File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Emmeline (Austin) Wadsworth, 15 April 1860 (56aef19e-29ca-4eaf-9251-59ce146ade05).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-030#008

Cambridge. April 15th 1860.
Dearest Emmeline,
I was deeply grieved to hear you had been ill so severely and so long. Louisa Greenough first told me of it, but, meeting Martin soon after, & asking him how you were, (after giving him my congratulations on his engagement to Miss Timmins) he seemed greatly surprised, & said he knew nothing of it. Not hearing further from any one, I concluded Miss G. must have exaggerated some slight cold, until Mary writes me that you have had a cattarrahal fever – How I wish I could have been three to nurse you! I trust you did not feel lonely & homesick, as one is apt to, under those circumstances, in [p. 2] a foreign town, and had some kind friends to cheer your convalescence. It is curious how often Americans get ill abroad, in so much better climates than ours, but our vigours they are used to battling with, & those milder peculiarities of other regions catch them unawares. Mrs Winthrop has been wretched, with her eyes, ever since she was in Switzerland, & will be glad, I believe, to return, which they will do this summer.
About a fortnight since my aunt, as we considered her, Mrs William Appleton, had another attack of disease of the heart, so [??] at Xmas, & died very suddenly, just after her husband had left the room to whom she had been talking in a very lively manner. I shall miss her very much, she was always so kind to me, especially since she associa [p. 3] ted us so much with her son William, & her presence was connected with so much of my life. She was often troubled with slight things, but bore up with astonishing fortitude under many & heavy trials. She was about building a house near Sarah Lawrence, to give up her town one for a greater convenience of stairs, - but that is now given up & Uncle Wm prefers to retain his old house, & will have Hatty Coolidge & her husband & her three little girls to live with him & to cheer him. Sarah has the care of Harriet’s child, while the father is in India, as it was getting rather moping with Mrs Dexter, & never saw any children.
Mrs Jameson’s death also saddens me. I have not forgotten the grasp of her warm Irish hand, nor her delightful conversation, & always hoped to see her again some day. We forget, in delaying Europe, that these we [p. 4] most wish to see are growing older & going also to another country.
There has been quite a coup of new engagements in Boston this Spring. Beside Martin’s you have heard, I suppose, of Anna Amory’s oldest daughter’s to Mrs John L. Gardiner’s son (she has another just marrying in N. York & now her daughter, Julia Gardiner, is engaged to one of the Coolidge’s, (Algernon I believe – the deaf one!) Emma Rodman’s pretty daughter is also engaged, but has gone abroad with her mother, & there is much expectation of a match between Fanny Crowninshield & Jack Adams. A great flirtation certainly, but he is said to be a flirt. She is one of the most graceful, lady-like girls in society - & some in little Pedlington, choose to think is growing thin in consequence of this prolonged occupation. Pleasant for the poor damsel if she knew it! We shall go to the same cottage at Nahant, tho’ our land lord Mr Wetmore is dead. Tom is in N York, & says he shall go abroad. The Nortons are well & so are the Ticknor’s I believe. Hillard took tea with us a few nights since & told us [p. 1 cross] of the engagement of one of his nieces – Miss Howe to a tall student from the West.
I hope dearest to soon hear just how you are & that you have fully recovered your strength & that your boys are well & thriving.
With Henry’s love
ever yr affte
Fanny E.L.

• Keywords: correspondence; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; document; family life; health and illness; death; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1860 (1011/002.001-030); (LONG-FileUnitName)