File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Anne Longfellow Pierce, 4 May 1848 (02070ced-90b0-4eda-8a2e-c2d025de13b4).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-018#008

Cambridge. May 4th
1848.
Dear Annie,
I am anxious to know if Stephen senior is still with you, for Sarah has lighted upon a shirt of his (how it eluded her search before I know not) which he left behind, & I fear may want. I am extremely sorry not to have known it in time to send it by Henry, but, if you can suggest the best way of doing so, & he is there to receive it, it shall be done without delay. Stevys left several little things, but I suppose purposely. We have not (tell [p. 2] him) yet heard from Mr Austin when his ship sails. I hope he is not to impatient to be off. Mr A. told me we need have no fear he would have too much given him to do, - he was so very young they would be puzzled to find enough for him.
We had a very pleasant, little visit from Sam, who aided me in planning out the flowers, but alas! our faithless gardener has deserted us in a fit of passion because we proposed to have him only an hour a day, when he was [p. 3] charging every day in the week at the rate of $1.75!! Such grand ideas are too expensive to maintain, so we must content ourselves with an humbler individual, but I am vexed he has gone off before the seeds are planted, for I doubt if I have skill enough in planting to make one of them come up, & he really seemed to understand his business well.
Poor Julia Appleton died on Saturday. Service was performed at Trinity Church, & we followed her body to St Pauls, - where Mr Webster has a tomb. While in the vault, the guns [p. 4] were heard announcing the arrival of her brother’s remains! They were deposited by her side yesterday – with military honors, his I was not able to go in, little Erny was so feverish I was unwilling to leave him. It was from cold, the Doctor thought, & the wet sheet expelled the heat, & today he seems bright & well. It has a magical effect in causing sleep. In three seconds after he was wrapped up he was in the soundest, most refreshing sleep, so soothing is it. He has gained so much recently & he & Charley enjoy most heartily these Spring days – never seeming wearied of playing about the garden with their barrows & carts, & loving to [p. 5 pencil: “to Anne L. Pierce - / 1848] dig & rake the fresh earth than which nothing is more wholesome. Charley says he intends to be a gardener like Adam A natural wish in the Eden of childhood, & certainly the most innocent & healthy occupation he could choose. He leads Erny very carefully by the hand over the rough places & says “Dont [sic] be afraid little Erny. I wont let you fall.” I delight to see them so fond of each other, & fraternizing in all their sports so charmingly. I suppose Henry told you of their truant exploit, & the grand air with which they paced through the village with their wagon, & demanded letters at the P.O. for “Mamma & Papa” – I keep a little journal of their live, which may [p. 6] amuse Grandmama some day, & will be to me a pleasant reminiscence of their childhood – I send here a specimen of Charley’s remarks “Mama, what is your hair made of? of horses’ tails? no – of Bogler (the name of a liquid for the hair) it smells so sweet by my nose” - “Mama, you are too tall for my house” Walking one day with is Papa in a high wind & talking very loud – papa says “Why do you talk so loud?” C- replied “Because the wind likes to hear me” &c &c He was much amused to see the doctor “stick feathers in sissy’s leg” when she was vaccinated – which took place only lately, as I overlooked it last summer.
To return to Julia A., from whom I rambled with this maternal gossiping, she showed a beautiful spirit of resignation in her early death, though obliged to leave behind five little children, the youngest not a year old! She arranged everything, & recited to her father a sonnet from Horace on Death he had taught her as a child. He was much touched by her remembering it so perfectly repeating it at such a time. Mary Curtis (Judge Story’s daughter & a friend of hers died at Charlestown on the same day of the same disease. What a tragedy for her [p. 8] father must have been the fast following funerals, & what a poor mockery is the public parade of him as President repeated so often & so vainly.
My father & Mrs A. have not yet returned from their visit to the south, & will come back to the beauty of fresh leaves & blossoming trees. How I wish you were here to enjoy them with me! I congratulate you most heartily on retaining the good comfortable Anne Sophia so long. Seat her in yr garden & her sunshiny face will open all the seeds, & exorcise all the east winds. I was charmed with my cushion & shall take great comfort in it - & .thank you not a little for bestowing so much of yr valuable time thereon. Love to all ever ty affte Fan.
[p. 1 cross] evening. We were at a very touching funeral this aft at Mt Auburn – poor Mary Storys – service in the chapel & all walking thence to the grave.

• Keywords: correspondence; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; people; document; death; events; subject; health and illness; social life; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1848 (1011/002.001-018); (LONG-FileUnitName)