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Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Mary (Appleton) Mackintosh, 27 March 1861
Manuscript letter
Cambridge March 27th /61.
Dear Mary,
We hardly hoped to see Tom so soon, but are very glad he was able to secure the Arago, altho’ he must have had a very boisterous passage, & arrived in the midst of the worst snowstorm of the season! But he did’nt seem to mind it, & looks well & hearty, & will, no doubt, cheer up papa a good deal who was looking forward anxiously to his return.
Papa is stronger in voice & spirits, but does not recover the free use of his limbs, & requires assis [p. 2] tance still in moving across the room, or from chair to chair, - has also lost much flesh, & feels much the fatigue of sitting so much in one posture, but when a person of his age gets pulled down by even so slight an illness it is almost impossible to recover their former vigour, & he rather dreads remaining so feeble & helpless a long time –
Mrs Sumner, for a year, has been equally incapable of exertion, & yet does not seem to get worse, but drives out every day & retains all her faculties. As before this he was able to go down into the town every day, & often to his Club, he feels much the change, & it discourages him. Not that he desires a longer life, but, if the end must [p. 3] come, would prefer to have it more rapid. Still he does not complain, & it is impossible to say that he might not break wholly down at any hour-
We are, therefore, thankful to have Tom here, & hope you will be able to follow him. With Miss Ashburner would be an admirable opportunity for you, & at a sufficiently mild season.
Do not fear any civil war – Before that we shall probably give up to the South every thing but our principles I trust.
Mr Adams will make a good minister to England, tho’ I wish it had been Sumner, because I should rather have a man of unflinching principle so rewarded, than one who offered to fling that ‘sop to [p. 4] Ceberus’ of New Mexico, but he is sympathetic with Seward who is of the yielding sort. His wife will like it, no doubt, & the Brooks’ will be pleased. As they allow two from Massachusetts I am vexed they did not send Motley to the Hague, instead of Burlingame to Austria, who is not up to such a post, but having lost his election here & having worked hard for the party his friends claimed it. Sumner used all his influence for Motley, but I fear we shall never get the proper notions in regard to diplomatic position. Still, I trust the new men will all be better than the tobacco-chewing disgraces of the last administration. Mr Marsh is not so genial a man as I should have liked for Italy, but he is a scholar & a gentleman. I hoped for Curtis there.
We have three American girls here singing in Italian opera, & all very clever, fine actresses & beautiful voices! That & [p. 1 cross] sculpture our girls seem to have a talent for. Verdi’s “Ballo in Maschera” amused us as a Boston drama in the days of the Puritans, but has some good things in it, tho’ I like not much his noisy & discordant music. Hatty Coolidge has taken a large house at Newport for herself & Uncle Wm for the summer.
In the last snow storm Harriot Crowninshield (whose daughter is to marry the son of Mr Adams & his under secretary) in driving back to Longwood from town, was caught in a drift & had to pass the night at an unknown house, half a mile from her own door!!
[p. 3 cross] Papa goes to bed at five, & has an excellent nurse. Love to R. & Eva
Yr affte Fanny.
I hope Mrs Rich is better & that you are all getting more reconciled to your great loss.
Dear Mary,
We hardly hoped to see Tom so soon, but are very glad he was able to secure the Arago, altho’ he must have had a very boisterous passage, & arrived in the midst of the worst snowstorm of the season! But he did’nt seem to mind it, & looks well & hearty, & will, no doubt, cheer up papa a good deal who was looking forward anxiously to his return.
Papa is stronger in voice & spirits, but does not recover the free use of his limbs, & requires assis [p. 2] tance still in moving across the room, or from chair to chair, - has also lost much flesh, & feels much the fatigue of sitting so much in one posture, but when a person of his age gets pulled down by even so slight an illness it is almost impossible to recover their former vigour, & he rather dreads remaining so feeble & helpless a long time –
Mrs Sumner, for a year, has been equally incapable of exertion, & yet does not seem to get worse, but drives out every day & retains all her faculties. As before this he was able to go down into the town every day, & often to his Club, he feels much the change, & it discourages him. Not that he desires a longer life, but, if the end must [p. 3] come, would prefer to have it more rapid. Still he does not complain, & it is impossible to say that he might not break wholly down at any hour-
We are, therefore, thankful to have Tom here, & hope you will be able to follow him. With Miss Ashburner would be an admirable opportunity for you, & at a sufficiently mild season.
Do not fear any civil war – Before that we shall probably give up to the South every thing but our principles I trust.
Mr Adams will make a good minister to England, tho’ I wish it had been Sumner, because I should rather have a man of unflinching principle so rewarded, than one who offered to fling that ‘sop to [p. 4] Ceberus’ of New Mexico, but he is sympathetic with Seward who is of the yielding sort. His wife will like it, no doubt, & the Brooks’ will be pleased. As they allow two from Massachusetts I am vexed they did not send Motley to the Hague, instead of Burlingame to Austria, who is not up to such a post, but having lost his election here & having worked hard for the party his friends claimed it. Sumner used all his influence for Motley, but I fear we shall never get the proper notions in regard to diplomatic position. Still, I trust the new men will all be better than the tobacco-chewing disgraces of the last administration. Mr Marsh is not so genial a man as I should have liked for Italy, but he is a scholar & a gentleman. I hoped for Curtis there.
We have three American girls here singing in Italian opera, & all very clever, fine actresses & beautiful voices! That & [p. 1 cross] sculpture our girls seem to have a talent for. Verdi’s “Ballo in Maschera” amused us as a Boston drama in the days of the Puritans, but has some good things in it, tho’ I like not much his noisy & discordant music. Hatty Coolidge has taken a large house at Newport for herself & Uncle Wm for the summer.
In the last snow storm Harriot Crowninshield (whose daughter is to marry the son of Mr Adams & his under secretary) in driving back to Longwood from town, was caught in a drift & had to pass the night at an unknown house, half a mile from her own door!!
[p. 3 cross] Papa goes to bed at five, & has an excellent nurse. Love to R. & Eva
Yr affte Fanny.
I hope Mrs Rich is better & that you are all getting more reconciled to your great loss.
Archives Number: 1011/002.001-031#008
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Correspondence (1011/002), (LONG-SeriesName)
, Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1861 (1011/002.001-031), (LONG-FileUnitName)
, Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1861 (1011/002.001-031), (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
2016-01-30
03/27/1861
Manuscript letter in Frances Appleton Longfellow Papers, Series II. Correspondence, A. Outgoing, 1861. (1011/002.001-031#008)
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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 5:10:22 PM
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 5:10:22 PM
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