Letter from Laura Esther Watrous to Frances Miller Seward, January 7, 1853
xml:
Letter from Laura Esther Watrous to Frances Miller Seward, January 7, 1853
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:smc
student editorTranscriber:spp:lmd
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1853-01-07
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's persons.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "pla" point to
place elements in the project's places.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's staff.xml authority file.
In the context of this project, private URIs with the prefix "psn" point to
person elements in the project's bibl.xml authority file.
verical-align: super; font-size:
12px;
text-decoration: underline;
text-decoration: line-through;
color: red;
Letter from Laura Esther Watrous to Frances Miller Seward, January 7, 1853
action: sent
sender: Laura Watrous
Birth: 1805-01-29
Death: 1860
location: Auburn, NY
receiver: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Washington D.C., US
transcription: smc
revision: smc 2015-06-16
<>
Page 1
Friday morning
My dear Mrs Seward
I have both your
kind letters, and feel very
fully your affectionate
kindness, in writing to me,
even me, with an aching
head & prostrated strength.
I need not tell you how
more than glad I am to get
them, but do not take the
strength you so much need
for a thousand things, to
write to me– I did not
for a moment think, you
or Fanny
Birth: 1844-12-09 Death: 1866-10-29
either, had forgottenme, oh no, I know you
better than that– I should
have written sooner, but I
waited to feel a little more
hopeful, but I wait in vain.
The weather this morning is
very delightful for winter,
sunny and mild & very
good walking– I never
knew as much warm and
sunny weather as we have
had this winter, and though
I have had a scene within,
the first sting of the pain is
passing off, and I am
looking up to my old friend
the sky, and, I trust, to a
Friend beyond, & yet nearer
than the sky, in some trust
and love–
I was much interested
to hear of
Birth: 1806-01-03 Death: 1854-06-17
–How I should like to hear
for, myself– I have seen
in 'Putnam’s Monthly' an
article on Sontag & Alboni
Birth: 1823-03-06 Death: 1894-06-23
,most interesting, and made
me long to hear both– We
have had three, (the last three)
very fine lectures, from
Dr. Chapin
Birth: 1829-12-04 Death: 1918-01-17Certainty: Possible
, Bishop Potter
Birth: 1800-07-06 Death: 1865-07-04
&Prof. Shedd
Birth: 1820-06-21 Death: 1894-11-17
Theywere all excellent &almost
model lectures, but Mr
Shedd’s was decidedly
the richest & most profound
yes, and beautiful too–
It was a perfect triumph
of our own town, I thought–
Some of his illustrations would
almost make me jump,
so striking, knocking– I
do not know but in some, or
even to read them they might
border upon bluntness, but
they stood right out before
me so vividly, like a
picture, that I admired.
I think I told you
of being at Mr Fitch
Birth: 1799-01-06 Death: 1883-01-30Certainty: Possible
’,Christmas evening– Mr
Sherwood
Birth: 1793-09-16 Death: 1871-04-16
, Lyman
Birth: 1825 Death: 1876
, & Jane
Birth: 1822-03-29 Death: 1886-06-04
were there– (there were but
some dozen or so beside the
family of Mr Fitch) I don’t
know when I have been so
shocked– Jane was in
perfect glee– (I don’t
speak of this to any but you)
said I to myself, such a
mother as I supposed Mrs
Birth: 1796-03-24 Death: 1852-11-14
was, did she evenlive, is she living or is she
in the grave– the evening
was Saturday too– the
last time Mrs Sherwood was
out, was at Mr F’s, on a
Saturday you recollect-
When my thoughts have
turned to my own death
I have never once expected
any thing more heartless
from those I left, than
she in particular, mani-
fested– & Mr Sherwood,
I thought he was perfectly
devoted to his wife– how
can he, just the fact of
living comfortably so long
together– one would think
her death would smite him
somewhat– I think of
Carlyle
Birth: 1795-04-12 Death: 1881-05-02
’s ‘Sartor Resartus
Author: Thomas Carlyle Publisher: Wiley and Putnam Place of Publication:New York City Date: 1846
’ –the world has been in
clothes and I am only just
understanding how some
things are– pray burn
this, I could not help
writing about it– why,
I thought Mrs Sherwood did
every thing for her family–
It makes me heart-sick–
as if I had not enough before.
And now let me
tell you of something more
pleasant– the beauty &
the goodness of those faithful
old sentinels, the poplar
trees in South St. I have
been delighting in them all
winter, above all things
in the evening by the gas
lights– I have been obliged
to stop, at a new risk of
being reported ‘crazy’ and
gaze at those which seem so
plainly guarding your house,
the light strikes upon every
twig & carries them with
perfect distinctness against
the solemn night-sky, and
then I walk under the pro-
tection of the ‘row’, on my
side of the street– and consider
them all friends– they have
hearts I know, though they
never say any thing about
it, that is, audibly– but
I think we make some
exchanges, nevertheless–
These street lamps are very
convenient & beautiful and
all that, but I have some–
what of an evil eye on
the one in front of my gate
It does its prettiest in shining
all across my room, making
it light enough to dress by,
but– the stars– where are
they– when I go to look for
them, there is that little
street lamp filling my eyes
full, & blotting out every
star within range of my
window, until after 11 o,clock
This day seems just
like those just before you left–
a trifle colder– It feels as
if you must be over there–
but no, there is a chair–
A man
Unknown
has this momentpassed down the street,
without a coat– the shirt
sleeves look like gardening–
Please remember me
very kindly to your husband
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
, to Carrie
Unknown
, to Fannie, what is the dear little girl doing–
dressing the dolls &c &c–
Very affectionately yours
Laura E
[top Margin] h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1805-09-24 Death: 1865-06-21Frances Seward
Jan 7th 1853