Florida Jany 31st 1825.
My dear Brother
I am but too happy to have an oppurtu-
nity of answering my dear Brother’s letter. Cousin Harry
was good enough to hand me yours of the 18 last month
which throught the multiplicity of business weddings &c
has been delay’d until Friday last. You have made me
happy & miserable both in one moment – to find you the
same good Brother I once knew & that I had so wrong’d
you I can never forgive my-self for the injustice.
Know then my dear Henry that I believed you the imme-
diate cause of a furious & cruel overhauling on the morn-
ing of the 11th Nov (never to be forgotten day)* this idea
it was the interest of more than one person to nourish –
and confirm – & with our I your silence on a
subject which if at all interested in must have been
so very near my heart made me feel the full force of an
alteration in your feelings once so very sufficient this
opinion once well grounded that your affections were
alienated I did not think it strange that merely to
gain my your Fathers applause you could sacrifice your
Sisters best feelings. Oh forgive me Henry I have
been ungrateful but this sentiment has been fed &
sustain’d by those ^I suspect^ whose interest it has to make me
disgusted ^with^ or ungra[ teful ] to one of the best of Men
Jennings convinced me as soon as I saw him that
I err’d greatly but my stubborn resolution could not be
shaken until I received your own dear letter which
melted me into tears independent of my feelings I thank
you with all my heart for your respect for him whom
you can never ease to regard if you are at all ac-
quainted with his excellency. Papa in his blow up
declared that I was a child incapable of judging or acting
for my-self – but suffice to say that I now never shall
consider my-self justifiable by retracting any engagements
made at or before that time. Whatever my feeling were
then I glory in saying & derive my greatest happiness in
the fact that they are unalterable. I would as soon
cease to exist as to deprive my-self of my chief com-
fort – this it is necessary to smother (of shame to my
Father) untill by a “legal age” I may convince the
world that I am not asham’d or affraid.
Continue then my dear Henry to cherish those feelings
for my friend since you can so well judge the estima-
tion of mine by your own feelings on this subject.
I would have you s[ ay ] nothing on this subject to
anyone but your d[ ear ] one.

Jennings has been up a week or two he is quite well I
think. Ma received a letter from you on Friday Evening.
We are happy to hear that your Frances is beyond immediate
danger. My heart was with you during your sickness –
& I should have written but that of necessity I must
make a very cold letter of it. I shall give this to
Jennings or Cousin Harry to put into the first office.
Jennings leave us on Tuesday Polydore is to take him
down. Cousin Harry is to come out & see him off.
Ann Joline is at home & full of the adversary’s wickedness
as will serve her purpose. I do despise the whole sister-
hood. Hellen has been spending some time.
I shall write you soon as I get an opportunity of
conveying my letter. Make my warmest love to the family
tell Locey her letters shall be answered in due form after a
few days. Your own dear Sister
L. C!
William H. Seward Esq^r
Auburn
Cayuga Co.
Florida N.Y. JANY 31
Cornelia Seward
1825