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Erica (Thorp) de Berry to Thorp family, 15 January 1917
Manuscript letter
[printed letterhead: Pine Mountain Settlement School]
Jan. 15th 1917
Dearest People,
This week has slipped by with few events outside the regular round of work.
Our pneumonia boy is much better and no new sickness has developed, so we’re much relieved. The weather has dropped round zero again with much snow and sleet, so that big indoor fires have been more appealing than outdoors.
But I had one glorious moonlight ride, starting out after supper in the starlight about half an hour before the moon
[written cross on L margin and top]
Oh, and will you explain to people who may complain of not having heard from me how hard it is to get time to write. I’m having a frightful time with Xmas letters, and people don’t seem to understand at all. Snig, thanks so much for your letters!
(p.2) rose, riding up the valley through shadowy woods with no light of any kind save the occasional distant twinkle of an open firelit door far down in the valley, and the mountain superbly black against the sky. It was so utterly peaceful, and so breathlessly quiet! Then I turned just in time to get the full glory of the great, golden moon’s first appearance behind the eastern mountain slope. I rode back into it—and its brilliance was almost dazzling. Actually, I had to shade my eyes in order to see the path at all. It was a most wonderful, rare experience—and there may be many other such chances! Riding is
[written cross on L margin]
How sad it is about Dr Withington’s death –
[printed letterhead: Pine Mountain Settlement School]
(p.3) becoming one of the supreme joys here, so tremendously do I love it. The fun of going out at any hour of the day or night, where one can best fit it in, is rare; and it is the most perfect form of relaxation imaginable!
Miss de Long is in New York now, and could you invite her to dinner on the evening of the 26th? It would be lovely if she could spend the night, too. I hope there’s nothing already on for that night, for I think it’s her one free time. She’s going to stay at the College Club, Boston, so a note would reach her there. Isn’t it nice the Storers are having a big meeting on the 28th I hope (p.4) some of you can go.
Now comes Papa’s letter with the thrilling news of the possibility of your all coming down! I am simply overwhelmed by the wonderfulness of it—How utterly perfect it would be! Do talk it over with Miss de Long, for I know she’ll be enchanted. Don’t let her make you think that I’m working too hard, for things are much easier now, and I’m probably going to have a vacation in the first part of February.
I’m so delighted that you all went to the ^ballad^ concert and hope it was as fine as it ought to have been.
Mamma, could you send a roughish table-cover about 2 feet square to cover a little stool-table thing we have; also, a longer one, say 2x4 to cover our chest. When we eat “chez nous” they’ll be so convenient; also, could you send a small hammer, and another ^all-over^ working-apron, preferably sleeveless.
I’d be so much obliged!—
Jan. 15th 1917
Dearest People,
This week has slipped by with few events outside the regular round of work.
Our pneumonia boy is much better and no new sickness has developed, so we’re much relieved. The weather has dropped round zero again with much snow and sleet, so that big indoor fires have been more appealing than outdoors.
But I had one glorious moonlight ride, starting out after supper in the starlight about half an hour before the moon
[written cross on L margin and top]
Oh, and will you explain to people who may complain of not having heard from me how hard it is to get time to write. I’m having a frightful time with Xmas letters, and people don’t seem to understand at all. Snig, thanks so much for your letters!
(p.2) rose, riding up the valley through shadowy woods with no light of any kind save the occasional distant twinkle of an open firelit door far down in the valley, and the mountain superbly black against the sky. It was so utterly peaceful, and so breathlessly quiet! Then I turned just in time to get the full glory of the great, golden moon’s first appearance behind the eastern mountain slope. I rode back into it—and its brilliance was almost dazzling. Actually, I had to shade my eyes in order to see the path at all. It was a most wonderful, rare experience—and there may be many other such chances! Riding is
[written cross on L margin]
How sad it is about Dr Withington’s death –
[printed letterhead: Pine Mountain Settlement School]
(p.3) becoming one of the supreme joys here, so tremendously do I love it. The fun of going out at any hour of the day or night, where one can best fit it in, is rare; and it is the most perfect form of relaxation imaginable!
Miss de Long is in New York now, and could you invite her to dinner on the evening of the 26th? It would be lovely if she could spend the night, too. I hope there’s nothing already on for that night, for I think it’s her one free time. She’s going to stay at the College Club, Boston, so a note would reach her there. Isn’t it nice the Storers are having a big meeting on the 28th I hope (p.4) some of you can go.
Now comes Papa’s letter with the thrilling news of the possibility of your all coming down! I am simply overwhelmed by the wonderfulness of it—How utterly perfect it would be! Do talk it over with Miss de Long, for I know she’ll be enchanted. Don’t let her make you think that I’m working too hard, for things are much easier now, and I’m probably going to have a vacation in the first part of February.
I’m so delighted that you all went to the ^ballad^ concert and hope it was as fine as it ought to have been.
Mamma, could you send a roughish table-cover about 2 feet square to cover a little stool-table thing we have; also, a longer one, say 2x4 to cover our chest. When we eat “chez nous” they’ll be so convenient; also, could you send a small hammer, and another ^all-over^ working-apron, preferably sleeveless.
I’d be so much obliged!—
Archives Number: 1006/004.006.002-005#002
U. S. National Park Service
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Courtesy of National Park Service, Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site; Archives Number 1006/004.006.002-005#002
Public domain
Erica Thorp deBerry Papers (1006/004.006), (LONG-SeriesName)
, Correspondence, Outgoing (1006/004.006.002), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1917 (1006/004.006.002-005), (LONG-FileUnitName)
, Correspondence, Outgoing (1006/004.006.002), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1917 (1006/004.006.002-005), (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 27930
Title: Finding Aid to the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) Family Papers, 1768-1972 (Bulk dates 1825-1950)
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#HWLFP
URL: https://www.nps.gov/long/learn/historyculture/archives.htm#HWLFP
2016-01-30
01/15/1917
Manuscript letter in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Family Papers, Erica Thorp deBerry Papers, Correspondence, Outgoing. (1006/004.006.002)
Public Can View
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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