File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Emmeline (Austin) Wadsworth, 2 August 1849 (a1487425-9bd5-4aa6-b070-98a8818f2919).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-019#020

Portland – August 2d 1849.
Dearest Emmeline,
Most pleasant to me was your morning letter & the thought that I begin the day with you, as I surely trust we shall close the long one of life together. But I wish your letter had been full of the hope & joy of sunrise, but alas we cannot renew our own morning light with that of nature, & often gaze longest at the far-thrown shadows, despite the perpetual lesson of hope that good mother teaches, for, however dark her sky, she knows the sun will reappear until God removes it, saying “Well done then good & faithful servant.”
These words are in my mind as I sit by the bedside of Henry’s dying father, for he is now sinking rapidly, [p. 2] & beautiful it is to see a life completed worthily – we feel so sure it must enter into “the joy of its Lord.” He remains as tranquil & painless as when I wrote you last, & I trust it may be so to the end. Yesterday when he grasped my hand there was a mortal coldness in his which I have not felt before, & life has evidently retreated from the outposts & will soon leave the citadel – heart itself.
The Bowditch’s passed Sunday here (the Ingersoll Bs) & on Monday we took a drive with them to Cape Elisabeth to show them that pretty coast with the blue sea flashing between verdant groves. It is a long time since I have seen so much of Lucy Nichols so familiar a face at school. She seems quite unchanged, & I was glad to make the acquaintance of her husband, who seems to be a most hearty, amiable man. Your brother [p. 3] Edward & James Amory joined them here & that same day, to make an excursion to Moosehead Lake together which I have no doubt they will enjoy highly, as I hear the scenery is very beautiful there. We saw them & they gave us what Boston news there can be in summer – the high indignation against poor Dr Beck there &c I confess I hoped the sisters would get the money – but wonder they could ever have been willing to make, or cause to be made, such revolting disclosures about a brother to obtain all the world contains. Dr Beck I have no doubt did it from conscientious motives – he is too upright a man to be suspected of any other, but poor foreigners always have a disadvantage before any community.
The arrival of this party has been almost the only event to break the monotony of our life, which is composed of a long morning & evening walk, & the short one to & from the old [p. 4] house, the sick chamber &c.
After a terrible drought we have the dust at last laid for a day or two. The air has been full of smoke from the burning woods all about us, but the weather is cool & pleasant. Immense quantities of people arrive here nightly & leave early in the morning for the White Mts. As we look from the window we see youths mounting upon the outside of coaches, damsels with brown linen sacks following – elderly gentlemen taking inside seats – small gloved hands extended from windows, & coachmen gathering up the reins for a grand start – Ah how it recalls our days of Niagara travel, & how joyous seem these young hearts of sixteen as they bound up the stairs their cheery voices ringing in the morning air – like those of the birds which sing in this rural city as in the country.
Friday 3d – Henry’s father departed this morning at three o’clock – very tranquilly We rejoice he is at rest – tho grieve to see his cordial smile no more. I shall [p. 1 cross] never forget his affectionate manner to me always –
I send you the bib pattern & will in the next letter one for drawers if you like. My chicks wear them of cotton – twilled in winter but for yr baby British cotton would be best. They are buttoned on to a straight waist
Love to all
Yr affte
Fanny.
The corners of the bib can be bound if you like – I dont know how this will fit.

• Keywords: correspondence; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; people; document; family life; health and illness; social life; subject; places; united states; me; portland; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1849 (1011/002.001-019); (LONG-FileUnitName)