Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, September 2, 1838
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, September 2, 1838
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:axa
student editorTranscriber:spp:lmd
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1838-09-02
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, September 2, 1838
action: sent
sender: Frances Seward
Birth: 1805-09-24
Death: 1865-06-21
location: Auburn, NY
receiver: Lazette Worden
Birth: 1803-11-01
Death: 1875-10-03
location: Canandaigua, NY
transcription: axa
revision: tap 2017-11-15
<>
Page
1
Sunday Aug 2nd – 1838 e
While Frances Miller Seward dated this
letter as being written in August, external sources suggest that September is
the actual date. September 2, 1838 was a Sunday, while August 2 was a Thursday.
Jane Perry’s baby, whose death is reported in this letter, died on August 30,
1838. The wedding of Benedict and Maria Beach Spencer occurred on September 5,
which would fit this letter’s reference to it occurring on “next Wednesday.”
Also, another letter in the collection from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden is dated August 2, and
the date is verified by its postmark.
My dearest Sister,
I waited yesterday for your
letter which did not come until night and then
I could not answer it — I have been so hurried
all the week that I did not think any thing
about your expecting me at Canandaigua — I have
devoted nearly six hours of each day to Augustus
and his arithmetic — his school commences tomorrow
and he was anxious to come up with his class
the time he lost by my going to Utica occasioned
the hurry — beside this I have had Ellen Andrews
doing some plain sewing which I was obliged
to baste and give a great many directions about
after all the stitches were intolerably long — Jane
Perry’s
to us as we had but the day before heard that
it was unwell — Poor Jane grieves very much — We
all attended the funeral Thursday afternoon — she
was ill only a week with teething and summer complaint
Last Sunday evening Henry
upon Washington Irving
on his way to Geneva to attend the wedding of
a nephew
home with Henry and spent part of the evening
Miss Paris
different he appeared from the Washington Irving I
had pictured in my fancy — he is a stout gentleman
about 5 1/2 high — very ordinary face nothing about
it to distinguish him from common mortals — and
then his voice is more like old Dr Rudds
Page
2
any other I ever heard — perhaps he had a cold — he is
very plain gentlemanly and affable but in no way
remarkable in his appearance — not a particle of
as ostentation about him — he does not seem in the
least sensible that he has written so many beautiful
books — his niece was a warmhearted sprightly
intelligent girl — Pa
knew her father — but this I did not discern — they
came at twillight — Peter Myres
suppose on account of his being a poet — They promised
us a longer visit if they returned this way which
I presume they will not — Next Wedensday Maria Beach
is to be married to Spencer Benedict
tea with us last evening — they are making great
preparations for the occasion — 12 dresses are being
made at Miss Gillets
were engraved at Albany — While I was at Utica
Miss Beach went round in their new carriage
and left her card with all to whom she purposed
giving invitations — Yesterday morning the cards
of invitation were distributed — two cards tied
with white ribbon one “Spencer S– Benedict” the
other “Miss M. Beach” — in very small letters
under the name – Mr “At home Aug 5th at eight oclock”
these cards were enclosed in half a sheet of letter
paper tied with white ribbon on the outside
of which I am very sorry to say appeared the
superscription Mr Seward & Lady Mr McClallen
horrible — dont the laws of etiquette say any thing
on this subject — it is mauvais ton certainly
I put in those two French words to let you know that I am
taking French lessons among a thousand other things. I intend
to teach Fan — Mr Roberts
man who was educated at Montreal — it is one of my desires
to keep my boys with me a little longer — Henry wants to sende
The letter ends abruptly
here, suggesting that there are missing pages.
Sunday Aug 2nd – 1838 e
Editorial Note
My dearest Sister,
I waited yesterday for your
letter which did not come until night and then
I could not answer it — I have been so hurried
all the week that I did not think any thing
about your expecting me at Canandaigua — I have
devoted nearly six hours of each day to Augustus
Birth: 1826-10-01 Death: 1876-09-11
and his arithmetic — his school commences tomorrow
and he was anxious to come up with his class
the time he lost by my going to Utica occasioned
the hurry — beside this I have had Ellen Andrews
Unknown
doing some plain sewing which I was obliged
to baste and give a great many directions about
after all the stitches were intolerably long — Jane
Perry’s
Birth: 1810 Death: 1877-01-07
baby
Birth: 1837 Death: 1838-08-29
died Wednesday — very
unexpectedlyto us as we had but the day before heard that
it was unwell — Poor Jane grieves very much — We
all attended the funeral Thursday afternoon — she
was ill only a week with teething and summer complaint
Last Sunday evening Henry
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
went to the American to callupon Washington Irving
Birth: 1783-04-03 Death: 1859-11-28
who had been in church
— wason his way to Geneva to attend the wedding of
a nephew
Birth: 1809-05-09 Death: 1880-12-20
, brother of the
clergyman
Birth: 1806-09-24 Death: 1878-09-10
— He
camehome with Henry and spent part of the evening
Miss Paris
Birth: 1813-05-13 Death: 1885-08-08
his niece came with him —
Howdifferent he appeared from the Washington Irving I
had pictured in my fancy — he is a stout gentleman
about 5 1/2 high — very ordinary face nothing about
it to distinguish him from common mortals — and
then his voice is more like old Dr Rudds
Birth: 1779-05-24 Death: 1848-04-15
than any other I ever heard — perhaps he had a cold — he is
very plain gentlemanly and affable but in no way
remarkable in his appearance — not a particle of
as ostentation about him — he does not seem in the
least sensible that he has written so many beautiful
books — his niece was a warmhearted sprightly
intelligent girl — Pa
Birth: 1772-04-11 Death: 1851-11-13
says she is
not very young, heknew her father — but this I did not discern — they
came at twillight — Peter Myres
Birth: 1812-08-04 Death: 1878-10-30
was with them Isuppose on account of his being a poet — They promised
us a longer visit if they returned this way which
I presume they will not — Next Wedensday Maria Beach
Birth: 1821 Death: 1888-02-20
is to be married to Spencer Benedict
Birth: 1812-10-18 Death: 1899-04-11
— he is here — tooktea with us last evening — they are making great
preparations for the occasion — 12 dresses are being
made at Miss Gillets
Unknown
— the cards of invitationwere engraved at Albany — While I was at Utica
Miss Beach went round in their new carriage
and left her card with all to whom she purposed
giving invitations — Yesterday morning the cards
of invitation were distributed — two cards tied
with white ribbon one “Spencer S– Benedict” the
other “Miss M. Beach” — in very small letters
under the name – Mr “At home Aug 5th at eight oclock”
these cards were enclosed in half a sheet of letter
paper tied with white ribbon on the outside
of which I am very sorry to say appeared the
superscription Mr Seward & Lady Mr McClallen
Birth: 1791-09-07 Death: 1860-11-16
&
Lady
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05
horrible — dont the laws of etiquette say any thing
on this subject — it is mauvais ton certainly
I put in those two French words to let you know that I am
taking French lessons among a thousand other things. I intend
to teach Fan
Birth: 1826-12-12 Death: 1909-08-24
and the boys
Birth: 1830-07-08
Death: 1915-04-25
Birth: 1826-10-01
Death: 1876-09-11
Unknown
is my teacher a youngman who was educated at Montreal — it is one of my desires
to keep my boys with me a little longer — Henry wants to sende