Auburn Dec 25^th
There is so little of happiness in mirth that
I will not wish you a "merry Christmas" dearest
but I will wish you a "happy Christmas" and a happy
day it must surely be to all who think of it as
the birth day of our blessed Saviour. I have
been instrumental in making three glad hearts
and smiling faces to day the childrens stockings
were all "hung by the chimney with care" last
night and this morning they found them "over-
flowing" as Freddy says, the litle boys are now
arranging their toys and candies for a store and
Maria is hurrying through her work that
she may go home this afternoon and display
her treasures, we have no other help yet but have
a girl in expectancy. I had counted the days all
along and thought my Sunday letter would come
to day but it came not and I must e'en content
myself to wait until tomorrow. What a fine
bright sunshine we have to day. I should be tempted
to venture out were it not quite so cold.
Every body has gone to church this morning.
I have been in the village but once, I went Teusday
to the confectioners to buy Christmas presents for
the Children, shopped a little and came home
pretty tired, of course I rode, took Eliza Andrews with me, she has been sewing here the
last week. I was lame yesterday and thought I
had taken cold but as I am better again to day
conclude it must have been the effects of overexertion[ . ]
Once I rode over to Mr Richardson's shop to see
about the table these are the only times I have
been out of the house. Teusday I recieved your first
letter from New York and think from your account
you must have very little time at your own disposal
I ni am anxious to hear how and when you returned
to Albany. Was Polydore at Jennings', you do not

mention him. Why does the 'Courier' say you stopped
at the Masonick Hall in Italicks?. I received
a letter from Lazette this morning she thinks she
will come out New Years if she meets with no
opposition. Worden I believe is in the village
very frequently. Eliza Burnham was to have been
married last evening. I discovered that my letter
was too late about Chloe's girl before you wrote
I still think we had better take her in the spring
she may not be as good as Maria we can only
ascertain this by making the experiment, as
it will be impracticall to get her here this
winter perhaps it will be as well not to do
anything about it at present.
I think Clary will not remain long after the 1st
of January but all is yet undecided. Isaack seems
very impatient to have his house occupied.
Mr Field's family have gone to Cammillus. Maria
did not accompany them, she came here last
Sunday evening and purposes staying a week or
so, she is low spirited and much l more humble
than I have ever seen her. I feel much compassion
for her she has been deeply injured if the reports
have no foundation, she still persists in innocence.
She says now that though she has suffered greatly,
she hopes it is all for her happiness and may will
lead her to place her hopes and affections where
sin and sorrow cannot come. I see so little
company that I am unable to tell the prominent
subjects of gossip at this time. Clary has been
two evenings to the schoolhouse to tie boughs
for Christmas, had much sport with your Dromier Tucker. I should suppose the man had not common
sense from. evening this is the third or fourth time
I have sat down to write and have employed in that
way all the leisure I have had from household duties
you may judge from the length of my letter how much time
I have had. Grandma wanted a Christmas dinner and
Pa is to have a Christmas supper, eating seems to be
the end and aim of everything, it is now dark and I am
compelled to conclude hastily your own Frances.

William H. Seward
Albany.
Auburn N.Y. Dec 26
Frances A. Seward
December 25. 1834