File:Fanny Appleton to Nathan Appleton, 6 January 1832 (dbcf6656-0692-407d-b5d4-ab69b54925c3).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-002#001

Boston Jan 6th 1832.
 Dearest Papa,
 Only think of my requiring to be solicited to write to you, but you must not think it is my will, for if it had not been to sloshy to go to school today, I dont [sic] know when I could have found time to write; [crossed out: to you] but I fear you will think this is a poor excuse. However [written over But], I must improve my time now, by telling you of our famous sleigh ride that we took yesterday.  Mrs Ritchie kindly invited Tom, Mary & myself, to join a sleighing party, to which, you may be sure, we most gladly assented.  Well, at 1 o’clock precisely as we were equipped with every thing we could finding the house of a warm nature, after having swallowed also hot coffee, beefsteak, &c a grand sleigh with four black horses rattled up to the door.  In we jumped, and after stopping at Mr Otis’, we proceeded on our travels.  Now I must introduce you to our companions, if you have any curiosity to know them. – To begin with the oldest, (though some of the party affirmed that there were one over twenty!) Aunt Sam, Mrs W. H. Otis, the two the two Miss Thorndikes, Mrs Ritchie, Mary and myself, and the [p. 2] gents – S. Lawrence, Mr Mason, Dr Lieber, George Otis & Mr Joy, & Tom – making 13 of us in all.  After having stopped at Mr Lemist’s for a short time to see his green-house, we went to Watertown. – Here we were received by an enormous fire, and plenty of mulled wine which some of our party drank quite copiously.  The former article we would have been willing to have dispensed with in such profusion, for it was an exceedingly mild day, and we all doubted if we could have found such another in a month  Not one of us the whole way felt the least sensation of cold, and we wished Dr Franklin had been with us, that he might have denied his assertion, a damper on all sleigh rides.  We adjourned, for this reason, into the long hall where gallopades & waltzes were finely performed by clattering musicians.  After remaining at W about an hour & ½, we jingled on, through Waltham, Cambridge and arrived at home at six – Never was there a merrier party, or a more closely compacked [sic] one.  We tried hard to upset, but unfortunately could not succeed; in one of these secessions Dr Lieber lost his hat, and instead of overturning us, was precipitated himself, into a nice snow bank.  We made an agreement before departing, that all punning should be prohibited, but some of the gentlemen trespassed most wofully [sic]; In fact, I think our jokes could “shake a stick” at Mrs Curtis’, at least some of them.  The last part of our ride being in the dark, was delightful to me, and I was sorry to stop so soon, though the poor horses were about tired.
 [p. 3] We remained at the Ex-mayor’s all the evening, keeping up our frolic by playing the most amusing & absurd games we could find, chatting, making jokes, and at last ending by an elegant supper.  Mr Stewart Newton joined us in the evening , and sung on the [???ter?] very touchingly, and told us divers jokes of a Mr Rogers, which were quite good; two of which I shall tell you.  A person was writing the word blacking on the wall, and had only written the letter B. when Mr R instantly exclaimed, the rest is lacking.  The other was – A gentleman was travelling in a coach, which was remarkable for its snail-like properties, and he asked the driver the n[ame] of his vehicle.  He was answered the Regulator – Very approp[riate] says he – for all the other coaches go by it! – Good! –
 Mr J. B. Curtis visited us the other evening, talked much about you, showed us your hotel in Washing, [sic] and said he was going to the lab to find as many jokes as he could, to amuse you in his next letter. – Said you were a most excellent companion, and often cracked jokes with him by an evening fireside.  He is very agreeable, and I hope he will come here again.  Mary visited his wife the other day but she was out – I have not seen Mrs Gilliat yet, but hope to today.  Mother is quite well, barring her cold c.  I do indeed have to trudge across the common, but it is not so bad as I expected and infinitely preferable to young clear round – Adieu
 to the Carissime  H[??]- 
 Fan
 Haste haste post haste à la Monseiur S. Appleton of Indian memory
 [p. 4] The Cadets appeared in a splendid new uniform Wednesday, black & gold, but a sad accident happened to them – For it was a cheerful cold day, and while the Governor was in church, they went to warm themselves, and when he came out lo! all his escort had vanished & for some time did not appear.  He would take no excuse from Mr Grenville Winthrop their new commander, has been arrested, his sword taken from him, & is to be tried.  It is really amusing to think, that our delicate young men, can ever go out in winter to parade, who never stir out without cloaks and wrappers in abundance – The Governor said; he should need an escort next year, but shall not have the Cadetts – fine soldiers truly!  It is a disgrace they will never recover –
 Fan. –
 Addressed: Hon Nathan Appleton. / M.C. / City of Washington / D.C. –
 Postmark: BOSTON / JAN 7 / MS
 Endorsed: Fanny / Jany 6.

• Keywords: correspondence; frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); nathan appleton; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1832 (1011/002.001-002); (LONG-FileUnitName)