File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Harriot Coffin (Sumner) Appleton, 8 May 1844 (ac62ec1f-8e06-4e24-b584-72e075b7fdfd).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-014#015

Cambridge. May 8th 1844
Dear Harriet,
Under the shield of Mr. Winthrop’s frank I send you a note from Mary (which I suppose contains nothing very important, but which you may like to have) & her letter to me which only emerged yesterday from Tom’s trunk or it should have been sent before. Yesterday was quite a great day here on account of the exhibition. Young Prescott & Dwight had parts, Peabody of Salem &c, so all the fashionable world came out in their gayest attire to hear them & honour their collations. Mr Prescott was, of course, greatly excited & happy, & the old lady quite overcome by her grandson’s success. Tom & Henry went; of course I did not venture as they had to sit from 11 to 2. It was a nice way for Tom to receive the greetings of friends en masse. They brought Emmeline back to dinner & Tom returned with her to pass the night in town having a missing trunk to look after & so many people to see. It is delightful to see him in such health & spirits & I only pray both may last. He has an unending flow of talk, & many amusing adventures to relate.
The carpet is making today in my bed-room & I hope to move into it this week. I am impatient to have the other rooms in order, but dare not venture upon any paint so near a certain event. The outworks are demolishing fast – the old barn is [p. 2] level with the ground, & we get green glimpses of our fields behind. The trees we planted in the winter are flourishing bravely, & are already quite green. Every thing goes well except the Forster fence in the meadows opposite, which grieves us whenever we glance at our lovely river. Dexter is to make a plan for a double house there – unless he can be stopped. Is not this very vexatious? Until we came this neighbourhood was left in peaceful beauty, & now there seems a mania to build in every direction. I have some hopes Em will take the Forster house for the summer after all. She cannot easily find a better, & it will suit her Father uncommonly well, who loves to be near a high-way.
I have just been exploring, with Margaret, for the first time my lower regions. What a princely cellar! It looks like the dungeons of the Inquisition, & will be nice retreat in case of war! I am sure it could stand a long siege. Tom has brought over Mr Coleman’s Agricultural Report which, as far as I have peeped into it, is very amusing & characteristic. Also Mother Goose with illustrations, whether for me or you he has not yet declared! As our stairs are carpetless at present I shall engage Mrs Childs to cover them, lightly tacked next week – to save noise – and Heaven knows when they can be painted & papered. My basket is not yet made I find. Mary sent no garniture, finding they thought it useless without having the size of the thing. The smaller one I lined with pink cambric & it is already filled & ready for use! But I do not feel as if it would be needed very soon. There is nothing that indicates any change for the present, but I do not know whether that is to be expected. I am remarkably free from all stiffness & discomfort at night, which so many complain of, & sometimes, think it must be all a joke that anything is to happen. Em only discovered yesterday that your letter was partly to me. I was quite jealous about it, wishing much to know all you were doing & enjoying, who seeing &c, but I know how hard it is to find time on such a journey for a line. They days are all as lovely as June, & nearly every night comes a thunder-shower or a refreshing rain to re-varnish the picture which the dust obscures. I never knew a Spring so free from east winds. Pray remember me to any-body that asks after me. I am glad to hear the children are no trouble – you must greatly enjoy a mother’s pride in showing them to your friends – they are so well worth showing! I hardly know what to purchase for me, & shall leave it to your tact & taste. It seems rather premature to get a summer hat but if you find in Phil something white or blue very charming & less expensive than Lawson or Miss Spear perhaps it would be well to secure it. Much love to Papa & the chicks.
ever yr affte Fanny L.
Henry sends his love -; he is very busy planning the carriage drive to the western door.
ADDRESSED: HON NATHAN APPLETON. / WASHINGTON.

• Keywords: correspondence; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; people; document; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1844 (1011/002.001-014); (LONG-FileUnitName)