File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Mary (Appleton) Mackintosh, 20 May 1855 (ad8901dd-07e3-4f05-883b-5f461a4bc8d7).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-025#008

Cambridge May 20th 1855
Dear Mary,
Many thinks for the enclosed bills. I shall endeavor to put them to use. I wish you had sent a line with them, to tell us what you are doing in London, & how long you will be there, since your other correspondents are so favored. But as Tom has a letter we shall hope to hear something. I am puzzled where to direct this – & Sumner yesterday wished to know where to send you his last address which has been listened to every where by immense & most enthusiastic audiences. In New York he had to deliver it 3 times, so greatly has public opinion changed. I told him Tenby would be the safest place I thought.
Edward Bangs goes out in this steamer (to return in her) having been so [p. 2] urgently entreated by Miss H’s family to come, after all their first distaste to the match, but the young lady has so set her heart on it they have had to change their tune. He has behaved most honorably & patiently about it, & we only fear is not as ardent as she is. Whether the marriage is to be consummated in the short interval of his visit is not known – his business will not give him a longer rope. Poor Erny has the mumps, but is not much troubled by them. I suppose the babies – Mrs Baylor’s & mine will have to go through with it. She expects her husband back early in June.
Miss Davie leaves me the 1st of June for Mrs Tudors.
Papa is rejoicing in a new set of teeth which make him feel much younger, & look very well, having the natural color of his own. He seems very cheerful & well. Mrs Sumner celebrated her 80th [p. 3] birthday last week & we all went to her reception, where gifts & flowers were showered upon her. May we all look as young at 80!
Tom has purchased Allyne Otis’ phaeton & horses, a very pretty turn-out, which he will give us the benefit of at Newport. He is very busy painting, accomplishing lately 12 oil sketches in as many days. We had a short, but very pleasant, visit from Curtis. We had Mr Prescott out to dine with him & other young men, tho’ none were younger in spirits. He has finished two vols of his great history. His daughter, Mrs James Lawrence, is quite ill with broken breast &c having exposed herself too much, after her confinement, in overlooking her new house at Lynn – which is bigger than her fathers there. I send you a Transcript [p. 4] with Felton’s enthusiastic preface to Lord Carlisle’s book which is reprinted here - & his tribute to Florence Nightingale. There is some Englishman in N. York who claims to have been intended by his family as her betrothed – Is there any truth in it? No doubt she has many aspirants. Was her heart never touched? The French governess affair puzzles us much. What horrors has she done? Sumner saw Miss Sedgwick in N. York at a breakfast at Dudley Fields. She looked old he thought. Aunt Sam’s new house is slowly rising, but he gap looks to endanger Uncle Wms. Charley Perkins gave his last bachelor soirée musicale the other night to which we went. He is married in June. Poor Fred Sears is beginning to go abroad after his brushing blow. Story’s statue of his father has arrived, but has not yet been seen.
Charley has a great mania for minerals, & papa has helped him to quite a collection [p. 1 cross] among them yr stalactite from Weir’s cave, which perhaps you would like to claim. Willy is all for coins. Mr Dixwell tells H. he knows now enough Greek & Latin to enter college but he will not enter until next year. He has a great turn for mathematics & all her chicks are good scholars. Mine are getting on pretty well, Erny especially. Much love to yours & all friends. Lady Lyell if you still see her – H’s best love
Yr aff
F.E.L.

• Keywords: correspondence; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; people; document; subject; education; family life; social life; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1855 (1011/002.001-025); (LONG-FileUnitName)