Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-003#004

Boston Nov. 6. 1833 –
 My Dear Tom, --
 We have just rec’d a letter from you dated from Berlin, & we are glad to see that you make such headway; we do not see however how you are going to St Petersburg by that way, as it is so much farther than by Lubee; we saw in the papers, the other day, that every stranger is treated rigorously in St P. - & heard that strangers were obliged to stay 3 weeks there, & suppose these reasons have deterred you from going there, tho’, in fact, they are not very cogent ones – we also saw, that the Emperor of Russia was to be in Berlin, so we suppose you will see him – I hope however you will find means to get into Russia, as that country is truly a curiosity, all others in Europe are stale & hackneyed.  Things wag along very quietly here, no greater events than births, deaths & marriages, which however comprise perhaps the most important events in the world. – Miss Lucille Parker has become the Quincy, - I believe there have been a series of births which I might enumerate by beginning at the top of Beacon St & going to the bottom but I will spare you & myself – of deaths, my last letter sufficed, & I have only to repeat confirm what that supposed would be the case – poor Geo Otis is dead & so is Chas. Tappan, the slow fever seems to have prevailed here & to have smitten down the young & the healthy – The other day Tom [p. 2] Davis honoured us with a visit; he said that Mr Taylor (his ancient oracle) had seen at the golden palace Genoa [crossed out: Venice (I believe)]a picture precisely like one in his (Tom’s) office which you have often seen & that he is inclined to think that Tom has the original, & wishes you to see when you get there, as you must remember his painting – Whenever I go into Dudley & Bogues’ they inquire after you & seem desirous to reap a harvest of continental grown hair. – Miss Paine is in Boston  I long for the time, when we shall meet, either here or on the other side of the water.  I think that we want another young man in the house, to keep company with the girls & to ride on horseback with them, as I have little or no time – I suppose we must have written you of Ellen White’s engagement to young Loy – Bob Apthorp took it very well, when he was here.  The Inglises are all the same.  Mr Clay has made a great noise here, what with presents, dinners &c he dined at Aunt Sam’s, - a very splendid dinner.  He went to Lowell with a party of ladies & gentlemen – amongst them Mary & Father – All the Hodgkinsons are going to England in the Spring. – I was never so pressed for news in all my life – but there is nothing to say – The Brig from Hamburg has not arrived, that I know of.  Mr Inglis has long lamented the loss of your letter to Sir Alexander, as he lives at Badino - & truly it was a pity! –
 Yours truly
 C. S. A.
 [p. 3] Saturday Nov 9th  As I, dear Tomy, was originally Commissioned to be the transmitter of the important inquiries contained in the opposite sheet, & as Charley has somewhat slurred over the true version of the story I will [??] explain in a few words the humble wishes of the sage disciple of Plato & Webster, concerning a picture in his possession.  To this picture he has long attached a great mystery, which he is desirous of having explained.  He says it represents an aged villain (apparently, who is soothing his conscience by the perusal of some Latin words meaning that every one is more or less criminal) from a scroll he folds in his hand; but whether priest or robber he cannot determine.  He always supposed it an original, ‘till the discovery of a rival by Mr Taylor at Genoa, who recognised it immediately.  He made no enquiries about it at the time, and he therefore begs of you, as a great favor, that you will discover what the subject of the picture is, the painter, & the true original.  He moreover says, you have observed his too [crossed out: well] often not to recognise it, even tho’ transported from his musty office to the Golden Palace of Genoa!  So much for this important commission! – may the sage youth be soon restored to his accustomed placidity, & ruffle his feathers less in this direction, in anxiety for the issue of these, his queries!  We were puzzled, dearest, that you should deal entirely in the first person in your last letter, all wondering what had become of the novem amicos, your “compagnons de voyage”; but Mr Dutton has since received a letter from his son who explains the whole matter; he expects him next week.  If you come across Greenough the sculptor in any of your migrations you can just tell him how immensely admired his elegant statue of Medea is here: it is the most perfect thing of the kind I ever saw; beautiful indeed!  You can’t have warmer weather in Italy than we have now; what equals the “Indian Summer”?  Addio – Ich liebe dich zehr [sic].  Can you construe that you have been-drinking Myabeer?  Affectuasamente,
 bostia,
 Francisca.
 [p. 4] Mrs Inglis rec’d for last packet a letter from Gen’l Duff, saying that he had been on the look out for Mr Appleton for some time, but has heard nothing of you –

• Keywords: correspondence; frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; charles sedgwick appleton; thomas gold appleton; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1833 (1011/002.001-003); (LONG-FileUnitName)