File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Emmeline (Austin) Wadsworth, 29 January 1850 (2f324980-d783-420f-90d7-709042ce08ad).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-020#001

Cambridge Jan 29th 1850.
A miserable influenza, dearest, has tyrannised over me the whole of the past week, or it should not have passed with out a white-winged messenger. My head has not yet recovered from its nightmare-like pressure, but I cannot remain away from you any longer. I rallied enough to go to Harriet’s party for the Reads, Wormley’s, &c, but felt anything but in spirits for such a crowd as it turned out to be. Miss Bremer was there (Mrs John Bryant gave her one the night before) & coming early enjoyed going about looking at the pictures &c, but as soon as people began to pour in retired to the corner of a sofa for the rest of the ev’g. She dislikes large parties very much, the heat affects her, as she is not very strong & her low, soft voice is drowned by the rattle. She is like a sensitive plant, so shrinking & modest & vibrating with emotion I love her more & more. We had a delight [p. 2] ful dinner with her on Saturday at Aunt Sams (no one but the family) and she seemed much interested in the beauty of Uncle Sam’s serene old age. He is a lovely old man to me, with his soft silvery ringlets & cheerful countenance. I tried to spur Mrs S. & Mr Prescott at H’s to go & speak to her but they would not. Mrs S. thinks she has got into the hands of the Abolitionists, but it is not so, for she much condemns their violence, but has had the curiosity to hear them speak, & sends for Sumner to take her about. She carried a bouquet to the meeting & seeing the slave-girl there, recently escaped from her master & having borne the smoking of the vessel she hid herself in until it arrived here & every other discomfort, Miss B’s tender heart was touched, & she sent the bouquet to her, which the anti-slavery papers are, of course, making the most of. I gave her your message but she did not return me any definite answer. There have been several strangers in town. Miss de Pesster at Mrs [p. 3] Thayers where I called with the Everetts one day. Mrs S. looks very thin & delicate, but seems very happy in her little girl & triumphed over you. A very pretty blonde, Miss Catlin, has attracted some attention from the gentlemen; - there have been, also Miss Marans & I know not who else. On Saturday, I met a bevy of girls in Beacon St. (Lizzy Prescott, Harriet Appleton &c) in great excitement from the news that Grace Sears has a boy! (expeditious is it not?) She being the first of their set who had done so important a service to the commonwealth they felt it to be a great event.
James Lawrence at the head of his bachelor establishment is giving young lady dinner parties with great success. Lizzy Allen was at one. An old servant of the family has been heard to say to a crony that their was much more marketing than when Mrs Lawrence was at home! He, ie signor James, seems rather dévoué to Lizzie Prescott. That would not be a bad arrangement would it? George Curtis, you forget, probably wishes not only to [p. 4] show off his new house but to entice some bird to the cage. George Dexter has built a very nice house in that new Mill dam block, very carefully finished, two drawing rooms with a library beyond, like Mr Grays, with a wood mosaic floor & overlooking the river Charles, a deliciously cool summer room. If yr brothers have ever to resign their present house I should think it would suit them admirably. Perhaps it is too large, for there is a charming nursery story with every bathing comfort, as complete, two large rooms being connected, as the lower bed-room floor.
This steamer brings us an illustrated Evangeline & one for you from Mary as a New Year gift, which shall be sent on immediately. Most of the wood-cuts are beautiful, & I am charmed to see it in so graceful a shape. They have also in press in England an illustrated edition of the other poems. I am tempted to send you Henrys last letter from Miss Costello, it is written so pleasantly & easily. I should like to know her history; [???] she has lost [p. 5, marked 2] a lover by death or estrangment it is a comfort to speak of her sorrow to so remote a sympathiser. How much easier often than to nearer friends.
I also enclose a little scap that belongs to you, not much but your own, which got somehow into my desk.
