Florida Dec 9 Monday Morning
Dear Frances
I have been thinking some of making you a visit during
the holy days and thought it best to hear from you first there is
nothing very especial sinc[ e ] you left us we have engaged a
very Careful good boy he was with us last winter he is expe–
cted next week and I shall want to be with him a weeek or
more before leaving and spend a day or two in new york
Jasper S Armstrong buried his only Daughter two Days
before you left Goshen and a Niece Mrs Augusta Kinsey
She died young and left no child Mr Post and his two Children
have gone to her fathers
We had quite a fright last Friday morning the alarm of fire
was given but no one could tell from whence till the danger
was over George W Seward was at Miss Parsons well and heard
some of the girls say the beds were burned up but supposed it
in Jest till he saw two of them run up the back stairs with there
wash dishes of water he followed with a pail full and found
the back office filled with a dense smoke there were two beds in the
room the bed clothes had been stripped off and laid in a chair near
the stove whether the chair fell over or not the girls could not tell
when the room was cleared of smoke and the fire out the clothes
gone chair bolster and pillows the floor burned half through for
a yard and half squared a very narrow escape all things considered
no ladders or pails and but little water handy. we are all as well
as usual the children are all at school The Doct & Mary doing
we should be glad to hear from soon. Mrs Seward has been to the
store and met betty the wife of Stephen Jacobshe worked three or four
for our Father he is wasting very fast with the consumption I will
go and see him Your A,ff,t,e Brother
Edwin P Seward