Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, June 15, 1845
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, June 15, 1845
transcriber
Transcriber:spp:msr
student editorTranscriber:spp:tap
Distributor:Seward Family Digital Archive
Institution:University of Rochester
Repository:Rare Books and Special Collections
Date:1845-06-15
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Letter from Frances Miller Seward to Lazette Miller Worden, June 15, 1845
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: msr
revision: tap 2018-03-09
<>
Page
1
Sunday afternoon June 15
My dear Sister,
I commence this letter with
very little expectation of finishing it in one
or even two days–you will believe me
when I assure you that I have not had
a moment of time to write since I received
your letter which I had been looking for
some days previous to its arrival—I am
sorry to hear Frances
apprehensive that some of your family
be so ill as to prevent your writing at the
accustomed time—for myself I find that
being the sole nurse of ^our^ little girl
to keep house at the same time is beyond my
ability—I can do justice to neither—
Ann
more work in a given time than most girls
this is about the extent of her capacity—She
is very deficient in judgement and carefulness
exceedingly childish about all things—you will
readily infer that she does not assist me much
in the many cares of a large family, though
[top Margin]
Willie's
pretty well yet but I am unable
to give the calcarea the tendency to inflammation is so
great—James Horner
hoe which he insists upon washing every time they are used
and keeping in the nursery—The frost has so blighted all
our flowers that June is not the gay month it was
last year—Sister is very precious—she is now
[left Margin]
scolding Flora
When she is not hungry she is very fond
of her new nurse. I have written
most of this letter to day Monday
Sister cries for her bread and milk
I must go—
Page
2
so honest and obliging that I do not feel willing
to exchange her at present—Bridget
has been unable to work for the last three days
in consequence of a whitlow on one of her fingers
I have since Friday, a little girl
baby while I work which has been a great
assistance—at 6 o clock last night I complete ^d^
the arrangement of Augustus'
expect early this week—he would I think
have been home by this time had not his father
written to him to go to Florida and see his Grandfather
Seward
commenced last night going to the depot which
practice he intends to pursue until the arrival of
his brother–Clara
I went down Thursday and remained through
a hard shower—she is beginning to feel more at
home—has two young men
I should not get home again after my excursion—Our new
gate way makes a very muddy walk and just at
the entrance of the gate was a bed of clay in which
I sank about a foot—the green fence is completed as
far as the garden—the gate way nearly done—the large
stone posts have excited much speculation and criticism –
the flagging is up nearly the whole length of the
front walk preparatory to putting on gravel—the clay
Page
3
is every where particularly on the carpets and oil cloth
I do not think three successive summers of repairs
a very desirable—The internal alteration has been deferred
indefinitely as I presumed it would be—A roof is
now to be put upon ^each of^ the wooden buildings—What did
Mary B
will find Rachel
Maria at her age is far from pleasant—Did I write that
Maria had a large boy
which must be rather satisfactory to said Monday all things
considered—Caroline
a waiter
he is to come Thursday for one month on trial—Ann
is very much bewildered in consequence of Caroline’s having [ le ]
Reason: holeft
and her father
Michigan—she is very homesick and more than commonly
heedless—I hope she will recover from this state soon—
I fear I am making you much trouble about Elsa Doyle
you have abundance of cares of your own–There are two
reasons why I should like to have her come, if come she will
as early as possible— 1f Abbey
return and I could not well refuse her unless her place
were well supplied—2d Sally Sailsbury
would like to come here in the fall—I promised to let her
know the 1st of October and as in the other case would
prefer having the place filled before she come from the
east where she is to go in August—I fear Abbey is not to be
depended upon and I hesitate to have her take charge of sister
without feeling more confidence in her principles—I am very
sorry about Dr Withall's
any from Henry—he says he does not know Dr Withall
and he is unwilling to endorse homoeopathy as he thinks
a letter would be so interpreted—I had some misgivings
Page
4
about the success of my application when the Dr was here last
but did not say so to him—I should now refrain from
saying any thing to him on the subject—of course he would
infer that some thing was wrong and might imagine
some reason very different from the true one—the true
reason being so unlike Henry— I suppose he has been very
much annoyed by all the homoeopathic physicians referring
to him as a patron—sceptical as he is I should not be
surprised if his he felt vexed with me for persevering in
which he considers a humbug—on the contrary he has always
manifested his usual generosity—What under all circumstances
do you think it best to do—explain or not to the Dr?
I am very sorry I encouraged the belief that letters would
be given but never having known Henry refuse a favor of this
kind I did not dream that he could do so in this
instance I am afraid the Dr may have spoken of such letters
in expectation to others and I feel unwilling to have him
Mrs Alvah Worden
Canandaigua
AUBURN N.Y.
