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Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Zilpah (Wadsworth) Longfellow, 10 August 1846
Manuscript letter
Pittsfield. Aug 10th 1846.
Dear mother,
I trust Annie received my note from Boston, but you must be anxious to know how we are thriving in these mountains, & I wish, with all my heart, I could give you a satisfactory account of us all. The baby’s trouble was sadly increased by the excessive heat of the day we came here, & he has been very ill ever since. It was originally caused, doubtless, by the change of milk, which he was rather too young to be subjected to, [crossed out: so young] & I much regret now I did not give him some other simple diet, such as arrow-root, or rice-water, instead of it until we reached home again. He is very little better at present, &, tho’ very patient, has lost flesh [p. 2] & spirits so much you would hardly know him in Portland. He loves to be carried about all day, leaning his little head on one’s shoulder, sucking his thumb, (a friend even in trouble) but never caring to smile.
Charlie is also down with the same malady, caused by change of air I suppose (for we have hardly had as yet the true mountain breeze which I hoped would be as good for him as the sea air). He has lost more strength than the baby, & eats nothing. It has been a great grief to us that we could find no homeopathic physician here, & have been obliged to employ one of the old school, who horrified me by proposing to give the children laudanum, which however he has not yet done, & I trust will be persuaded out of it.
All this weighs heavily upon our minds, although the doctor tells us there is no cause for great anxiety, - but when I think how well & happy they were in Port [p. 3] land I heartily wish myself back again. This is a very tedious trouble, & very common at this season, so we must try to have patience & comfort about it, - but it is hard to see them so drooping while the other children here are enjoying every moment with such zest. I have had one beautiful drive crossed out: here] by these noble hill-sides, but am now kept entirely to the house, for Charlie demands Anne’s constant attention, so little Erny falls to my share & Henry’s.
The day we passed on the railway was one of the most disagreeable I remember. The cars were crowded most uncomfortably, with a military company making one very noisy; the wind being ahead a constant shower of dust & cinders fell upon us, so that poor baby’s bare skull looked as if it had been operated upon by a pepper-box - & we were entirely excluded from the nursery of the cars – more [p. 4] over the crowd keeping us 3/4ths of an hour behind our time at Springfield, we had only 5 minutes there to eat dinner, so got none, & attempting to secure Charlie a mouthful were all but left behind, the cars having actually gone some rods before we could jump on. I wonder baby bore it as well as he did – Charlie was very impatient & restless with the heat. It has quite cured me of much travelling with children.
We hear from my sister that Mackintosh has been appointed private secretary to Lord Morpeth, who has charge of the Crown Lands. A pleasant office, & very flattering to him coming, unsolicited, from so excellent a person. They will therefore reside in London after October & much as I rejoice in it, I grieve that her visit here must be postponed so indefinitely. I am sorry to send you such a dismal letter, but thought you would like to know the precise state of things & hope next time to send you better & brighter news of us. We secured so much happiness at Portland, that we must not complain of a little anxiety now. Much love to all, in which Henry joins me with full measure. Advise Sam to [p. 1 cross] journey this way (despite my tempting account of the way for the day rather) for he ought to see these beautiful hills & grove enriched valleys before he is settled.
ever thy loving daughter
Fanny
Aunt Mattie has been very ill with the same disorder the children have but is now able to drive out.
Dear mother,
I trust Annie received my note from Boston, but you must be anxious to know how we are thriving in these mountains, & I wish, with all my heart, I could give you a satisfactory account of us all. The baby’s trouble was sadly increased by the excessive heat of the day we came here, & he has been very ill ever since. It was originally caused, doubtless, by the change of milk, which he was rather too young to be subjected to, [crossed out: so young] & I much regret now I did not give him some other simple diet, such as arrow-root, or rice-water, instead of it until we reached home again. He is very little better at present, &, tho’ very patient, has lost flesh [p. 2] & spirits so much you would hardly know him in Portland. He loves to be carried about all day, leaning his little head on one’s shoulder, sucking his thumb, (a friend even in trouble) but never caring to smile.
Charlie is also down with the same malady, caused by change of air I suppose (for we have hardly had as yet the true mountain breeze which I hoped would be as good for him as the sea air). He has lost more strength than the baby, & eats nothing. It has been a great grief to us that we could find no homeopathic physician here, & have been obliged to employ one of the old school, who horrified me by proposing to give the children laudanum, which however he has not yet done, & I trust will be persuaded out of it.
All this weighs heavily upon our minds, although the doctor tells us there is no cause for great anxiety, - but when I think how well & happy they were in Port [p. 3] land I heartily wish myself back again. This is a very tedious trouble, & very common at this season, so we must try to have patience & comfort about it, - but it is hard to see them so drooping while the other children here are enjoying every moment with such zest. I have had one beautiful drive crossed out: here] by these noble hill-sides, but am now kept entirely to the house, for Charlie demands Anne’s constant attention, so little Erny falls to my share & Henry’s.
The day we passed on the railway was one of the most disagreeable I remember. The cars were crowded most uncomfortably, with a military company making one very noisy; the wind being ahead a constant shower of dust & cinders fell upon us, so that poor baby’s bare skull looked as if it had been operated upon by a pepper-box - & we were entirely excluded from the nursery of the cars – more [p. 4] over the crowd keeping us 3/4ths of an hour behind our time at Springfield, we had only 5 minutes there to eat dinner, so got none, & attempting to secure Charlie a mouthful were all but left behind, the cars having actually gone some rods before we could jump on. I wonder baby bore it as well as he did – Charlie was very impatient & restless with the heat. It has quite cured me of much travelling with children.
We hear from my sister that Mackintosh has been appointed private secretary to Lord Morpeth, who has charge of the Crown Lands. A pleasant office, & very flattering to him coming, unsolicited, from so excellent a person. They will therefore reside in London after October & much as I rejoice in it, I grieve that her visit here must be postponed so indefinitely. I am sorry to send you such a dismal letter, but thought you would like to know the precise state of things & hope next time to send you better & brighter news of us. We secured so much happiness at Portland, that we must not complain of a little anxiety now. Much love to all, in which Henry joins me with full measure. Advise Sam to [p. 1 cross] journey this way (despite my tempting account of the way for the day rather) for he ought to see these beautiful hills & grove enriched valleys before he is settled.
ever thy loving daughter
Fanny
Aunt Mattie has been very ill with the same disorder the children have but is now able to drive out.
Archives Number: 1011/002.001-016#010
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Correspondence (1011/002), (LONG-SeriesName)
, Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1846 (1011/002.001-016), (LONG-FileUnitName)
, Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1846 (1011/002.001-016), (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
2016-08-08
08/10/1846
Manuscript letter in Frances Appleton Longfellow Papers, Series II. Correspondence, A. Outgoing, 1846. (1011/002.001-016#010)
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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
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 6:22:39 PM
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 6:22:39 PM
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