File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Mary (Appleton) Mackintosh, 15 August 1853 (bb425229-c46f-4990-9c1e-54b11cb76cc6).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-023#018

Nahant. Aug 15th 1853.
Dear Mary,
It was a comfort to us to know you had heard of Robert’s illness at the same time we got the news of it from him, & his merciful escape I hope strengthened you to hear the sad truth of Mr Langton’s death. Robert wrote father a few lines of both, & must in his weak state have been deeply pained that he could not be much with him & to lose so valued a friend. Uncle Sam’s death would follow as an additional shock to you & we fervently hope your spirit nerved itself to bear such a succession of sorrows. I am thankful you were with the kind, sympathizing Aunts when all this reached you, & hope you have before now returned the composure one must learn as a ‘habit of [p. 2] the soul’ to get thro’ this stormy life. Robert said his physician advised him to cruise away somewhere, & I trust he has done so & will regain fully his wanted strength.
There is fearful mortality at New Orleans from this dreadful disease, & I am glad Mary Greenleaf & her husband are safe in Portland. Col Bliss, Gen Taylor’s son-in-law, a fine fellow & much beloved by all, whom we saw in Washington with his pleasing young wife, has been a victim. Here, at the North, we have had more dreadful railway accidents & such intense heat that in one day 27 died in New York of sun-stroke. That day was even here intolerable, but, in the evening, we had a charming serenade band to lighten for us the heavy hours, with strains of Schubert, Danizetti &c in the open air upon the Harwoods lawn, all Nahant strolling by moonlight about them while we comfortably reposed in the carriage.
[p. 3] Papa was to be down today & I shall send your last letters to him by Mr Paige. She had a dinner party of all the Prescotts, that very hottest day, to which Henry went. How you would enjoy, if you were here, walking across the way to sit upon her cool, airy piazza & chat at y’r ease. Sam was down, the other day, with his chicks. We had a fearful thunder-storm last night & just escaped being caught in it, which made me rather nervous, & today it is as fresh & cool as possible. Mrs Bryant Jun sails soon to Europe for a year with her little girl, & Mrs Lee her mother is bringing out a book about some remarkable negro of New York. Sumner has been twice down to see us, but is now off for Newport where I hear Dr Howe has bought Lawton’s Valley having fallen in love with it at first sight. Sumner made a very beautiful speech at [p. 4] the Pilgrim celebration at Plymouth on 1st Aug better than Mr Everetts we thought as giving the very lesson of the spot & occasion. I enclose you a notice for the new edition of Robert’s book published in Boston. I have not seen it. The Russian Bear seems to be withdrawing his foolish lung & I trust he will have the sense not to bring all Europe about his ears, tho’, without the horrors of war, one would like to see his arrogance punished. Mrs Mountford seems very happy with her little parson. We saw him today sitting on the piazza evidently meditating something agreeable. Erny was delighted with Angus’ letter & sends him an answer. Tom seems to enjoy Dieppe. The Howadji is at Lenox with his mother, having avoided Newport this year, & promises to come here before it is over. I have written Miss Davie of Robert’s news. Sam has accepted the “call” to Brooklyn & I think will like it, as he has a sympathetic audience. Some paper says Pierce Butler is the President’s bosom friend. With [p. 1 cross] much love from Henry & the children to you & yours ever
Yr affte Fanny.
I hope you have got relief from the chicks at school, even for a short time it would be worth it, & that your back is braced by salt air. A sitz-bath is the best if you would only keep it up.

• Keywords: correspondence; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; people; document; subject; health and illness; social life; places; united states; ma; nahant; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1853 (1011/002.001-023); (LONG-FileUnitName)