JUN 16
Type: postmark
[right Margin]
suffer from my indiscretion—do or say what you think proper
or leave it for me if you think it better— I have
written a long letter without saying any thing of the
contents of yours—I am sorry Garson
in so ungentlemanly a manner—
but our
friends at
Batavia
would say
that we
had no
reason to
expect
any thing
else
[bottom Margin]
Read "Dickinsons
on bleeding especially–
Sunday afternoon June 15
My dear Sister,
I commence this letter with
very little expectation of finishing it in one
or even two days–you will believe me
when I assure you that I have not had
a moment of time to write since I received
your letter which I had been looking for
some days previous to its arrival—I am
sorry to hear Frances
Birth: 1826-12-12 Death: 1909-08-24
is not
well—I wasapprehensive that some of your family
Birth: 1797-03-06 Death: 1856-02-16
mightbe so ill as to prevent your writing at the
accustomed time—for myself I find that
being the sole nurse of ^our^ little girl
Birth: 1844-12-09 Death: 1866-10-29
and
attemptingto keep house at the same time is beyond my
ability—I can do justice to neither—
Ann
Unknown
is well disposed and
capable of doingmore work in a given time than most girls
this is about the extent of her capacity—She
is very deficient in judgement and carefulness
exceedingly childish about all things—you will
readily infer that she does not assist me much
in the many cares of a large family, though
[top Margin]
Willie's
Birth: 1839-06-18 Death: 1920-04-29
eyes arepretty well yet but I am unable
to give the calcarea the tendency to inflammation is so
great—James Horner
Birth: 1804 Death: 1874-06-12
has sent him a little spade and
gardenhoe which he insists upon washing every time they are used
and keeping in the nursery—The frost has so blighted all
our flowers that June is not the gay month it was
last year—Sister is very precious—she is now
[left Margin]
scolding Flora
Unknown
because she will not let
her have Willie's flagWhen she is not hungry she is very fond
of her new nurse. I have written
most of this letter to day Monday
Sister cries for her bread and milk
I must go—
so honest and obliging that I do not feel willing
to exchange her at present—Bridget
Unknown
(John'sUnknown
niece)has been unable to work for the last three days
in consequence of a whitlow on one of her fingers
I have since Friday, a little girl
Unknown
to holdbaby while I work which has been a great
assistance—at 6 o clock last night I complete ^d^
the arrangement of Augustus'
Birth: 1826-10-01 Death: 1876-09-11
room whom I shallexpect early this week—he would I think
have been home by this time had not his father
Birth: 1801-05-16 Death: 1872-10-10
written to him to go to Florida and see his Grandfather
Seward
Birth: 1768-12-05 Death: 1849-08-24
first—I fear I am too
impatient—Fred
Birth: 1830-07-08 Death: 1915-04-25
commenced last night going to the depot which
practice he intends to pursue until the arrival of
his brother–Clara
Birth: 1793-05-01 Death: 1862-09-05
is very busy keeping
houseI went down Thursday and remained through
a hard shower—she is beginning to feel more at
home—has two young men
boarders—I
thought
I should not get home again after my excursion—Our new
gate way makes a very muddy walk and just at
the entrance of the gate was a bed of clay in which
I sank about a foot—the green fence is completed as
far as the garden—the gate way nearly done—the large
stone posts have excited much speculation and criticism –
the flagging is up nearly the whole length of the
front walk preparatory to putting on gravel—the clay
is every where particularly on the carpets and oil cloth
I do not think three successive summers of repairs
a very desirable—The internal alteration has been deferred
indefinitely as I presumed it would be—A roof is
now to be put upon ^each of^ the wooden buildings—What did
Mary B
Birth: 1810-12-05 Death: 1875-11-03Certainty: Possible
— find to preach about so long—I am afraid
you will find Rachel
Unknown
a great change—my
recollection of Maria at her age is far from pleasant—Did I write that
Maria had a large boy
Unknown
who is said to look just like MondayUnknown
=
which must be rather satisfactory to said Monday all things
considered—Caroline
Unknown
left last
Sunday—She has sent ona waiter
Unknown
from Syracuse
a coloured boy nearly 15—too oldhe is to come Thursday for one month on trial—Ann
Unknown
is very much bewildered in consequence of Caroline’s having [ le ]
Supplied
and her father
Unknown
and motherUnknown
having departed for a visit [hole]
Michigan—she is very homesick and more than commonly
heedless—I hope she will recover from this state soon—
I fear I am making you much trouble about Elsa Doyle
Unknown
you have abundance of cares of your own–There are two
reasons why I should like to have her come, if come she will
as early as possible— 1f Abbey
Birth: 1822 Death: 1895-09-16
may
return or propose toreturn and I could not well refuse her unless her place
were well supplied—2d Sally Sailsbury
Unknown
(now at Mary Morgan
Birth: 1813-02-16 Death: 1893-10-14
)would like to come here in the fall—I promised to let her
know the 1st of October and as in the other case would
prefer having the place filled before she come from the
east where she is to go in August—I fear Abbey is not to be
depended upon and I hesitate to have her take charge of sister
without feeling more confidence in her principles—I am very
sorry about Dr Withall's
Birth: 1820-08-05 Death: 1888-08-16
letters but I fear I cannot obtainany from Henry—he says he does not know Dr Withall
and he is unwilling to endorse homoeopathy as he thinks
a letter would be so interpreted—I had some misgivings
about the success of my application when the Dr was here last
but did not say so to him—I should now refrain from
saying any thing to him on the subject—of course he would
infer that some thing was wrong and might imagine
some reason very different from the true one—the true
reason being so unlike Henry— I suppose he has been very
much annoyed by all the homoeopathic physicians referring
to him as a patron—sceptical as he is I should not be
surprised if his he felt vexed with me for persevering in
which he considers a humbug—on the contrary he has always
manifested his usual generosity—What under all circumstances
do you think it best to do—explain or not to the Dr?
I am very sorry I encouraged the belief that letters would
be given but never having known Henry refuse a favor of this
kind I did not dream that he could do so in this
instance I am afraid the Dr may have spoken of such letters
in expectation to others and I feel unwilling to have him
Mrs Alvah Worden
Canandaigua
AUBURN N.Y.
JUN 16
Stamp
[right Margin]
suffer from my indiscretion—do or say what you think proper
or leave it for me if you think it better— I have
written a long letter without saying any thing of the
contents of yours—I am sorry Garson
Unknown
has
behavedin so ungentlemanly a manner—
but our
friends at
Batavia
would say
that we
had no
reason to
expect
any thing
else
[bottom Margin]
Read "Dickinsons
Birth: 1802-05 Death: 1869-10-12
Chrono
Thermal system of medicine"
on bleeding especially–