Auburn Feb 7^th 1843
My dear Son,
I received your good long letter
last week but I have not since been well
enough to write – I have had a very
bad cold which confined me to my bed
one or two days – You have before this
time received a letter from your father telling
you that he has applied for your appointment
I hope you will not be unprepared for a dis-
appointment as it is still possible that you
may not succeed in getting a warrant though
I think the probabilities are in your favour
I have been very apprehensive the last week that
Freddy and Willie would take the Scarlet
fevor – Harriet and Nicholas returned from
Cayuga – a few days after little Harriet
was taken ill with the fever – she has

been very sick and is yet confined to her bed
I should be much afraid that Willie would
not survive an attack owing to the disease
which affects his eyes – We must hope for
the best – Your father has opened an office
in the Exchange buildings and commenced the
practice of Law again – he will soon be as
much engaged in that as he was at with his
business at Albany – now he spends all his time
there though I endeavor to persuade him to stay
at home evenings – I do not think
Clara will go to any other house though she
sometimes talks of it. sometimes – Every body
is complaining of the hard times – the merchants
can get nothing but produce in exchange for their
goods and the farmers have great difficulty to
get money for their taxes –
I suppose this last cold weather, which is as cold
as any we have had this Winter, has closed the
river again and our letters will be 8 or 9

days in reaching their place of destination –
I shall be glad when spring comes –
Fred has not been to school the last week
as people are so much afraid of the Scarlet fever
I thought it best for him to remain at home –
Clarence wrote me a few days ago that he
wished me to send him $2 to pay y the expenses
of a sleigh ride he had taken Christmas or New Years
His Uncle will not consent to have the money
sent as he thinks Clarence did wrong in incuri[ ng ]
an expense of that kind – so I do not know how
he is to manage – He also asked permission to come
home and spend his vacation which commences
next week – His Uncle wrote to him that he might
come if he pleased but if he did that he could not
return to that school as his travelling expenses
would amount to more than his tuition – I do not
know how he will decide – Do not fail to write
as often as once a week – All send love
your affectionate Mother
F. A. Seward
e preferring not prefering
house-keeping not hous-keeping

Augustus H. Seward
Mr. Kinsley’s School
West Point
AUBURN
N.Y.
FEB 8