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Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Emmeline (Austin) Wadsworth, 5 January 1848
Manuscript letter
Dearest Emmeline,
The powers of the air seem resolved to interfere with my visits to you, knowing how impatient I am of their form hindrances. The new form of persecution they have adopted is a regular influenza which holds me fast by the fire, or I should have been in to see you today.
I shall be thankful when these damp days are over, for they like me not, nor I them. [p. 2] I well know how tedious is the long imprisonment in one room, & how grateful visits from friends, & it grieves me I cannot do my share to lighten your confinement, but I comfort myself by hoping others are more faithful, and that you will soon be refreshed by breathing the outward air, & returning to actual life from this strange chrysalis state, which, after all; had a certain charm to me, it being priveliged [sic] to shut out all care & the dreadful responsibility of winding up the daily household machine [p. 3] ery. It is very nice to be cossetted up now & then like a child – all one’s wants provided, & both body & spirit left to repose themselves in some snug harbor of the great roaring sea. The hopeful, happy faith of children, sure of love & help, is such a type of what we should feel in “our father’s house” that I consider it no slight blessing to have them as constant teachers, - & that & all the other blessings they enrich one’s life with in such abundant measure, are now yours, darling, & may they long gladden the [p. 4] heart which so well deserves them!
Dr Nichol lectures here to night & will be with again tomorrow. If it is a clear, bright day he will doubtless go to the Observatory in the evening, so if you see Elisabeth, beg her to keep herself disengaged to come, but I will let her know positively before evening.
God bless you, dearest, & your piccolino –
thy loving
Fanny E.L.
Craigie House
Jan 5th
The powers of the air seem resolved to interfere with my visits to you, knowing how impatient I am of their form hindrances. The new form of persecution they have adopted is a regular influenza which holds me fast by the fire, or I should have been in to see you today.
I shall be thankful when these damp days are over, for they like me not, nor I them. [p. 2] I well know how tedious is the long imprisonment in one room, & how grateful visits from friends, & it grieves me I cannot do my share to lighten your confinement, but I comfort myself by hoping others are more faithful, and that you will soon be refreshed by breathing the outward air, & returning to actual life from this strange chrysalis state, which, after all; had a certain charm to me, it being priveliged [sic] to shut out all care & the dreadful responsibility of winding up the daily household machine [p. 3] ery. It is very nice to be cossetted up now & then like a child – all one’s wants provided, & both body & spirit left to repose themselves in some snug harbor of the great roaring sea. The hopeful, happy faith of children, sure of love & help, is such a type of what we should feel in “our father’s house” that I consider it no slight blessing to have them as constant teachers, - & that & all the other blessings they enrich one’s life with in such abundant measure, are now yours, darling, & may they long gladden the [p. 4] heart which so well deserves them!
Dr Nichol lectures here to night & will be with again tomorrow. If it is a clear, bright day he will doubtless go to the Observatory in the evening, so if you see Elisabeth, beg her to keep herself disengaged to come, but I will let her know positively before evening.
God bless you, dearest, & your piccolino –
thy loving
Fanny E.L.
Craigie House
Jan 5th
Archives Number: 1011/002.001-018#048
U. S. National Park Service
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Correspondence (1011/002), (LONG-SeriesName)
, Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1848 (1011/002.001-018), (LONG-FileUnitName)
, Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001), (LONG-SubseriesName)
, 1848 (1011/002.001-018), (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
01/05/1848
Manuscript letter in Frances Appleton Longfellow Papers, Series II. Correspondence, A. Outgoing, 1848. (1011/002.001-018#048)
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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 6:02:01 PM
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 6:02:01 PM
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