File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Anne Longfellow Pierce, 17 January 1845 (a058c4e7-5112-4e21-87e7-febb485779e7).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-015#002

Jany 17th
Dearest Annie
I hope the hair trunk will be welcome on this occasion, however much dreaded at any other season. Please distribute its contents, & with them our warmest, though tardy, wishes for a happy Year. I trust they will arrive in a good condition, though I am rather puzzled how to compress them into Sam’s trunk after all. I hope Mother will like the muff & Father the pen [p. 2] of gold which never rusts, it is almost as flexible as a quill. It has also a pencil, & will, therefore, be very convenient as a pocket companion. I [crossed out: have] regret very much that your paper is not stamped letter, & without the paper-mark, as it should be, but the man was stupider than I supposed, or my directions should have been more precise. He has the stamp so that you can have the use of it whenever you like, & I would have sent it to you with the paper if the weather had not prevented my getting to town the last few days. I [p. 3] am not very well satisfied with this gift to you, & wish I had time to hunt up some thing to add to it, but as I know not just what you would like I must make up the delinquency by a double portion of good wishes of with which my heart is ever fully stored.
I send Aunt Lucia the india rubber shoes she wished, & a pair of mits [sic] called ‘invisibles’ of Limerick manufacture, sent out to the Anti-Slavery fair, if that will give them any additional interest. They are in the box which contains a collar for Eliza. Henry bets Miss Stevenson to accept the muslin dress as a token of his remem [p. 4] brance. He has just found a book which he thinks will please you & satisfy my wish to give you something better than blank sheets.
The wine for Mother must be kept quiet, after the excitement of its journey, for some days & then will, I trust, display its good qualities in a lucid & satisfactory manner. Please present Alex, with my love, with the portable writing-case which I thought would be serviceable in his camp expeditions. Excuse this confused note. I am stupefied with an Influenza increased this mn’g under the caverns & fountains of ice in Mt Auburn caused by the last frozen rain. A dazzling spectacle, which tempted me on & on [p. 1 cross] despite the chilly air. Charlie is stouter & rosier than ever, but I leave to Sam all domestic particulars. We shall feel quite lost without him, so don’t freeze him to death in your polar regions.
Much love to all from H & your loving
Fanny.
[p. 2 cross] Mrs Appleton to her regret cannot find the book on work for you. She has lent it to she knows not whom.

• Keywords: correspondence; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; people; document; subject; health and illness; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1845 (1011/002.001-015); (LONG-FileUnitName)