Sunday evening
My Dear Henry. A letter from you this morning which I consider
a very good commencement of a day have been engaged most
of the day in trying to get some more information of the
biography of Aaron Burr your letter interested me so much
I have got collected a motley assembly of books taken
from that reservoir the bed room over the hall. “Burrs Trial
Old “Balances ‘Port Folios’ etc innumerable. So far I have
not been very successful, the ‘Trial’ is almost unintellegible
to any one not acquainted with the particulars of the
conspiracy, and the very number of the “Balance” which
contains these particulars is among the missing. Augustus
and Grandpa are down stairs discussing the merits of
the hobby horse Grandma is meditating. Clary and
Catherine are reading, still further down little Fred
lies asleep in the cradle attended by Sarah Levit
and Ann who I hope for his happiness does not figure
very conspicuously in his dreams. It is the coldest of
a succession of cold nights the snow is more than
two feet deep the thermometer lower than at any
time this winter. I can hardly tell what we have been doing
since I sent my last letter by Joshua Burt . That was on
Wednesday. The only occurrence on Thursday of any interest
was the arrival of the hobby horse which has made Augustus
almost crazy ever since, his Grandpa has purchased it of I.
Miller, it abides in the little bedroom off from the upper
kitchen. Augustus and his Grandpa make it periodical
visits. The little fellow has not much comfort riding it is so cold

though he asks my permission twenty times during the day to go a
“little while and see hobby.” He at first concluded not to tell
you any thing about about it but wait until you came home and then
take you in and surpise you but this was too long a time
and to day he requested me to inform you the very next
time I wrote. I always read what you say about him and
Fred in your letters it delights him very much and he is not
satisfied unless I repeat it a number of times. I hear nothing of
the scarlet fever for the last few days. I shall certainly apprise
you of its first appearance here should we not escape. I
read of course all that passes in the Senate saw the discussion
of your resolution, hated George Throop, reproached myself
for asking if Mr Tracy had a heart, and felt quite a
drawing towards Maynard because he voted as you did.
I do not understand now who it was that voted, there were
only 23 that cannot be all the members of the Senate is it?
Friday I sent your letters to Lazette to read the cold
weather and snow precluding all hope of going there very soon
Nancy has gone and Harriet come back again Lazette
complains of being very lonely. Friday night Peter recieved
directions to put three pair of boots and shoes in Pa’s lodging
room over night as he intended going to Syracuse in the
morning, so cold in the morning did not go, had a frenzy
at dinner about a piece of beef Caterine Catherine McDonald
spectator. She said all men behaved so sometimes when they
were disappointed about any particular dish. I told I knew
of one who did not. Augustus little rascal was a witness of the
scene, while reading his lesson in the afternoon he came to the
word, meat, “m e a t, meat, such meat ma as Grandpa
scolded so about,” said he. I tried to persuade him it was not
scolding but he appeared rather skeptical.

What a snow storm this is we have hardly been able to see across
the street to day. I think St Peters congregation must have
been very small. Grandma is wondering if the East River is frozen.
Little Fred was very sick in the night breathed very hard
appeared to be almost choked with phlegm, had he not vomited
before morning I should have been obliged to have given him an
emetic, he appears quite well now has one more little tooth
which made it first appearance yesterday. How I do wish
the eclipse of the sun was over with I have been dreading it this
long time it will be so gloomy if none of Grandmas evil
forbodings are realized. I wish you could be here then I
should not care a straw about it. I hope we shall not all be buried
in the snow before that time comes. Monday morning. I sat up last
night until 12 o clock reading Burrs conspiracy having fortunately
found the vol. of the Balance which contains the account did
not finish it, the weather appears somewhat more settled to day,
fine sleighing. Did I tell you I wrote to Cornelia last Sunday?
We have not seen an individual lady from the village since Debby
was here. Clary has not been to Compstons to get the news and we
are quite in the dark about what is going on. Serene has not
been here since I moved. Lazette said she was in to see Miss Danks ,
she was making a new cloak for the Dr’s new wife, he had
been and given all the directions was very anxious to have it
Completed before Sunday. They had rather an unpleasant
day for a display yesterday. Augustus says I must tell Pa
that hobby has got hair on him just like a live horse and a
saddle, bridle and stirrups all of which you have seen
I suppose. I intend to send Clary out to day that I may have
something new to tell you before I write again, your own Frances.

William H. Seward.
Albany.
AUBURN N.Y.
JAN. 25
hF. A. Seward
25 Jan 1831