File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to George W. Greene, 31 March 1844 (4178344e-dbb6-4e77-b21e-b2fe517b30ee).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-014#007

Cambridge. March 31st 1844.
Dear Greene,
I cannot allow another steam shuttle to shoot across the Atlantic without making it bear a golden thread of remembrance from our hearts to yours. I have been hoping all winter to tell you how often we think of you & recall the pleasant days you were un[der] our roof - & the dismal days at the Astor which you alone rendered endurable, but my manifold duties as scribe & reader have constantly postponed the fulfillme[nt] of this good intention. Now thanks to Dr Elliott, Henry’s eyes begin to emerge from their long captivity, & he is able to use his pen a little, - & to read a good deal, [that] is comparatively, for a student, it [is] after all a very limited freedom. He has written late[ly] some poems which[h] his friends praise very enthusiastically, & now that the vein is again opened I hope much will flow from it if his Pegasus needs a spur I can answer for it bein[g] duly applied, as I feel guilty, in a measure, for his sluggish pace of late. One poem is upon Peace, my favorite & Sumner’s, (who intends to send it to Dr Ho[we] by this steamer so I hope you will get a sight or hearing of it if he is still in Rome,) but Henry think[s] better, himself, of another upon the ancient city of Nuremberg, somewhat in the style of the “Belfry of Bruges[.”] This latter is not so spirit-stirring or likely to inspire such high hopes for humanity -, & therefore less interesting to me, but is a fine picture of the olden time & of one of those quaint old towns so rich in architecture and association, where toil & Art were so happily blen [p. 2] The measure is particularly finished & flowing, & two verses depicting Albrecht Dürer I cannot resist quoting to you knowing you will not laugh at my wifely eulogium.
“Here, when Art was still Religion, with a simple, reverent heart
Lived & labored Albrecht Dürer, the Evangelist of Art;
Hence in silence & in sorrow, toiling still with busy hand
Like an emigrant he wandered seeking for the Better Land.
Emigrant is the inscription on the tomb-stone where he lies;
Dead he is not – but departed – for the Artist never dies!
Fairer seems the ancient city, & the sunshine seems more fair
That he once has t[r]od its pavement, that he once has breathed its air –“
Hans Sachs the [c]obbler-poet, is also introduced, & the Master Singers – thus
As the weaver plie[d] the shuttle, wove he too they mystic rhyme,
And the smith hi[s] iron measures hammered to the anvils chime,
Thanking God, whose boundless wisdom makes the flower of poesy bloom
In the forge’s dusty & cinders, in the tissues of the loom.”
But enough of scraps – it is too bad to give a disjointed verse of a poem as a brick for a specimen of a house. You see what little vanities poets’ wives indulge in when they find a sympathising listener. Why have you been so long silent? The great deep swallowed you up, as the whale did Johan, & you have ‘made no sign’; but for Dr Howe’s frequent letters to Sumner we should be ignorant of your fate – but through them h[a]ve not gleaned much more than the comfortable certainty that you were once more near your beloved Charlotte, safely niched in the Eternal City. I hope your remembrance of your visit to America is brighter than the reality was at the time, for it was a cruel chance that any-thing should occur to leave a painful impression, for a moment, during your holydays. Crawford I trust, has nearly forgotten that Orpheus was mortal (he can comfort himself with the faith that the marble alone was so [p. 3] as are our bodies though moulded by the greatest [Artist] and will not be discouraged from sending future emigr[ants] from his Pantheon. I am very glad to hear young Perkins h[as] given him an order, & hope every American that has the me[ans] will follow his example. But he must not work away his health as Dr Howe seems to fear, who [crossed out: seems] appears to take a grea[t] interest in him besides appreciating his genius, - & longs to inspire him, & all other men of fine fancy, with a greater reverence for the natural laws. This reminds me of Mr Combe I was greatly amused at the idea of his criticizing Art in the atmosphere of Rome in his dry, prosaic way, but as I have much faith in his science I think he might give the artists some valuable hints. Ancient Art described phrenologically would make a curious book. Why does’nt he undertake it To return to Crawford – You remember perhaps that while we were in N. York Henry spoke to young Jay about getting C. an order for th[e] fountain in the square near his house. Jay appealed to the commi[t]tee to this effect, but as nothing has been done he thingks if C[raw]ford would send out some designs for fountains adapted to ou[r] climate & purses they would have more power to procure him orders than any eloquence of his. I hope he will be able to adorn his native city in this way, & give [our] people some notion of the appliances of Art. We are still sharing our house with the Worcesters, & are rather impatient for their exist to commence our repairs. Some newspaper correspondent insists that we are to have a room filled with relics of Washington (I wish he would enlighten us as to their present abiding-place) and we fear this printed fition may bri[ng] upon us any [am]ount of patriotic visitors, happily content thus far with [ga]zing at us from the road. Henry has resumed his Lectur[es] in College, & I am sometimes tempted to disguise myself à la [Portia] & be a listener. We get on bravely with our book of Translations, & are now upon the German having printed the Anglo-Saxon, Icelandic, Danish, & Swedish. You would be amused to [see] how completely I have entered into league with the devil [p[rinte]rs) & await his familiar knock as a thin[g] [???]
[p. 4 bottom] the rest of the Club flourish in immortal youth & are often in[??] to dine or sup. I have never seen such a beautiful frie[d]ship between men of such distinct personalities altho’ closely li[nk]ed together by mutual tastes & affections. They criticize & prais[e] each other’s performances with a frankness & zeal not to be s[ur]passed, & seem to have attained that happy height of faith & love where no misunderstanding, no jealousy, no reserve exis[ts.] Henry & I often dream of walking on the Rician to see a C[??] sunset, or listen [to ?????]s fountain [??] the Villa B[??] [p. 4 top] [be]tween those Heaven brushing pines, - [???]d it [??] [d]well too long on such unattainable visions while shiv[eri]ng, now, before a coal fire with snow-drops looking askance at banks & the poor Spring birds singing dolefully through the [de]scending flakes. We have had a bitter cold winter, & tho’ he h[as] had many hints to depart he lingers as if bemused by his ow[n] breath. Pray let us hear from you soon – good news of your [??] & Charlotte’s, to whom our most affectionate greetings.
Sincerely yr friend
Fanny Longfellow
ADDRESSED: GEORGE W. GREENE ESQ. / AMERICAN CONSUL / ROME.

• Keywords: correspondence; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; people; document; health and illness; subject; henry wadsworth longfellow; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1844 (1011/002.001-014); (LONG-FileUnitName)