Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, December 21, 1834
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, December 21, 1834
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:cef
student editorTranscriber:spp:sss
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1834-12-21
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to William Henry Seward, December 21, 1834
action: sent
sender: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Auburn, NY
receiver: William Seward
Birth: 1801-05-16
Death: 1872-10-10
location: Albany, NY
transcription: cef
revision: ekk 2015-08-21
<>
Page
1
Sunday 21st Dec
My Dear Henry, I have been so improvident as to
allow Sunday to come without having a sheet of letter
paper in the house, there is no one at home to send
to the office therefore I am obliged to make use of
this tiny sheet for the commencement of a letter
which I know has been deferred too long already[ . ]
Reason:
I have been waiting the last two or three days to
hear from you not knowing where my next
letter should be directed, I supposed this intensely
cold weather had frozen the river and thought
it possible you might not go on to New York
the journey by land is so uncomfortable. I
recieved your letter from Newburgh yesterday
by the time this reaches Albany you will
probably have returned there. I have sent but
one letter to New York. I am glad to hear your
father
Poor Lockey
she is "eminently good." I always thought her
one of the best of women and of christians and
now she requires all the consolation religion
can afford her. Last Sunday and Monday
were very cold days but we were very comfortable
notwithstanding, the thermometer which in the
cold fell to 10 deg, rose in Grandma
to 88, this was altogether too like a furnace
for my lungs but a good fire in the stove
in the hall and another in my room
made the temperature there very agreeable
you may imagine what a difference is produced
by Dr Nott
that I have not since you left home been
obliged to add to the covering of my bed more
than one blanket and this but one or two nights[ . ]
Reason:
Page
2
What a nice little room the bed room will be for
Harriet Weed
it is as warm as summer. Mrs Porter
given me a lesson or two on the management
of the stove and we now get along very well
when Peter does not forget to supply it with
coal. I have been devising a thousand
plans to make home attractive to you and to
make it more convenient for you to be with
me. I have at length decided upon one which
if it meet your approbation I think will
be just right, we will talk it all over
when you come home, but I must try and
keep you as things are this winter as my plan
will not be practicable immediately. I am an-
ticipating so much pleasure in having you read
Hannah Mores letters
we all appreciate your kindness the less when
I tell you that Pa
books in compliance with Grandma's and my
request before you wrote. You need have no
fears about my reading them before you return
with all the assistance I can get from Clary
I have only been able with my weak eyse
to finish one volume of the last days of Pompeii
Reason:
With my thirst for reading this is a great privation
but I must not complain, it is a light affliction com-
pared with many others, such things are necessary
sometimes, they make us more sensible of the bounty
of our heavenly father whose blessings are so often
disregareded while in our posession. Poor William
was here the other day he is totally blind, how
much the inconvenience I sometimes experience made
me feel and compassionate his misfortune, he is
very sad but seems resigned and very grateful for
this least kindness, he called the little boys to him
and felt thier faces over wishing to see if if he could
discern any resemblance in Frederick
Reason:
He loved Augustus very much when he lived with us and
Page
3
seems to take a melancholy
little incidents which occurred at that time.
While I was waiting for Peter to go to the office for this
sheet of paper I took up the first volume of Hannah More
the four pages I read interested me so much that I
was reluctant to put it down again until the dimness
of my sight reminded me of my improvidence. The
letters I read were from J. Newton
years ago would have seemed very dull. I hope you
will not part with the copy you have I am so much
pleased with them that I feel a selfish desire to have
a copy entirely my own. We have been without
any help but little Maria
Reason:
Maria Nivens
us any notice, her sister had obtained a situation
for her at a tavern where she will undoubtedly
be much better contented than she was here. She
complained to little Maria that we would not allow
her to [hole] at the table or come in the room
when ge[ ntleme ]
Reason: wax-sealn called. Maria was not a girl
we wished [hole] ep but we would have been better
suited to have been left less abruptly. Palmer
a cousin
place but he could not go home until this week
and we shall probably be alone a week longer.
I am thankful that I am so far recovered as to
be able to take care of myself and the little boys
and to assist Clary some about the house though
I cannot boast of much strength yet. Maria has
been very good and done almost as much work as a large
girl. Freddy complains occasionally of his hand
and never eats without complaining of a pain in his
stomach otherwise he appears well. The rest of the family
are in good health. Clary and Augustus have just
returned from Church. Clary was much satisfied
because Dr Rudd
Grandma says do give my best love to Henry and
tell him we all want him at home very much.
Lazette
much and would write to him if I could communicate
any thing interesting and I say I am as ever your own Frances.
Page
4
dont think me negligent about writing dearest, I will not let
a whole week intervene again between my letters.
William H. Seward
Albany.
Auburn
Dec 22 NY
Type: postmark
h
F. A Seward
Dec 18 1834e
FMS says she wrote this letter on Sunday, December 21, which would have been one week since her last letter, as she says; the date on the postmark is smudged and it is possible the WHS read "18" for "22."
