Wednesday night —
My dear Sister,
Your letter which came not until last Friday
was the first intimation I had received that you were not
made acquainted with my illness — I desired Henry
to write or let Mr Underwood write to you Clara
and Augustus when I had been sick but a few days
fearing you might be made uneasy by hearing it
in some other way — he said he had written to
Augustus and would write to you —I never doubted
that he did so until your letter came — I am very
sorry — I wrote the day before I received your last
and for the first time Henry Underwood neglected to send
my letter to the office the same time day so that
I laid awake one night thinking of you and wishing
I could devise some means to hasten the conveyance of the
mail — Since that time my sleep has been disturbed by
disappointment in not seeing my boy — The river has been
closed to Cattskill since last Friday — the roads
are almost impassable — in this state of affairs it is

[top Margin] Do you hear any thing of Peter Miller

x

Peter Miller

Birth: 1802-11-26 Death: 1851-09-17

this
winter? —Sarah

x

Sarah Bogart

Birth: 1833 Death: 1841-12-27

continues very ill yet
I do not think will recover —

in vain to wish Augustus to come home — the whole time
of his vacation would be consumed in coming and returning
and his health be endangered by traveling this extremely
cold weather — I think of him much of the time and
would he were somewhere else — West Point is almost
inaccessable in the winter — I am afraid he
get sick — should this be the case I could get no in-
formation in less than four days and could not get to him
under four more — but you can easily imagine all
my apprehensions — I have been out twice of necessity which
has by no means improved my cold — I cough much and
have a constant pain in my breast — I really feel disheartened
sometimes with the prospect of Christmas and New Years — Christmas
we are to dine the members of the Senate whose term of
office expires this winter with the State officers and their
wives those who have them here — I suppose about 22 in all
If my cough continues I think I shall grace the table lightly
Sarah is so very ill that I am reluctant to call upon
Nicholas for anything — Dr Williams thinks she is has the con-
sumption — were she any other child I should not expect her to
survive a week — Willie and Fred cough but are not sick

Willie is a very amusing creature — he has wonderful quickness
of apprehension and a fearless spirit of independence which
does not have a tendency to increase his amiability — yet he
is so merry, and so winning when he puts up his face
for a kiss that no one can bear him malice — "Poor Gusy
cant come home" said I to him — "the river is frozen and he cannot
come up" "I help him up" was his instantaneous reply — this
morning he awoke me while it was yet dark to inform me
that he would take me to Grandpa's on the railroad — "Freddy
I will take you to ride so you shant cry" said he to Fred — and
the other morning while Fred was lying in bed with us he turned
to me and said – "isn't Fred a pretty fellow mother?" — He
never seems to doubt his own ability to do any thing and wishes
to take part in all the work he sees going on — Now I have
written a long chapter of Willyiana for Frances edification—
He would make her laugh many times in the day but it would
require some patience, to endure his perverseness which dear
Fred never fails to manifest — Clarence and Fred have gone to Mr
Weed's this afternoon — They both wish me to go out tomorrow
to get Christmas presents which I will not be able to do —
How much we had all calculated upon having Gusy with us during
our undesirable holidays — I have received many cards but
have seen no company this week — most of the people it
seems to me have called twice or more since I have been to see
them — Friday afternoon — I have kept this letter until this
time that it might learn its destination — yours is just received
and I hope on this you are in Auburn with dear Clara — Do write
me all about them what they are doing — when is Pa coming down
I am feeling much better than when I commenced this letter
returning health has dissipated some of the dark clouds which
were hanging over the holidays — I shall be glad however when Christmas
or the dinner is over — all our guests have accepted their invitation
wives and all — I might have had quite a pleasant day playing
with the children who are much dissatisfied with the prospect
of the dinner had it not been for these women — Mrs Bradish is one
of them I am glad she will not grace my end of the table — We do
not have any wine or ardent spirits New Years if I can get this
piece of information circulated I presume the number of visitors

will be much diminished thereby — My cook and chambermaid have recovered
York is a much more pleasant personage to deal with than John —
Willie has concluded to have his stocking hung up on condition that
Abbey will take one from his band box and not from his foot —
I have told him the "night before Christmas" which he understands
perfectly — says "St Nic is coming down the chimney with sugar plums"
The boys have in a private manner purchased christmas gifts for each other
as I could not go out — also for Willie — Bill — and Harriet; children —
I have not heard from Augustus since I wrote am looking —
for a letter every day — Sam is to be here N. Years in his
military capacity — I presume Elizabeth will be in town at that time also
Mrs Alvah Worden
Care of Hon. E. Miller
Auburn —
Paid- W.H.S
Albany
Dec
24
NY
PAID

[right Margin] Fred says he saw David Wright

x

David Wright

Birth: 1806-03-18 Death: 1897-02-24

in town yesterday who offered to take
any thing I might wish to send to day — but Fred forgot to
mention it until it was too late to send this letter — As I am
now quite sure you are in Auburn it will make no difference