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- Family Relations (Sedgwick Family)
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I was very glad to get your letter -- to hear that you were pleasantly over 'the dangers of the Seas' and had found at your own home, the happiness of home -- -- I am rejoiced that you find so much to encourage hope and inspire confidence in Frances' improvement -- She certainly has a great deal of mind, and tender affections, and with those foundations there is always rational ground to build on
There are periods, in the experience of almost every individual when from unfavorable influences, or the control of wrong propensities or perhaps from some physical disorder the tendencies all seem to be the wrong way -- Impulse is strong, and principle weak -- Inexperience leads to the over looking of all that policy of life -- which is the source of so much apparent virtue -- -- We are too apt to be impatient with the young -- to look for the fruit when we should tenderly cherish 2 the bud -- -- Frances has had, and probably has still to contend with a great deal of physical languor -- -- --
I shall be very sorry that you have to part with Robert -- It appears to me there is nothing so efficient as the moral restraint of the presence of friends, and nothing more rash than voluntarily to expose a young man at the weakest period of his life to contend alone with temptation -- -- But there may be advantages of which I am not aware in his going to Utica -- --
We have gone on much as when you was here -- -- -- Mrs Susan Channing arrived the day after your departure -- and of course there has been the same revolving around her -- -- Mrs McGregor was here at our Club, -- I introduced her to Mr Ware, and a new & intelligent listener seemed to touch the spring of her eloquence --
We went last night to see the Automaton chess-player -- if mechanism it 3 a wonderful proof of the ingenuity of man -- 1
We made the calls you requested on your friends -- I was very happy to go for my own sake -- -- poor Mrs Hopkins looked quite sick, and I am afraid she will not be able to go up this afternoon --
Your curls -- that ever you should be such a fine lady as to leave such a relic -- have been safe in my drawer to this time -- your ruffle -- and one handkerchief I found -- the other is not yet forthcoming -- Eben has been in Town for the last week -- Harry thinks the Holly will break down entirely before long -- -- Robert and Elizth enjoyed their jaunt extremely & E is much the better for it -- You would be pleased to know what a tender recollection you have left in little Fan's mind -- She very often says -- 'Ant you sorry Aunt Watson has gone to Albany'? -- Jane -- (the lesser light) is at present in the depths of the chicken pox 4
Remember me aff'y to the children and beleive me dear Frances
CMS
Letter
Massachusetts Historical Society
Sedgwick Family Papers VI
Wax blot and tear.
Mrs F. P. Watson/Albany --/Favd by/Mrs Hopkins
C M S. April/1826
In early 1826, Johann Maelzel brought the chess-playing automaton to the United States from Europe, where it had been invented by Wolfgang von Kempelen in 1769 and debuted at the Court of Maria Theresa of Austria-Hungary. It was, as Sedgwick suspected, a clever sham. See https://www.history.com/news/how-a-phony-18th-century-chess-robot-fooled-the-world