Sunday Morning March 13^th
My dear Sister,
I have this morning received your Friday's letter
and being detained from Church by rheumatism I will answer
it without delay. It was undoubtedly Billy Bostwicks wife
who wrote the letter to Col Young– Do you remember I went in
company with her to the Utica Convention and described her
as a remarkably intelligent woman – I admired the talent
exhibited in the letter and deplored the shocking taste of the
comment – as you did – My enquiries about the calls of
the Martins was in consequence of Harriet saying to me
the day we met – “The last time I saw you Mrs Seward
I called upon you at Canandaigua” thereby intimating as I
supposed that it was now my turn to call – but this
is very unimportant – Last Tuesday a “damp moist” day
I went out in the morning to invite some ladies to spend
the next evening with me “sociably” a very indefinite
term in Albany – of the twenty two or three invited 7 came
and a dozen gentlemen – Those who came were the Ladies
from Congress Hall, Mrs J. I. Townsend, Miss Bullins, and Mrs
Horner – The others invited were Brinkerhoofs Bleekers Tibbets

[top Margin] suffer by the loss of the information communicated in that lecture than
about his pecuniary loss – but I thought he had, very
little to expect from the exertion of people of this
description – The Trojan meanness
must await another communication – I was so vexed that I
told him no apology could be made for the people of my state
He has gone to Massachusetts

x

Massachusetts, US

–

Benedicts &c — With the assistance of a new chemical oil
lamp of McIntosh's I succeeded in lighting our dark rooms
having added to our former stock of lights 3 girandoles and
a pair of 3 light brackets – The ice cream and jelly &
charlotte russe I put on a table in the dining room
on another table had coffee and chocolate – Lemonade
and cakes were passed around as the company came –
This is to be the whole of the entertainment for my guests
as I think Henry must have surfeited all the guests with
oysters and pheasants – his parties continue yet – one each week
I believe the evening passed off pleasantly – our guests departed at
1/2 past 11 – indeed I was incapable of judging having taken
cold the previous day I was obliged to go to bed before the
company came and through the evening suffered greatly with
the distress of my head – I have since had what I call rheumatism
in different parts of my system and I am yet thereby rendered fully
uncomfortable though able to go about the house – The next evening
Clarence's party came off – I was sorry to be too ill to see either
the company or Mr Ball our old dancing master – I kept my
bed much of the day – the noise of the young people kept me
up until they dispersed that night – young girls have very

shrill voices and an astonishing propensity to jump down stairs
and scream loudly on the slightest provocation – The game
of tag which the boys played in the hall was not the most
quiet amusement imaginable and the poor piano I think has
lost all the benefit of its recent tuning – However I hope they enjoyed
themselves – Fred and one of the Dix boys spent the whole evening
looking at plates and playing back gammon – Ma said he to me
when he came to bed “Morgan and Baldwin Dix seemed to change characters
to night – Baldwin was grave and Morgan merry – There was a game
of tag played, in which Morgan participated and against which
Baldwin protested” – Clarence devoted himself entirely to the
fair sex saying tender things to all individually and collectively, and
managing to be every where at all times – Upon the whole then
though they were pretty noisy I think the young people behaved
with infitely infinitely more propriety and decorum than did
their seniors a year ago – The usual refreshment for the dancing
parties were given – Lemonade cake and mottoes– They all left
by 10 oclock – The next night came Henry’s supper which
passed off as usual and is in reality, though there are about
60 guests about as little trouble as either of the others – So you
see we have had a pretty busy week – I have dealt in ice cream jelly
and Charlotte russe until I shall never desire to encounter any mo[ re ]
Next This week if I am well enough I must have another
party of ladies – Henry also has another supper – The weather
has changed to cold again – I am anxious about Augustus
having no letter last week – Pa does not come – I hear nothing of
home – Willis Hall saw Dickens while at Boston – He says
they intend to return to England in May if such is the case they
will probably be here some time in April – Can you resist this in-
ducement to come down next month – I am told that Mrs
Dickens is sick at N. York – he has gone to Washington so I suppose
she cannot be seriously ill – O I have not told you that Sam
has gone off – it was rather funny – He never intimated that he
was going in a month until Monday morning (having spent the previous
evening at Congress Hall) he announced his intention of going that afternoon
but said not a word of the Lymans going too although he has all along
talked very freely about them – I was at Congress Hall Friday when
the ladies engaged to visit me early the next week – I heard no more
from them until I was told they left town Monday afternoon very unexpectedly
Of course the report is freely circulated that they are to be married
immediately which is without foundation – indeed I think it
would be quite absurd for them to be married in N.Y. but for
I young gentleman who dislikes to be talked about I think this is rather

singular movement – Bowen was here yesterday ^Thursday^ but could give no
account of the cause of this unpremeditated movement – I have
numerous amusing anecdotes in reserve – too numerous and
withal of too delicate a nature to write – I went Monday
evening to hear Maj. Tochman’s last lecture – it was very interesting – He
called to see me Sa Tuesday and related a list of his grievances – I
really felt very sorry – he has been very shabbily treated here and
at Troy – The first two lectures were given free of expense especially
for the benefit of the members of the Legislature, at the Assembly chamber
after the first or 2^nd lecture the members some of them proposed making a
contribution – he told them he should give one more lecture for which
tickets would be sold and that if they preferred they could contribute
in that way – it was so decided – When the last night came
Mrs Alvah Worden
Canandaigua
PAID
ALBANY
MAR
14
N.Y.
Paid W.H.S.

[right Margin] the lecture was given at the Academy and not 10 of the
members were present – his ^the^ whole amount of money received
amounted to $26 – his expenses exceeded $50 – so much
for Albany and the liberal members of the Legislature
he seemed more grieved that his country would

[bottom Margin] Tell Frances

x

Frances Chesebro

Birth: 1826-12-12 Death: 1909-08-24

the boys have a play written with a part which they expect
her to enact when she comes – I am assailed with enquiries
whenever I receive a letter – I think Mr Wood’s

Unknown

stocking
must be worthy of an exhibition – I am surprised that he does
not get up something of the kind previous to presentation –