File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Mary (Longfellow) Greenleaf, 17 June 1851 (cfb7d608-0312-45d7-bc27-04f9bf33ab78).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-021#019

Dear Mary,
I am ashamed to have been so long answering the business part of your letter – but have been in truth somewhat puzzled how to answer it. You ask about Mrs Sedgwick’s school & whether she is a visionary person or suitable to have the charge of young ladies. As she is a very old & dear friend of mine I may be partial in my judgment –but her school has, I know, an excellent reputation, particularly for her very motherly care of the girls – their bodily as much as mental condition. I should call her the very opposition of visionary – a peculiarly practical person, but if you mean by that a dislike of slavery I must confess she has a northern feeling on [p. 2] that subject, tho’ I do not suppose she undertakes to influence the pupils unduly about such matters. She gives them a home, & most devoted care, & is a woman of highly cultivated mind, sound sense & a most feeling heart. She likes to have the girls exercise much in walking, riding on horseback, & climbing the beautiful Berkshire hills, giving them I think, generally, some short expedition ever summer – but as I have not had the pleasure of visiting Lenox for some years I cannot so well tell her present practises [sic] as her former ones. She is very careful that their moral & religious nature suffers no detriment in her hands, - but I really am afraid to take the responsibility of advising on so important a matter as the choice of a teacher for a girl, & only give this hasty word in her praise [p. 3] not to bias, in any way, your friend’s decision but simply as my own opinion. Perhaps the father had better write her & find out all he desires to know from head quarters.
Will Alex’ [sic] engagement surprise you as much as it has me? Probably not – but I am heartily [crossed out: glad] rejoiced at it – for his affectionate heart deserves all the happiness a wife can confer & he seemed so saddened at thought of the change in the old house that it is very pleasant to [crossed out: think] know he will soon have a glad home of his own.
Often & deeply do I think, dear Mary, of the trial before you in returning to that shadowed mansion, for I feel what a painful thing it would be to me, but the light of heavenly hope & peace will illumine the threshold, I trust, after the bitter tears have fallen. I had a very pleasant visit from Annie & little Harry, only it [p. 4] was too short, but the country was looking beautifully & I think she much enjoyed her drives & visit to Mr Cushings with Margaret Thacher who was visiting Clara Thies. The children are pretty well. Erny rather miserable with swollen glands but getting better, baby very fat & merry. I am much hurried just now or I would write you more at length about them. Mr Akers is here my guest [?] to try his hand at Henry’s bust. Mrs Appleton & Hatty sailed in the last steamer & will find my father in England probably. Cambridge is most lovely & I am very glad Mrs Greenleaf will again bring you here to enjoy it. That is the best move they have made, for which I thank them heartily. Forgive this hasty scrawl dear Mary
with best love to James
ever yr loving
Fanny E.L.
Cambridge June 17th

• Keywords: correspondence; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; people; document; social life; family life; subject; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1851 (1011/002.001-021); (LONG-FileUnitName)