Sunday June 26^th
My dear Sister,
Clara and I went to call upon Mrs. Wright
Friday when we found your letter – Mrs. Wright had
just returned was looking uncommonly well and
much more animated than I have ever seen her
She was delighted with her visit at Canandaigua –
says your maid has such a good head that she
has no doubt you will like her very much in
five or six weeks when you become better acquainted –
Well – 'we all have our little foibles' — The girl
we have is not deficient in head or body either
but the work of her hands is far from pleasing
I hardly think we shall form an acquaintance of
six weeks standing – City servants are bad enough –
country helps quite intolerable – Mary went off very
unexpectedly to us though I think from her conduct
she intended going some time ago – She is in pursuit
of high wages – I am sorry you think you
will not be able to leave home with the present

incumbent but hope you will succeed in exchanging her soon
Henry does not come – he is very busy writing for the
Geological survey and I believe studying Geology
has a great many additional specimens –
The Canary has abandoned her eggs – so farewell to
all prospect of young canaries this summer – Jenny
the faun sits up on her hind legs like Snip and begs
for bread — You see the Journal is out for Clay
who has a right to the Presidency for his devotion
to his country Henry Clay is that man – I hope he may
be elected – The meeting at N. York was of the most
enthusiastic kind – many good speeches – was not the
Friday's editorial beautiful – just like Weed in
his better moments – Henry says Mary Seward has
him visiting at Polydores! Augustus Seward passed
through Albany on his way home last week, Henry does
not say that his wife was with him – My Gus
is making his calculations to go to N. York the 4^th –
his father does not object – Grandpa thinks he
ought not to go alone – Montgomery Throop came

alone from Home – he called here the other evening with
Mrs. Lucas – He looks much as he used to – not as tall as
Gus by a head – would appear very well if his mother
had not impressed him with an idea that it was necessary
to be very polite – so he wears light kid gloves and makes
a bow ‘twixt two & three, just as his mother taught him'
he is intelligent but it appeared very singular to me that
he professed to have forgotten all about Auburn & its in-
habitants, in four years, – he is either very deficient in
'Individuality as the Phrenologists say or affects forgetfulness
to prove that he has been in "Foreign Parts" — Mrs. Lucas
seemed to think it perfectly natural for a boy of 11
years to forget all that he then knew the next four
years – but her opinion is not weighty – Montgomery
is wears a hat and strait bodied coat and altogether is
apparelled like a man of 30 — We called to see Mrs. Throop
Friday, at her new home – the house George Wood built
previous to building his cottage – She says she never
lived so pleasantly – appeared as much delighted as a c[ hild ]
The house is certainly very convenient having 3 large rooms
and 3 bed rooms on the 1^st floor a kitchen and a dining room
in the basement – We also called on Mrs. Charles Wood,
Mrs. Abbot and Mrs. Miller who has a sister staying with her,
Mrs. Waterman – Tell Frances that the day we
called at Mrs. Richard Smith's she enquired of Clara if the
report was true that Frances was engaged to be married –
Clara replied she rather thought not, she having never heard it,
with an air of so much indifference that Mrs. Smith
did not see fit to prosecute her enquiries any further as she
would have done had Clara expressed great surprise at so pre-
posterous a report – I suppose Mrs. S– would be very
glad to have some one make similar enquiries of her in relation
to her daughter – We have had a delicious water melon
from the West Indies and bananas from S. America sent by
Dr. Doane – I wish you could eat my portion of the melon
the bananas as none of us liked though Henry spoke of
them as a great luxury – William liked them and said
he 'believed he would go to N. York and see Mrs. Doane–'!

I shall expect your letter by David – Clara wanted to go to Romulus
this week but Mc Clallan could not go with her – he set out
for N. York this morning – Pa has gone to Seneca Falls
I have never heard a word from the silk for Miss Beecher
but presume it was all gone – Henry sent me Miss
Burney's! (Mad. D' Arblay's) diary and letters yesterday have you
seen them – Hammond is very interesting — Your own
Sister –
Mrs. Alvah Worden
Canandaigua
AUBURN
JUN
26
N.Y.

[right Margin] you must not give up your visit – Serene

x

Serene Birdsall

Birth: 1805 Death: 1884-01-19

is to be here soon