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Fanny Longfellow to Anne Pierce, 18 September 1843
Manuscript letter
Boston. Monday 1843 [pencil: c. Sept. 15]
Dear Annie,
We are on the m’ng for N. York to consult the skillful & much praised Dr Elliott, who seems to be the only Oculist capable of inspiring much faith in these days. We have regretted exceedingly the necessity of leaving Cambridge while it is so attractive in itself & in the presence of dear Mary, whom I fear we shall hardly see again before she goes South, but as Henry’s eyes continue the same our friends fairly push us off to N. York. He has been so prudent in resisting all temptation to use them since the difficulty occurred, & puts himself so early in the way of cure that I am very confident the Dr will not find it a bad case & will, I trust, speedily release him. He is very reluctant to desert his post again, but young Elliot has undertaken his class [p. 2] so that his loss will be less felt.
We have an oppressively warm day to begin our journey and the city air is so much less elastic than that of the country that I feel as if there were none.
We had a parting glimpse of Mary & Mrs Greenleaf this morning – I am charmed to see the former looking so much brighter since her return from Portland. Aunt Sally’s assertion that she is ‘a perfect sunbeam’ is particularly true, at present, & I wish I could enjoy her joyous countenance before it shines upon a clime that needs it so much less than ours.
I have been very busy in receiving & returning the civilities of the Cambridge people, in visiting Aunt Sally, who had a most violent attack of cramp, or as she dignifies it, - Asiatic Cholera, but is now convalescent, her elastic spirit, soon triumphing over the weaker body, & in doing my duty as Henry’s amanuentis – or I should have written before now to my darling Annie to thank her for her last dear letter & to tell her that my thoughts flow towards her as readily as if it were a chan- [p. 3] nel they had known by heart for years.
But now I have only time to petition for other letters & to beg her to give my best love to all her kind household & to every one that cares to be remembered by me. I will write you Dr Elliott’s decision about Henry’s eyes, at once, as I know you must all be anxious to hear it.
He sends much love to you all.
It gave us much pleasure to see Com Wadsworth altho’ it pained Harry to hear him speak with so much difficulty.
Very affly yrs
Fanny E.L.
ADDRESSED: MRS PIERCE / CARE OF HON S. LONGFELLOW. / PORTLAND. / ME.
FRANKED: FREE / N. APPLETON
POSTMARK: BOSTON / SEP 19 / MASS
Dear Annie,
We are on the m’ng for N. York to consult the skillful & much praised Dr Elliott, who seems to be the only Oculist capable of inspiring much faith in these days. We have regretted exceedingly the necessity of leaving Cambridge while it is so attractive in itself & in the presence of dear Mary, whom I fear we shall hardly see again before she goes South, but as Henry’s eyes continue the same our friends fairly push us off to N. York. He has been so prudent in resisting all temptation to use them since the difficulty occurred, & puts himself so early in the way of cure that I am very confident the Dr will not find it a bad case & will, I trust, speedily release him. He is very reluctant to desert his post again, but young Elliot has undertaken his class [p. 2] so that his loss will be less felt.
We have an oppressively warm day to begin our journey and the city air is so much less elastic than that of the country that I feel as if there were none.
We had a parting glimpse of Mary & Mrs Greenleaf this morning – I am charmed to see the former looking so much brighter since her return from Portland. Aunt Sally’s assertion that she is ‘a perfect sunbeam’ is particularly true, at present, & I wish I could enjoy her joyous countenance before it shines upon a clime that needs it so much less than ours.
I have been very busy in receiving & returning the civilities of the Cambridge people, in visiting Aunt Sally, who had a most violent attack of cramp, or as she dignifies it, - Asiatic Cholera, but is now convalescent, her elastic spirit, soon triumphing over the weaker body, & in doing my duty as Henry’s amanuentis – or I should have written before now to my darling Annie to thank her for her last dear letter & to tell her that my thoughts flow towards her as readily as if it were a chan- [p. 3] nel they had known by heart for years.
But now I have only time to petition for other letters & to beg her to give my best love to all her kind household & to every one that cares to be remembered by me. I will write you Dr Elliott’s decision about Henry’s eyes, at once, as I know you must all be anxious to hear it.
He sends much love to you all.
It gave us much pleasure to see Com Wadsworth altho’ it pained Harry to hear him speak with so much difficulty.
Very affly yrs
Fanny E.L.
ADDRESSED: MRS PIERCE / CARE OF HON S. LONGFELLOW. / PORTLAND. / ME.
FRANKED: FREE / N. APPLETON
POSTMARK: BOSTON / SEP 19 / MASS
Archives Number: 1011/002.001-013#019
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Courtesy of National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site; Archives Number 1011/002.001-013#019
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Correspondence (1011/002), (LONG-SeriesName)
, Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1843 (1011/002.001-013), (LONG-FileUnitName)
, Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1843 (1011/002.001-013), (LONG-FileUnitName)
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Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Code: LONG
Longfellow House - Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Latitude: 42.3769989013672, Longitude: -71.1264038085938
Latitude: 42.3769989013672, Longitude: -71.1264038085938
NPS Museum Number Catalog : LONG 20257
Title: Finding Aid to the Frances Elizabeth Appleton Longfellow (1817-1861) Papers, 1825-1961 (bulk dated: 1832-1861)
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#FEAL
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#FEAL
Unknown
09/18/1843
Manuscript letter in Frances Appleton Longfellow Papers, Series II. Correspondence, A. Outgoing, 1843. (1011/002.001-013#019)
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Organization: Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site
Address: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: LONG_archives@nps.gov
Address: 105 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Email: LONG_archives@nps.gov
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