Sunday 21st Dec
My Dear Henry, I have been so improvident as to
allow Sunday to come without having a sheet of letter
paper in the house, there is no one at home to send
to the office therefore I am obliged to make use of
this tiny sheet for the commencement of a letter
which I know has been deferred too long already[ . ]
Supplied
I have been waiting the last two or three days to
hear from you not knowing where my next
letter should be directed, I supposed this intensely
cold weather had frozen the river and thought
it possible you might not go on to New York
the journey by land is so uncomfortable. I
recieved your letter from Newburgh yesterday
by the time this reaches Albany you will
probably have returned there. I have sent but
one letter to New York. I am glad to hear your
father
Birth: 1768-12-05 Death: 1849-08-24
and mother
Birth: 1769-11-27 Death: 1844-12-11
are living so comfortably.Poor Lockey
Birth: 1805-07-15 Death: 1848-05-14
is indeed entitled to all our sympathyshe is "eminently good." I always thought her
one of the best of women and of christians and
now she requires all the consolation religion
can afford her. Last Sunday and Monday
were very cold days but we were very comfortable
notwithstanding, the thermometer which in the
cold fell to 10 deg, rose in Grandma
Birth: 1751 Death: 1835-10-03
's room to 88, this was altogether too like a furnace
for my lungs but a good fire in the stove
in the hall and another in my room
made the temperature there very agreeable
you may imagine what a difference is produced
by Dr Nott
Birth: 1773-06-25 Death: 1866-01-25
's invention when I tell you that I have not since you left home been
obliged to add to the covering of my bed more
than one blanket and this but one or two nights[ . ]
Supplied
What a nice little room the bed room will be for
Harriet Weed
Birth: 1819-02-06 Death: 1893-11-01
by keeping the door open constantly it is as warm as summer. Mrs Porter
Birth: 1800-04-12 Death: 1886-03-29Certainty: Probable
hasgiven me a lesson or two on the management
of the stove and we now get along very well
when Peter does not forget to supply it with
coal. I have been devising a thousand
plans to make home attractive to you and to
make it more convenient for you to be with
me. I have at length decided upon one which
if it meet your approbation I think will
be just right, we will talk it all over
when you come home, but I must try and
keep you as things are this winter as my plan
will not be practicable immediately. I am an-
ticipating so much pleasure in having you read
Hannah Mores letters
Author: William Roberts Publisher: Harper & Brothers Place of Publication:New York City Date: 1834
. You must not thinkwe all appreciate your kindness the less when
I tell you that Pa
Birth: 1772-04-11 Death: 1851-11-13
had purchased these books in compliance with Grandma's and my
request before you wrote. You need have no
fears about my reading them before you return
with all the assistance I can get from Clary
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05
I have only been able with my weak eyse
to finish one volume of the last days of Pompeii
Author: Edward Bulwer-Lytton Publisher: R. Bentley Place of Publication:London Date: 1834
[ . ] Supplied
With my thirst for reading this is a great privation
but I must not complain, it is a light affliction com-
pared with many others, such things are necessary
sometimes, they make us more sensible of the bounty
of our heavenly father whose blessings are so often
disregareded while in our posession. Poor William
Unknown
was here the other day he is totally blind, how
much the inconvenience I sometimes experience made
me feel and compassionate his misfortune, he is
very sad but seems resigned and very grateful for
this least kindness, he called the little boys to him
and felt thier faces over wishing to see if if he could
discern any resemblance in Frederick
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
to Augustus
Birth: 1826-10-01 Death: 1876-09-11
[ . ] Supplied
He loved Augustus very much when he lived with us and
seems to take a melancholy
Not placable; not to be appeased; incapable of being pacified; stubborn or
constant in enmity • Incapable of being relieved or quieted; inextinguishable •
pleasure in recounting a thousandlittle incidents which occurred at that time.
While I was waiting for Peter to go to the office for this
sheet of paper I took up the first volume of Hannah More
the four pages I read interested me so much that I
was reluctant to put it down again until the dimness
of my sight reminded me of my improvidence. The
letters I read were from J. Newton
Birth: 1725-08-04 Death: 1807-12-21
and two or threeyears ago would have seemed very dull. I hope you
will not part with the copy you have I am so much
pleased with them that I feel a selfish desire to have
a copy entirely my own. We have been without
any help but little Maria
Unknown
since last Sunday[ . ] Supplied
Maria Nivens
Unknown
left us at that time without giving us any notice, her sister had obtained a situation
for her at a tavern where she will undoubtedly
be much better contented than she was here. She
complained to little Maria that we would not allow
her to [hole] at the table or come in the room
when ge[ ntleme ]
Supplied
we wished [hole] ep but we would have been better
suited to have been left less abruptly. Palmer
Birth: 1811-05-24 Death: 1876
hasa cousin
Unknown
who he thinks will come to take herplace but he could not go home until this week
and we shall probably be alone a week longer.
I am thankful that I am so far recovered as to
be able to take care of myself and the little boys
and to assist Clary some about the house though
I cannot boast of much strength yet. Maria has
been very good and done almost as much work as a large
girl. Freddy complains occasionally of his hand
and never eats without complaining of a pain in his
stomach otherwise he appears well. The rest of the family
are in good health. Clary and Augustus have just
returned from Church. Clary was much satisfied
because Dr Rudd
Birth: 1779-05-24 Death: 1848-04-15
preached. Muir
Birth: 1790 Death: 1868-02-17Certainty: Probable
left the Church.Grandma says do give my best love to Henry and
tell him we all want him at home very much.
Lazette
Birth: 1803-11-01 Death: 1875-10-03
says in her last letter tell Henry I love him verymuch and would write to him if I could communicate
any thing interesting and I say I am as ever your own Frances.
dont think me negligent about writing dearest, I will not let
a whole week intervene again between my letters.
William H. Seward
Albany.
Auburn
Dec 22 NY
Stamp
h
Hand Shift
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10William Seward
Dec 18 1834e