Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.002-002#019

[addressed:] N. Appleton Esq. / (for Miss F. E. Appleton) / Welles & Co. / Paris.
[rectangular stamp] [partial: TREMED / RR?]
[round stamp] 30 JUIN 1836
[page 1]
Boston May 19th 1836.
My dearest Fanny,
I have duly received your letter bearing date March 15th which I can assure you I read with the greatest delight. (Uncle Samuel wonders I don’t paint your epistles, they are so fine! How it grates upon my ears to hear you talk of flowers and lovely weather, when here we think it a wonder if we see a dandelion, and a greater wonder if we have a South wind three [days?]! But today is really delightful, a cloudless sky, and a pure air whose [?] herewith is budding the Liliac’s and Horse Chestnut trees put [another?] sweet smelling [array?], therefore the day being so delightful and I[paper cut off] very bright, I thought this the most favorable time to pen to you the quantity of news with which I am full. In the first place [lies?] to begin with self, [?] sweet Mr [L. A.?] Appleton & family took up bag and baggage and decamped from No 21 Somerset St to [Mis?] Parker’s the corner of Beacon and School St: a most delightful change we find it; we have rooms on the first floor, or rather I should say a parlor on the first floor & chambers above agreeable company in the house, and a grand view from the windows of what passes outside. Our boarders are few but select. Mr Wm Savage & wife, a Mrs. Allen, and Mr Reed, son to the Mr R_ who gives to [?ingness_?] and Mr Lee! “[White?] Lee” you know the hero I believe! We never see him but at dinner; for as we breakfast at the unfashionable hour of 7 o’clock, his lordship is never up and never at home [he?] [?], I assure you “ma chere” he is quite out of his element [?ing] such a quiet [page 2] set as we are. It is really a blessing to bid adieu to Somerset hill & [two?] [?] [?] [?] [?], perhaps our friends wont [sic] like the exchange so well, the stairs before served as an excuse for their now visiting us oftener, alas now they have but four steps to climb, and they cannot pass closer [to us?] except by passing directly under our windows! I hope that now at last we are settled for the Summer, poor Sam was quite overwhelmed by the family knowing, he cant [sic] endure it, he thinks his [?ll] [?] hold a [?] [insuferable? [sic]] bore, what will he do when he has a whole house to move, I am afraid he would never survive it! It is my humble opinion, my dear Fan, that if you wish see any of your [?] single friends on your return, you had better not remain very long absent; I never saw such times in all my life; another such a matrimonial winter wont [sic] leave a maiden lady in they [sic] town! The winter they say has been so chill (I agree to that news [cordially?]!) that what else would they do but fall in love, and make a little fuss! They [paper missing] certainly have set to work in earnest -- who do you think is engaged [now?] but Mary’s particular friend Harriet Sears! And who [to?] ah there’s the question - - one I am sure you would never guess Mr Crowninshield! Think of it - that the Sear’s who think so much of family should ally themselves to that - oh this many, this many what banners went to their [?]! this is the very latest; we heard Sunday that Mr S- and [Cordelia?] where [sic] going to France in a few weeks -- but that [Mr?] Sears and the rest of the family would not go till the fall, no doubt this engagement existed then “Sub rosa” Ms S- has her wish at last - and Harriet will no longer be in Ellen’s way. Another engagement came out just before this in which I was particularly interested, the lady being a particular friend of mine, perhaps you know her, Miss Caroline Samson to Mr [Sane?] of New York, she is daughter to Aunt S’s friend Ms. L. It was very [?], I went to see her only the day before the engagement [page 3] came out; she has only just returned from New York where she has been at school and has not yet come out -- nevertheless she’s gone, and a very excellent match it is, tho’ I believe the gentleman is twenty years older than his intended, and his silver hair contrasts finely with her black locks! “Love’s delight best in joining contrasts” I believe I told you in my last letter of Miss Hubbard’s & [Copely?] Green’s engagement, it is sadly feared that their felicity is about to be overcast for her sister Martha engaged to [Bating?] - hes [sic] so ill that the physicians have given up all hopes of her, a rapid decline I believe, she always was delicate; she was to have been married next month and had almost all her bridal finery completed, - it will be a sad thing for the family, tho’ a happy escape some think for her, as her liver does not bear any of the best of characters, and the match was quite opposite to the wishes of her p[hole in paper - ar]ents! It [revels] us a [striking?] [lisses?] on does it not dear Fanny? [Paper missing] sday evening last, Mr. Cornelius Coolidge’s daugh[paper missing] Catherine was [married?] to Mr Miltonberger of Pittsburg, we had a card sent, but we none of us went as Mother was sick - [Merrier?] went [?] & gave me an account of the visit - Ms Coolidge praises him up to the skies, declares there never was a man equal to him “so handsome, so agreeable, such resources, plays on seven instruments!” The last accomplishment seemed to have made him perfect, what a wonderful husband he must be! Mr Savage had some of the cake sent to him which he divided amongst us, so the whole house have been endeavouring to dream of the three magic names delicately sealed up under our pillows! I think I have at last finished the list of Cupid’s victories, much to my satisfaction for it is unusually long - I am happy to add that none of your particular friends have entered it - “Il Sculpino” flourishes as usual - always [?] when the paquets arrive, and always enquires so anxiously - it must be some comfort to find one constant - Sculp - in the world!
[writing on top of “envelope”]
You wish to know when you shall ...
[writing on bottom on envelope]
one wedding in the family!
[vertical writing on page 1]
The anguish such absence must create...
[vertical writing on page 2]
Appleton that was

• 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)