
the resort of the inquisitive and idle for some days
had it fallen in the day time some lives
would probably have been lost. Every one ask me
when you are coming home. O I had nearly forgotten
an important subject which I neglected to mention
in my last. Clara went last week to see Mrs Smith and
found her with a letter from Henry which perplexed her
extremely. Henry wrote that Jennings had been talking with him
and seemed dissatisfied but that he could not divine the cause
unless it was because he did not attend the Presbyterian Church
Jennings mentioned to him that he had written his mother. Mrs S
wondered that she had not recieved the letter. I was strongly

tempted to send it as soon as Clara came home but was detered
by your injunction to the contrary. I think now that it were
better sent as she may fancy it much worse than it is. Henry
seemed in no fear of losing his place so long as he retained your
confidence. I think he cannot be quite so unconscious as he
pretends of the grounds of complaint. Your own Frances.
William H. Seward
Care of the American Life &
Trust Company
New York
Auburn, N.Y. Apr 26
Frances A Seward
April 23 1838.