File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Anne Longfellow Pierce, 16 June 1845 (adcca9c7-de74-45b6-97ab-8fac1a60a56e).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-015#012

Cambridge June 16th 1845.
Dearest Annie,
I should not have allowed all last week to slip away, without giving you news of my existence since your departure, had I not my letters for the steamer upon my conscience, and as nothing fatigues my back so much as writing, after I had accomplished them, I was glad enough to rest. After the substantial happiness of having you daily with me, I feel a desire to tell you every little event that ruffles our smooth current, but chatting with you in this way is a sorry consolation for the sense of loss you have left behind – for the dismal looks of your vacant room, & my solitary mornings while Henry is at college.
Emmeline Austin was more faithful than I expected, & broke the change to me very agreeably, by coming out the afternoon you left & passing the night with me. She intended to desert the next morning, but a vehement rain kept her a very willing prisoner here, & in the afternoon, the [p. 2] sun coming out finely we drove to town in the landau & accomplished some shopping in the cool air very satisfactorily. I am happy to inform you that I then became the joyful possessor of a parasol of proper dimensions, which comforted my way to church yesterday as I wish it had yours the Sunday previous. I drank tea with her, & at 8 we both went to my Father’s [crossed out: supper] to meet Henry supposing he would not arrive till 9, - but to my joyful surprise he opened the door for us having just landed from the cars. So we had a pleasant evening in town, & a nice drive out. I had one great event to recount to him, viz Charley’s achievement of walking – Anne put him that day in shorter petticoats, which show off his little stout legs very cunningly, & he was immediately inspired to set off alone some steps. His second tooth becomes quite visible, but it makes him rather fretful.
Crawford continues to dine with us, and on Thursday we had another artist, Mr Vautin, who was sketching the house all the morning, & I think will make a very pretty picture of it. To get the right point of view he chose a different site from any of us – far back in the field, between [p. 3] the two elms, where he could command the whole house, & lose nothing of the desirable details. The apple-tree & swing found room thereby, & the garden will make part of the foreground.
Henry’s protégé, young Read, a very deserving artist, has found lodgings in Cambridge, & has engaged Henry to sit to him. I shall appropriate the old study to him, so I can watch the progress of it his painting at my ease. He painted the portrait of Mr Derby in the Athenaeum, & is an excellent colorist – I have great hopes he will make a better likeness than any yet taken, which is, to be sure, saying very little. Aunt Sally walked in on me the other day when I was busy bagging the chandelier, her head enveloped in a green veil, & poured fourth her regrets at missing Charley’s party. The weather has been much cooler this week, but today it is warm again. We had, yesterday, Mr Frothingham, from the text ‘set your house in order’ which I could not help thinking was suggested by Spring cleaning. His unfortunate manner very much injures the effect of his fine discourses. How very rarely a clergyman’s voice & delivery aid his words – I trust the next generation will do better, but have many fears for this. The roses are all blooming, beautifully – Under Henry’s window a tall bush of white, remarkably [p. 4 bottom] full & rich rejoices our eyes & these others in part are all doing their duty as I wish I did mine. The garden makes quite a show with the sunken pots distributed so as to cover more surface – but the pansies refuse to hover it with their presence, so Sam intends sowing new seeds which may prove less refractory.
As you were anxious to know the result of Miss Spear’s last essay – it is this – that my bonnet is rather prettier than [p. 4 top] I expected, & very comfortable in size, but has a stiffish bow which annoys me but which I have’nt wit to improve. Mrs Lieber is deposited in a little dell of Dorchester heights, with a fine view of the sea, & is decently lodged, tho’ troubled with a landlady somewhat too talkative. I have gossiped longer than I ought – so I must now end, dear Annie, with much love to all from Henry & your
ever more tenderly attached
Fanny –
[p. 1 cross] Charley sends a kiss & a bite to his dear aunt Anne
ADDRESSED: MRS PIERCE - / CARE OF HON S. LONGFELLOW / PORTLAND / ME.
POSTMARK: CAMBRIDGE [ILLEGIBLE]

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