File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Anne Longfellow Pierce, 22 February 1848 (9347b18b-cea5-45cb-b140-96b58b6ca94e).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-018#002

Craigie House.
Tuesday –
Feb 22nd
Dear Annie,
Henry hopes to be with you this week, & I trust the weather will prove as agreeable as possible, for he has not been out of the ate as yet except on wheels, & I do not like him to be exposed more than necessary. We greatly desired to see you last week, tho’ I had not much faith you would appear, but had I known when I wrote (which I did not in time) that Dr Francis would [p. 2] go on I should have urged your coming. Sumner proved himself a true & devoted friend as he always is, for after doing what you know, & it was no little effort to get up so early having been at a great ball the night before, he came out the next day to give us an account of the whole ceremony – A letter from Sam besides, consoles me somewhat for losing it.
The day after (Thursday) while Henry was taking his first drive with me & Charley, little darling Erny who we had left feverish, but as [p. 3] we supposed, sleeping peacefully in his crib, was found by Mary in convulsions – She & all the servants were terrified to death & did nothing – When we returned he was getting over it, & before night became like himself, but we have been sadly anxious ever since. The doctor, however, has removed our great dread of another by assuring us it did not come from his teeth but from an indigestion, & he is now very lively & well. He is a most fragile little flower - & I tremble whenever I look at him –
[p. 4] This anxiety has absorbed all my thoughts & time or I should have written before to say that the butter arrived safely, & will satisfy us in quantity the season is so far advanced.
With much love to all
ever thy affte
Fanny L
I am very glad you & Sam liked Henry’s chant so much. He has no great liking for that kind of composition but that flowed out without effort.
There is a beautiful baptismal hymn in Sam’s hymn-book I was to have had sung when Fan was christened but I could not find voices.

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