The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-08-31
sTRoUpsBURG, MONROE COUNTY, PA AUGUST 81
THE SEWARD FAMILY.
Interesting facts and "reminiscences Of
Mrs. Seward, by Mrs. Swisshelm.
WASHINGTON. july Goth. 1865.


# Washington, July goth, 1865.
The pail of silence which has fallel
upon the grave of Mrs. Seward is still
more remarkable than the unobtrusiv
quiet of her life, and 1 trust it is not idl
, curiosity which makes me more anxiou
to know her history than that of any wo
. man whose name l have ever heard.
mistake not, her example is one which
= the women Of this country cannot afforc
| to lose, and in hope it may induce some
one who knew her to give us some incid
ents in her honorable life, let me tell you
the little, the very little, know.
When [ went into Campbell Hospital,
after the battle of Charlottesville, I call.
ed on the public for fruit acids as an an
tidotc to thirst and hospital gangrene.-
The first contribution received was from
Mrs. Frederick Seward 1t was accom-
panied by note, asking me to send to her
when anything special was wanted
Some one, that supposed knew, told me
that this Mrs. Frederick Seward was the
wife of a nephew of the Secretary of State
who being a bachelor had this lady to
preside over his home. She afterward call
ed at my rooms, and I at Mr. Stewards
house, on hospital business, L supposing she
was Mr.. Stewards niece by marriage un-
til the following winter, when there was
much trouble in the contraband camps.
Among the teachers was Quakeress from
Central New York, one of those who left
homes Of wealth and refinement to live in
camp, cabin and barrack, to distribute
clothing, books, encouragement and in
struction amongst those scattered and
bereaved people. We we're one day in
troubled council on one of the many
wrongs which had stubbornly refused to
/ be righted. 1t was hard to ask Secretary
Stanton to give the time necessary to un-
derstand the case, while his ante.room
was constantly thronged with persons wait
ing on important business. What to do
was the question. Folding her hands in
her lap and looking down thoughtfully,
this lady soliloquised: "If Mrs. Seward
was only here"
What Mrs. Seward ?
Mrs. Secretary Seward she answered
abstractedly, and kept on thinking
My exclamation ofsuprise aroused her,
and her surprise at my ignorance was e.
quail to mine at her information. A ques-
tion as to the presentability of that lady,
since such person did actually exist,
started her to talk as I had never before
heard her. She described Mrs. Seward
as one of the excellent of the earth. A
woman of wonderful power and great
breadth of attainment.-the companion
confdant, counselor of her husband. one
who read his written speeches before the
printer saw them, and gave an opinion
which he valued more than any other
one who read and dlgested long, tiresome
documents and gave him the substance
in few moments freside chat, thus con-
tributiug largely to the fund of informa-
tion which distinguished Mr.. Seward
She was his "higher law" adviser, and
whenever his policy fell below that stand
ard he had differed with her in opinion.
She ever regarded the right as the ez-
pedient or, in other words, aimed always
to walk in the narrow path straight to-
ward "the mark for the prize of high
calling which is in Christ Jesus our Lord"
In dress and manner this friend des-
cribed her as simple and unosteutatious
to singularity. A smart mechanics wife
would not have exchanged wardrobes
with her, and milliner's apprentices looked
at her in plying wonder for her lost op-
portunties.
A few days after this conversation Mrs.
Seward returned from Auburn, but her ar
rival was not publicly announced The
contraband trouble was explained to her,
and short note of modest request from
her to one in authority removed the diff
fculty before which we had been stand
ing in dismay. After that, when | heard
people remark that the Stewards gave no
receptions, l have thought of little
teacher of contrabands, in the magnifi-
cent costume of mixed straw bonnet and
brown ribbons, dark wooden dress and
shawl, and heavy shoes having marks of
sacred" with little travelling basket
on arm, going to Mr.. Stewards house in
the cleaning, weary, hungry, dishear-
tened and footsore, and finding recep-
ton, bath, dinner, bed, breakfast,
long, comforting chat, a note to remove
her overhanging mountain, and saw her
lightened step as she returned to her du-
ties rejoicing. [ never heard what kind
of jewels her hostess wore at these recep-
tions, but calculate they were not bought
at Tifany's.
A woman in Mrs. Stewards position,
who simply remained outside that gilded
pagoda, society, IN which Her Majesty,
First Family with twenty y-pound-of tobac-
co-worth of grandmother to stand upon.
Her Royal Highness Official position,
with wirepulling husband to bear "a
gainst-the Duchess of Shoddy, with a
pedestal of greenbacks for support-the
Countess of Petroleum, with sea of
light to illume her diamonds, and My
Lady Bloomer, radiant in health and in
ependence-c contended so fereely for the
precedence, she would have been worthy
of study as natural curiosity but to
know that sho livod ont the world of fash