Fanny Butler began her readings here with Falstaff last night, which I should have liked much to hear but the snow-storm kept us at home. She has raised her price & all fear she will have thin houses – we are so fickle. I shall be very sorry, as she is particularly fond of Boston. It grieved me much to hear of Mrs Langdon as a silly, worldly woman, for I remember her as such a pure, lovely little child. I used to hear her say her prayers every night, & remember, in caressing her, feeling the first womanly yearning towards children. I have not seen or heard of her before since she grew up, but with such a mother how could she be otherwise! Did you hear of her looping up her chandelier, at that party with camellias, & how they got burnt & blo[cut off] [p. 6, corner cut off] dropped all over the floor? They say her guests came in every shade of pink sot the effect was spoiled through out. Another lady gave a party with 800 Camellias on one table arrange pyramidally What foolish extravagance!
I went to your church, week before last, to hear Mr Mountford. The Thursday lecture never was so attended since the days of the Puritans. Every corner was crammed, people even standing in the aisles It was a very interesting discourse or rather talk, for it was wholly without form or order, on the necessity of our living righteousness for its own sake not as a means of happiness. He showed how real were the sufferings of this life even to Xians, or how even sinful men were not without happiness, & therefore taught us to put all thought of that out of our minds. It was very eloquent & full of loftiest feeling, very rambling & with strangely familiar plinases delivered in a rich musical voice. He is small, apparently lame, with a striking face & a mass of dark hair. You have seen his books have you not? They [p. 7] are very spiritual & original. Mr Peabody of Portsmouth is talked of in the papers as Mr Frothingham’s successor, but I do not think he has accepted as yet. I have been reading Mr Lyells book, & think it remarkably fair & good. He evidently found here many things he has long sympathised with & could not get at home. Tom’s last letter is rather low-spirited. He does not feel well, & has given up Paris because he says he is past being amused. I hope it is only London December blue-devils, & that he will soon see the sun again. Mary’s chicks went to a famous Xmas party at the Prussian ministers where there were 3 large trees for the little ones. Xmas eve they passed at Lady Aldersons (Mac’s cousin) hearing carols. Mary Dixwell was here yesterday telling me of the poor Websters. The girls have a few scholars in music & drawing & take in sewing besides. Her husband stopped their papers at first, & now the carrier always omits it when there is anything about their father, but they know the evidence, & some barbarian enclosed Mrs W. the Grand Jury’s ver [p. 8] dict or whatever it is called. They have also been troubled by anonymous letters offering to disclose the real murderer, if a certain sum was sent, raising momentary hopes to be crushed by the certainty of its being a hoax to extract money. They still have perfect faith in his innocence & it is thought the evidence, tho’ so strong, is not of a nature to convict him, but in his case the public seem to have gone on the principle to believe him guilty till proved innocent. Dr Parkman’s son has just returned. Mrs Shaw takes all this greatly to heart - & is quite broken down. I cannot possibly lose yr visit darling. I am sure it would do me no good to be away while you were here, & as the east winds are worst in May I do not think I shall go anywhere till then. The weather has been so mild I really long for more cold.
An English friend of Henrys told him a curious story of a kinsman (a man of much talent) marrying an Italian paintress called by the Pope the “Pearl of Rome,” a most beautiful creature, wonderfully accomplished & painting better than Angelica Kaufman & from incompatibility of temper separating after [cut off] days union! These Italian marriages! Did y[ou] [p. 1 cross] hear of Green’s wife giving out she was dead & being told by a priest a Protestant marriage was nothing marrying somebody else while poor Greene was going about Providence with a long weeper for her. She was to have joined him here before her supposed death. Hope you can read this gossipy letter but my hand trembles from the effects of my cold & I cannot write very intelligibly
Please return Miss C’s letter
With love to all yr house
Yrs till death do us unite
Fanny E.L.
What do you think of your friend John VanB. defending mobs. I fear he is only a politician, seeking popularity. I have no great faith in his anti slavery –

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