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Fanny Longfellow to Samuel Longfellow, 30 October 1843
Manuscript letter
Cambridge Oct 20th 1843.
My dear brother,
Altho’ I greet you for the first time by this title it has become so familiar to my heart that it hardly seems strange to send it across the sea to one unknown to my bodily eyes, & I hope you do not feel that it comes from a stranger. I regret that the Harbinger should have sailed without bearing my thanks for your cordial note, but as we were in New York at the time we were ignorant of its day of sailing. I suppose you have heard that Henry has been unable to use his eyes for the last few months. He has put himself under Dr Elliott’s care & altho’ there [p. 2] is but little change for the better, at present, he has faith & patience enough to believe they are in the way of cure. I continue the remedies & he bears very resignedly the delay -, not caring, either, to be classed with Homer & Milton at the risk of singing in a blinded cage.
It is very provoking that I must postpone the pleasure of knowing you ‘face to face’ so long, & all these changes must have seemed to you rather fabulous, - but I trust before many months we shall welcome you to our venerable mansion & live up the lost time (pick up the dropped stitches I should say if you were a woman) very profitably.
Your kind wishes came as warmly & safely as tropic birds, unchilled by the weary waste of [p. 3] sea, & I assure you have found as true a nest as they left. How much you must enjoy that delicious climate. + I have always fancied that island to be a little Eden. I hope you discover no trail of the serpent in it. We are on the eve of losing Mary for the winter much to my sorrow as my absence has deprived me of her society so long. We have but just returned to our home & are enraptured with its quiet & comfort after that Pandemonium, New York. It has now, too, the sentiment of the Future as well as the Past to render it dearer than ever, for since we left it has become our own, & we are full of plans & projects, with no desire, however, [p. 4] to change a feature of the old countenance which Washington has rendered sacred.
Henry sends his love to you & with it his regrets for neglecting your commission, but having in N. York no harbinger of “the Harbinger” he was unable to attend to it. He hopes you will not find a straw thatch uncomfortable in lieu of a cap.
Pray let us hear often how your life moves on, & believe me, now & ever
Yr affectionate sister & friend
Fanny Longfellow.
I can give you no Portland news but of course they will report themselves.
My dear brother,
Altho’ I greet you for the first time by this title it has become so familiar to my heart that it hardly seems strange to send it across the sea to one unknown to my bodily eyes, & I hope you do not feel that it comes from a stranger. I regret that the Harbinger should have sailed without bearing my thanks for your cordial note, but as we were in New York at the time we were ignorant of its day of sailing. I suppose you have heard that Henry has been unable to use his eyes for the last few months. He has put himself under Dr Elliott’s care & altho’ there [p. 2] is but little change for the better, at present, he has faith & patience enough to believe they are in the way of cure. I continue the remedies & he bears very resignedly the delay -, not caring, either, to be classed with Homer & Milton at the risk of singing in a blinded cage.
It is very provoking that I must postpone the pleasure of knowing you ‘face to face’ so long, & all these changes must have seemed to you rather fabulous, - but I trust before many months we shall welcome you to our venerable mansion & live up the lost time (pick up the dropped stitches I should say if you were a woman) very profitably.
Your kind wishes came as warmly & safely as tropic birds, unchilled by the weary waste of [p. 3] sea, & I assure you have found as true a nest as they left. How much you must enjoy that delicious climate. + I have always fancied that island to be a little Eden. I hope you discover no trail of the serpent in it. We are on the eve of losing Mary for the winter much to my sorrow as my absence has deprived me of her society so long. We have but just returned to our home & are enraptured with its quiet & comfort after that Pandemonium, New York. It has now, too, the sentiment of the Future as well as the Past to render it dearer than ever, for since we left it has become our own, & we are full of plans & projects, with no desire, however, [p. 4] to change a feature of the old countenance which Washington has rendered sacred.
Henry sends his love to you & with it his regrets for neglecting your commission, but having in N. York no harbinger of “the Harbinger” he was unable to attend to it. He hopes you will not find a straw thatch uncomfortable in lieu of a cap.
Pray let us hear often how your life moves on, & believe me, now & ever
Yr affectionate sister & friend
Fanny Longfellow.
I can give you no Portland news but of course they will report themselves.
Archives Number: 1011/002.001-013#027
U. S. National Park Service
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Courtesy of National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site; Archives Number 1011/002.001-013#027
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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
10/30/1843
Manuscript letter in Frances Appleton Longfellow Papers, Series II. Correspondence, A. Outgoing, 1843. (1011/002.001-013#027)
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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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