File:Caroline Frances Appleton to Fanny Appleton, 9 September 1834 (4917362b-a13d-4b76-a515-3eeee68b5b76).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.002-002#008

[penned in:] My love is dead / gone to his death bed / all under the willow tree
/Caroline F. A. / Sept. 9th 1834. / [?] / 6
[addressed:] Miss Francis E. Appleton/ (Care of Hon. N. Appleton.) / Boston. / Mass.
[endorsed:] From Caroline / August 14th: 1829_
[postmarked:] LOWELL / SEP / 11 / Mas.
Lowell Sep. 9th 1834
Dear Fanny,
How well our promised corespondance [sic] has come on, I have written you two letters since I left and you one. I should schold [sic] you for being so unmerciful to me, did I not recollect your warning that you should write few and far between I think you have kept your word wonderfully – and tho’ I cannot certainly blame you for keeping your word – yet I would you would have broken it. I have had excuse enough lately, I heard of your departure from Boston and I knew not wether [sic] my letters might reach you safely – my epistolatry [sic] production being two precious for that. But I will dwell no longer on what is past? but turn to something else – hoping only you will have compassion for me in this land of sand and [wind? mud?], and write me a long letter, for I am sure you must have something to relate. Lowell and all the things in it stand just as they did when you last saw them_ The ruins make as little impression and the sand became deeper every day, I have serious apprehensions lest this delightful place should became a quicksand and me suddenly vanish from you eye and some hundred centuries hence be dug up as curiousities! [sic] Scandal is as [fertile?] here as ever, all the tonish part of the town has been in quite a ferment this summer on account of a piece appearing in the papers and taking off some of their assemblies, denominated the [agreables?], why they themselves only know, for I hear they are inexpressibly dull. [page 2] The piece was in the stye [sic] of the Fair Pamphlet. only some parts of it much more impertinant [sic] and ungentlemany _ it was however like it in one respect_ true true! The gentleman who wrote it [two?] was admitted to the assemblies on the most familiar footing, and heated with the most distinguished politeness, he spared neither sex, thou’ he dealt rather the hardest with the [Points?] of the earth - (take this in a double sense) He came very near being challenged by one of the abused hen’s. I think those who kept from the “agreables” [sic] have reason to congratulate. I wrote you this account to show you that even our little town is not destitute of uproar in the the “[fo’st?] [coulered?] circles.” We are at least blasted out - and our nerves at last restored to their [counted?] equilibrium. The place thus blasted - is to be a Lyceum, and altogether a splendid building; being so new, and having so good a view of it, by the time it is finished I expect I shall be almost able to [wise?] a building myself. These two things are all the news I have to tell you -- --
I was here uninterrupted by a most violent thunderstorm, unlike any I have ever before seen here - The west was overcast with clouds - actually resembling night in their blackness as these slowly rolled away a blue hued and most unearthly light skirted the horizon, unusual as it is in me to be frightened at a storm, I had to retreat from the window in perfect fear - but this look did not last long it gradually gave way to a look more [caring?], the wind blew in hurricanes and then the rain commence, and saw it driving down the [?] long before it reached us - like a white sheet - and with such violence that it sent every thing before it, it lasted about ten minutes so violent that we could not see the least thing around us - the thunder and lightning in the mean time tremendous, - The only damage done was that the lightning struck the Merrimack, stunned a man but not not kill him or hurt the building, and the [page 3] rain knocked down a little urchin and drenched him through. This is by far the most interesting event that has happened this summer, juste therefore of the stupidity of the place. There has been no parties, no event, no beaux - those few [?] pretend to be so having the bump of flatness most fully develloped [sic]. I suppose you are anticipating with great pleasure your brother’s return, I understand you have his pictures put up and quite tastily. I have been riding on horseback this summer - will you believe it!!! and once made my appearance in Merrimack street, but excited such attention and called forth such remarks that I was fain to decamp quickly. There have been a tribe of Indians up here and I visited them, but such a set - why they looked more like hotentots, the men [wore?] petticoats and the women hats! and such a dirty set, I cannot see how they exist, I had just been reading an indian tale and my brain [hole in writing paper] with admiration. I set off to see these wretches! I have enjoyed perfect health this summer and am becoming qui[torn writing paper] fat - you would hardly believe me the thin flanneled up little creature of days of yore! Mrs Bates has just dropped in and is talking so fast that I must conclude in haste.
yours ever affectionately,
Caroline

• Keywords: correspondence; frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; manuscript; document; appleton family; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters to Frances Longfellow (1011/002.002); (LONG-SubseriesName); J.W. Andrews - C.F. Appleton (1011/002.002-002); (LONG-FileUnitName)