File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Mary (Longfellow) Greenleaf, 3 January 1859 (f4304ce4-2290-4219-8b2b-050c540fa9d5).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-029#002

Cambridge. Jan 3d 1859.
Dear Mary,
The New Year always brings up my dilatory pen to a remembrance of its many sins of omission, and a still sadder event reminds me to write to you.
Good Dr Nichols left us yesterday (Sunday) morning for a Sabbath and a New Year in a far different country. How superfluous, & yet how solemn the wishes of his friends for a “happy New Year” must seem to them now. How appropriate a time & day for a clergyman’s departure! He had been failing more, for the last ten days, & I believe even his wife knew it was his last illness – Poor woman! – with her tender, much-fearing heart what a blow [p. 2] this is. Henry wrote at once to Annie, & I hope she will be able to come & be with her, at least over the funeral.
I shall always remember, with gratitude, the sermons I have heard from the good Doctor, & his full spiritual life, giving such dignity to all his words.
I hope you have enjoyed this joyous season, & found brighter skies than we have been favored with. We have had very dull weather, so cloudy & cheerless, & have all been victims to the Influenza in succession. After I recovered, Henry was very ill with it, took to his bed & a moustache, which latter still clings to him, not quite with my approval. He hardly feels well yet, & as soon as he was better, poor Alice got a second attack, which became a slow fever, & ran its regular course, leaving her very thin & weak, & so sensitive [p. 3] to the cold that there are very few days I venture to send her out.
It is a month now since she went to school, & the weather continues so stormy I know not when she can begin again. Today we have a furious snow-storm, the first serious one we have had, & it blows such a gale we shall have dreary drifts.
We had our usual merry making at my fathers Xmas Eve, but poor Alice could not go, & little Annie appeared for the first time & was very merry, shouting out all her songs in the midst of the party. Naty Appleton came as Santa Claus, & she believes she has seen the veritable present-giver.
Annie Wadsworth went to Highfield for Xmas, & has not yet returned to my knowledge. Harry also was in Portland some days, & looks better since his return. He was fast ruining his constitution by smoking too strong tobacco, & losing all energy [p. 4] for study. Henry preached in vain, but the doctor has, I hope, made some impression on his mind.
It is very painful to see young people insist upon injuring themselves, which they are so prone to do, to repent the rest of their days.
Our Chapel looks beautifully with its Christmas wreaths. We had service Xmas Eve with very good music. The Fair, I suppose you have heard, was very successful, 1200 dollars being raised. There were many nice things.
New Years Eve we had some children here for Alice, & we got up some tableaux & charades very brilliantly. Erny showed quite a talent for the latter. He came home with a prize the other day from school, & begins to like Latin better. He & Charley go to dancing-school to the old ever-young Papanti, my former master! Your house disappeared as by magic, & the street looks greatly improved by the open space. Our billiard-room was so slow in progress that the plaster will not dry [p. 1 cross] this winter, & tho’ it is now done, except the paper which cannot be put on, we cannot occupy it, which is very provoking.
The Opera has been very tempting, tho’ the Piccolonini is not like a lady, much less a Princess, & is very coquettish with the audience to make up for a voce as small as her person. We were to go tonight to see a new one by Flotow, but the storm looks rather forbidding. I hope you & James have kept well, & are enjoying your winter. With much love to him.
ever yr affte
Fanny E.L.
[p. 2 cross] Next Saturday a Mr Stoepel a German brings out a Musical Hiawatha [p. 3 cross] with recitations of the text by his wife, Matilda Heron that was. It is said to be very well done.

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