Sunday May 5^th
My dear Henry, I suppose this you have arrived at the
termination of your sorrowful journey – you are no longer in
suspense about the situation of our dear Mother – God grant it
may be better than we dare hope – I should say better, only
in reference to those who survive - for our loss would be her gain -
to one so good, so pure, so holy death can have no terror and an
exchange of worlds cannot produce aught but happiness –
A letter from our brother Jennings recieved last evening gives
us no cause for hope – This letter came in less than three days
I shall expect to hear from you as early as Wednesday – It
seems a long time but I will endeavor to wait patiently – it is
almost unnecessary to say my heart is ever with you and
whether you are called upon to mourn or to rejoice your sorrows
or joys will be equally shared by your Frances–
We were expecting our friends the Cary's when you left – you
met them at Syracuse – I think then it was their intention to
spend the night with us – but Trumbell you know is not
remarkable for decision – perhaps he was somewhat influenced
by your absence from home – be that as it may when they
came here they had changed their plan [ an ] concluded
to go on immediately – About 3 oclock I was agreeably
surprised by the entrance of Mr and Mrs Tracy whom I did
not at all expect – they left the canal at Weedsport and
were going on directly in an extra – They had left the Carys
eating dinner at the American the stage was at the door,
and they wished me to return with them and see Mrs Cary –
I endeavoured to persuade them to stay but they said they
could not as the Carys were going on expressly to have their
company

the stage to be sure was full without them but then the Cary's could
not go unless they did. I wished them all to remain another
day but that appeared to be among the impossibilities in their
estimation - finding my persuasive powers of no avail, I quietly
put on my hat and accompanied them to the hotel – At
the corner we encountered the Cary's hurrying over to our
house merely to say "how do you do" and "good bye" – I
told them they had disappointed me very much - Trumbell
was sorry and Mrs Cary said she did not like at all being
hurried through the world in this manner but she did
not intend to lose her visit as she would come out this summer
for the express purpose of seeing us– With this assurance I was
obliged to content myself– "we should not go but for the Tracy's"
said Trumbell, "and we should stay but for you" said Mrs Tracy
They all regretted that they had not time to see Lazette –
The stage and ^the^ other passengers were ready waiting for them – I
never saw a stage so overloaded with baggage and there
were eleven passengers in all – quite an advantageous extra–
Tracy I believe was heartily sick of the arrangement and said
when he bade me good bye, he wished they had been more wise,
but it was too late then the horn was summoning them to the stage.
I bade them all good bye– and saw the stage drive away – with
a heavy heart - the expectation of seeing the Cary's had kept me
just enough excited to prevent my feeling that utter loneliness
which always succeeds your departure from home and though far
from happy I did not until that moment when the excitement
had passed away with the cause yield to a despondency, which,
had I not been all alone in the window of a tavern would
have caused me to weep have wept aloud– I went immediately
to Lazette's feeling as I always do sure of her sympathy—

She was much disappointed about not seeing our friends and concluded
that John Birdsall would have found time to have called upon her –
I staid there an hour – left her preparing to go to Wallace's where
we had all been invited the day before – Clary went with her –
I found Edward Delevan at our house on my return – his father
had concluded not to come out so he came in his place – was
disappointed in finding you absent – he left here this afternoon -
appears quite as much as he used to do– Yesterday was a rainy
gloomy day perfectly consonant to my feelings-- This morning was
cold and unpleasant I did ^not^ go out– Clary went to the New
Church this afternoon and has now gone to Lazette's – Eliza
left me last night – The care of the little boys of course devolves
upon me – all kinds of employment are agreeable at
this time which serve to divert my thoughts– Remember
me affectionately to all of our kind friends – I can say nothing
her the best and kindest feeling as I do so uncertain of her
state - I can only [ deprciate ] the realization of our worst fears –
Your own Frances

William H Seward
Florida
Orange County
AUBURN MAY 7 N.Y.