Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-011#026

Boston. Nov 26 1841-
I have heard indirectly of your safe arrival, my darling, & hope shortly to learn from head quarters of all your gettings on. [crossed out: for] I was not a little anxious about you that stormy dark night. At sea a bad night seems nothing, - like matrimony, one undertakes a long voyage for ‘better or worse’. but a short expedition has all the dangers of a flirtation about it. While you were tossing on the Sound I was immersed in a sea of heads, as the phrase is, listening to Ex-President Adams holding forth in a brown night-cap & with his usual vehemence of tone upon the Chinese war – putting the question upon exactly opposite grounds to the expectation & opinion of all his hearers as he always delights to do, - having an indomitable love of opposition, for, to nothing else, could we attribute in this case his absurd theory on the matter.
But I won’t inflict his lecture upon you. There is something grandly republican in his appearing before such an audience as a ‘wonder & a show’ after holding the highest post in the country, - to be a representative of it was thought a sufficient descent for his dignity but to turn lecturer is a step lower. The papers are so eloquent upon the Prince’s ball that there are no superlatives left for private use so I shall limit myself to the expression of my individual satisfaction & admiration - & [p. 2] will modestly assert that after the balls in his Papa’s house I have never seen such a brilliant fête “in any country”! The old cradle is [crossed out: such] a remarkable room for the purpose, the decorations turned out, luckily, neither too gaudy nor theatrical for the place & the occasion but gave a very pretty military effect. There was a great crowd at first but the quadrilles were not absolutely smothered, altho’, to enable every body to dance, they were kept too small for comfort. I expected a thousand quizzical things in the way of dress & manners but the haute societé was fairly rivalled by the fair wives & daughters of the bourgeoisie. After the Prince & Mme Vespucci (who looked the femme superbe’ in crimson velvet, with a Greek cap over her braided locks) Mrs Nichols was the object of interest & admiration – concealing her goodly proportions also in velvet. That was really the distinction between the two grades; in Europe it marks the upper class but at this ball all the dames & damsels, from Mrs Chickering in her blue tunic to a fair tailoress (whose husband out Mercuried Mercury for lightness & agility) that were arrayed in this costly material were those least capable of the expense. John Bull better hide his diminished head after that – bestowing rags upon his mechanics’ families while ours waltz in velvet! What happier text could be chosen for a 4th of July oration! I hope the wo’nt [sic] ask me to write it. This ball & Sarah Ann’s unlooked-for marriage have been almost too much for us -; the mouths & eyes of the community have been fearfully distended, but luckily Thanksgiving, with its sermons, came as a composing draught. I did not honor the bride’s wedding ball but discovered in her husband an old Washington partner of mine, - rather a fine-looking youth – what there [p. 3] is visible of him thro’ a cheveline nearly as abundant as that upon the juvenile victim of Macassar. He flirted desperately formerly with a pretty Miss Howard but could not get her to follow his fortunes in Michigan which Sar’an promises to do, tho’ she talks of Paris as her next project. He can be no coward, or very very blind to undertake the control of such a will o’ the wisp – she may possibly turn out a respectable woman, - now, however; domestic cares must extinguish much of her folly – if folly is extinguishable. I was not introduced to the Prince having compassion upon the poor man who had to be civil to so many, tho’ I regret to say must have chiefly formed his opinion of our society from the least refined & cultivated portion. It was a pity Mrs Brooks (who neve looked so pretty) Mrs Ticknor & others of our nice matrons kept aloof while the Chickering dynasty took the lead. He is a tall, manly fellow very much changed since I saw him in Paris – enterprise & independence having broken off the crust of awkward diffidence, - but from his deafness & nearsightedness retains a stupidish look.
I never had my compassion more excited than for one of his suite, a fine, sailor-looking man who was dancing with the above mentioned tailoress unable to converse with her & still more unable to comprehend the fantastic flittings of her prim little person. She improvised steps & figures which he followed only with his eyes – evidently in a fever-flush of bewilderment & mortification & wishing himself doubtless on board the Belle Poule chasing a hostile frigate with no shot in the locker rather than such a craft – while she twisted here & twirled there in merciless disregard of his condition. Boz should have come in the last steamer to describe this ball but on the whole nothing could be better conducted. He alone could do justice to the effect produced when a lane was formed for his Highness to ascend the ball-room to the bed-canopy called [p. 4] by complaisance a throne. The protruding of anxious faces & the solemn air of the marshalls preceding him. That pretty Miss Coolidge received more attention after the Mayoress than any body. There was not as much beauty out of our set as I expected from what I have heard. of. Many of our prettiest girls too were lacking. Mrs Barnard was one of the handsomest women there – in a sort of fancy dress; her figure has matured into great symmetry & fullness & her features are as regular as Psyche’s. We took Mrs Lyell up at Mrs Minot’s & met the Ticknors by agreement under Washington’s picture, where I left them with Mr Prescott & saw no more of them. I felt strangely lost half the time & welcomed a familiar face as a landmark. On one such casting adrift while left by my dancing partner I espied yr brother Sam & amused him with the eagerness of my hail. The prettiest thing to me was the array of ladies in the galleries forming with their rich dresses, - their waving fans, & the gay draperies over their heads quite a tournament gallery effect. Andrews & Gerry graced the hall of course, but I gave both a wide berth. Mrs Davis came on from N. York & returned yesterday – to write she says an account, perhaps to give hints to Jack Downing which would not be a bad idea. Toward the end, engravings of Louis Philippe (a very little Pedlington thought) were distributed to all & from above the result was very ludicrous every hand [crossed out: thus] employed in giving support to his Majesty who never so well merited his title of “citizen king.” But balls in some shape are his element & this was quite as harmless as those he is accustomed to. Enough of this grand affair which you will get in the Transcript beyond my describing powers. I am impatient to know, my precious, what that ‘universal eye-ball,’ Dr Elliot thinks of your dear little eyes & what he intends to do to them. I ought not ask you to write often but pray make your brother send a bulletin home that I may get accounts regularly. You were so long in slipping away I can hardly believe [p. 5] I should find your chamber tenantless & am constantly checking myself from the natural impulse to rush in & see what has become of you. Thanksgiving day deserved its name in our family. Julia & Mary Appleton both presented us with male additions & are both doing well. There were many pretty girls collected at Aunt Wms & it seemed like old times to see Mrs Oakey playing their quadrilles tho’ she never looked less matronly.
The town is getting very gay in the way of parties. I might go to Mrs Sam Putnam’s to meet the Lyell’s, - on Tuesday to Mrs Nortons, Wednesday Mrs Lowell’s ball, Friday the Navy yard Downes’ receive, whether to introduce Miss D or to marry her à la Sarah Ann, nobody knows. & next week the Officers of the Columbus are to give us a fête on board the ship. But perhaps you are sharing in the Prince’s N. York honors so my description of him is quite superfluous. I trust you are comfortably quartered in some cleanly & quiet corner if such is to be found on Manhattan. I did not finish my note to Miss Upton on the uncertainty of your going but enclose it now – to be delivered when you choose. We are all getting on here passably well. Harriet has sat up twice & will escape all trouble I believe soon. Mary is not very bright & poor little Sum has been very miserable with his ambitious teeth. Miss Sedgwick I have got some [cut off] fort from but cant see her to much satisfaction among so many friends.
Good bye darling. With kind remembrances to your brother, ever yr loving & true Fan.
ADDRESSED: MISS AUSTIN [SEAL]

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