Sunday,April May 17^th
My dear Sister,
I have spent this day at home This
morning was unpleasant and our church is so late
in the afternoon that I never go – I have hardly
seen any person but our own family since I wrote
before last Sunday evening Mr and Mrs Morgan
were here in the evening – I was glad to see Kit after
an absence of ten months – Iwonder if Mary was
Debby says that affair has gone on very regularly –
Mary was more agreeable than I have ever seen her
before I am sorry she is so frail – Dear Clara came
after while they were here – the — are there
established – I went down a few moments Tuesday
Clara had been attending the funeral of Mrs Kirk –
patrick who was the victim of intemperance— she
left eight orphan children – Clara had three there
for the night – she had taken the girl of ten
to bring up – she is a bright looking child and I
hope will soon be able to render more assistance
than Ellen – I believe places have been obtained for
all the boys except the youngest 4 years old who is
at present with the overseer of the poor – The
greater part of the week has been occupied with house
cleaning we have finished 12 of the 21 rooms –
I find it much easier than last Spring when I had no one

to take charge of Fanny – Eliza does consider that her
work though I am told she complains much about it –
Maria says she has always been in the habit of complaining
about her work and withal that she speaks disrespectfully
of me – Ann says the complaints have been increased
since Jane came and her situation has been con
trasted with Mrs Blatchfords nurse – She says the
next time she makes a bargain to take care of child'
she will not engage to sew also – and whenever
she has had any occupation about the house she says
that was not a part of the 'bargain' – I suppose it
was not but I thought I consulted her health and
comfort by not confining her constantly to the nursery
however Ann has resumed the cooking a and with
it the baking – I hope Eliza is satisfied with our
sour bread – She says she could have remained at
Rochester with the Priest and had 13 shillings a week
I wonder she did not – But I require all these
petty vexations and constant labors to banish
from my mind the corroding anxiety I feel about
my boy – The war I apprehended has come –
If Augustus passes his examinations one year more
sends him into the Army – As Frances is a girl
and not exposed to this danger you will have difficulty
in imagining what I feel on this subject – a constant
foreboding of this result has embittered many many hours
of the time since he first entered the Academy and yet
I have always been told my fears were absurd –

Col Cross's widow is a sister of Adeline Wood — When Mrs. Morgan
left Washington the family were in great affliction but had not then
heard the certainty of his death – Lieu. Porter also left
a wife but there are many contradictory statements about his
family – The Spirit of Christs teaching was violated by
sending our boy to a Military Academy – the consequences
are yet to come – God grant they may not realize
my apprehensions – I believe the papers are watched with fearful
anxiety by many at this time – The soldiers under the command of
General Taylor have already suffered much by sickness
his ranks have been thinned by death and now he seems
to be left to the mercy of the justly incensed Mexicans –
If any thing can increase the horrors of war it is promoting
it for an unholy cause –
I commenced weaning dear baby last Tuesday – she has been
very patient and cheerful day times but cried much at
night – last night for the first she slept in bed with
me – awoke very frequently and wants to nurse but was
pacified without crying – She is perfectly well and
walks all about – The Blatchfords go tomorrow to New
York – not succeeding in getting a cook, Sam wrote to his parents not
to come – Mrs. Blatchford will be absent some weeks – Sam returns
in about ten days and is to bring a cook with him in the
mean time Jane passes her nights here – I imagine a great
part of her days also as she will have nothing to occupy her time
except the care of the milk – I am paying dear for the whistle –
Willie is watching the advent of a brood of chickens which he
expects to take place to day – I have an invitation to

Mrs Dennis' for Wednesday evening which I have declined
having seen no one I am not informed of particulars – I must
proceed with my house cleaning this week. I expect Henry
next and I have a fancy that Madam Maury will come with
him – How pleasant –
Old Mr Seward is very impatient to have Henry come and
protect him from the demons of his substance –
Our tulips are very beautiful I wish you could see
them –
Mrs Alvah Worden
Canandaigua
AUBURN N.Y.

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1848
1846