File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Reverend Samuel Longfellow, 19 January 1852 (a295155d-1236-41bd-bfdb-cd0e838e68a3).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-022#002

Cambridge Jany 19th 1852.
Feb 2d
My dear Sam,
Your letter was most welcome, for we were quite anxious to know your experiences during those terrible days, the whole horror of which has only gradually oozed out thro’ private letters. You know perhaps less of it than me, all your newspapers having been gagged, & the whole thing having been hushed up as much as possible but the reckless cruelty with which the soldiers fired into houses & murdered strangers & quiet citizens has hardly ever been surpassed. No wonder the English papers are so indignant, but Boston, true to itself, upholds the usurpation. It was skilfully [sic] managed indeed that there should be no other alternative – Punch has over “France is tranquil” a prostrate Goddess of Liberty, closely bound from head to food, with a heavy padlock [p. 2] over her mouth & a soldier with a bayonet making it impossible for her to rise. They might have added the mockery of a vote in her hand. A great crisis seems to be coming, perhaps for England & America to being to a happy issue, but whatever happens I have Kossuth’s undying faith that “there is the hand of God in history.” His inspired eloquence fires the people as he goes, like a torch, & his speeches are still full of fresh beauty & noble truth. But it is humiliating to see how our unitched, selfish politicians mean to use him for party purposes – that is to take his doctrines of “intervention to prevent intervention” as a new Presidential lever. His speech at Washington was very grand, & even Mr Webster was warmed up to such a reply that the Austrian minister thinks it necessary to make a fuss - & one in Maryland very touching. The secret of his eloquence is faith, he believes what he utters with his heart & soul & always therefore takes the most elevated view.
[p. 3] I suppose Annie has written you of the astounding news of Anne Sophia’s engagement to the Rev Mr Balkham [sic] of Wiscassett – a widower with 3 children! What a responsibility to assume, not to speak of a parish & a husband! But she has a heart large enough for all & I wish her joy most sincerely. She will be married before long & Annie was to accompany her to Boston this month, for shopping, so I am looking for them daily. I heard yesterday from Mary – she found her home pleasant as ever & her friends as cordial, but the sadness of last year still overshadows her – such a shadow never wholly departs, but becomes woven in with the tissue of our life deepening all its colours. Sumner finds Washington socially very pleasant, but likes politics & politicians no better on further acquaintance.
Very sad news has reached us from Egypt – of the death, after confinement, of Mrs Murray – Miss Wadsworth that was. You remember her romantic history & will see how melancholy such a termination is. [p. 4] Poor Emmeline will be quite heart broken, for she was very fond of her, & a most lovely person she was. Lizzie Prescott’s engagement to James Lawrence is the last Boston news – one long anticipated. We have had a very cold winter, even snow at the South – here we are buried in it, but the boys enjoy highly their coasts & it makes winter merrier I confess. Whole schools of girls go by in their gay hoods, like a bed of tulips, waving kerchiefs & shouting with delight, & the moonlights have been but a paler day. We go to the Nortons Tuesday soirée very faithfully, & find them very pleasant. We all went in the other night together to see a French actress, Mad. Thillon, whose grace & coquetry reminded me so much of Paris & the charming Opera Comique. Henry sends his love & says he has found, to his surprise, the Golden Legend in our Library (an unknown treasure) so that you need not trouble yourself to hunt it up unless it is for sale. I mean the rare & antique Latin one. Tennyson I hear has lost a child & has gone to Italy where I hope he will be seen by the Lowells & Storys. God bye
With love to your boys
yr affte sister Fanny.

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