Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-015#001

Cambridge Jan 4th 1845 [pencil: “1845”]
Dear Mary & James,
Accept our warmest & best wishes for the new Year, which should have been shipped to you some weeks ago to arrive in the right season. Since Mrs Greenleaf deserted us I have heard nothing of you, but, before that was delighted to know your passage had been so fortunate, & that you were safely landed among the orange-blossoms. I hope everything is as agreeable about you as last year, & that your winter is gliding away as happily as you can desire. Ours is turning out a very gentle one. We have not, yet, had any severe weather, &, for the comfort of walking, I should be glad to have the ground somewhat firmer. It looks very dismally to see the snow, for there are patches in the shady regions, unbroken before your Father’s [p. 2] door by footsteps, but I do not wonder they preferred the town for half the year; Mrs Greenleaf is so much of a prisoner during cold weather.
Cambridge is muddy & quiet. Nothing has been going on but lectures, on Shakespeare, from a Mr Hudson, an original genius, who is a curious mixture of roughness & culture – giving forth, in a most awkward way, an eloquent flood of very admirable & profound & dainty thought. We have been to but one of his lectures, however, being too fond of our own fire-side & regular evening reading. Aunt Sally, who has more lives than a cat, has just survived two accidents that would have been fatal to any one else. In admiring the bon bons gaily displayed for Xmas at Mrs Mayers, (the confectioners in Boston) she was lured behind the counter, &, with eyes occupied above, suddenly fell through a trap-door into the cellar below, to the horror & astonishment of the men there at work. She was picked up insensible, but uninjured, except some severe business, & insisted upon returning home in the cab [p. 3] she came in. This occurred only a few days before James Lowell’s wedding, which, fortunately, withdrew her thoughts from herself, but she is now very stiff & lame, poor soul. She dipped her cap into the candle, the other night moreover, & set it on fire, but tore it off in time to save herself from injury! Lowell was married the day after Xmas, & has proceeded to Philadelphia with his bride, to pass the winter. She did not look as charmingly as was expected, her dress being exceedingly simple, but not well arranged. Aunt Sally was particularly overcome with her brother’s prayer, which must have been very touching under the circumstances. Mr White appeared very cordial & happy. Lowell has just published a Volume of Conversations on the old English poets, very beautifully written, with many charming quotations. Henry’s “Waif” is very successful. One edition is already sold though it was not out until New Year’s day. It has quite a pretty illuminated cover as you see. but “[crossed out] in [crossed out] style
Charlie has been perfectly well & happy since you left us, & is outgrowing his clothes as fast as they are altered. He, yesterday, appeared at the desert in a high chair, in which he sits with becoming dignity, [p. 4 bottom] using his arms, very like flails, over the broad field of the table cloth. We passed Thanksgiving week & Christmas in town very merrily. Mr Dixwell has just lost an Uncle, Mr John Parker who has left 50.000 to Harvard for indigent scholars, besides other benevolent legacies; a man of great wealth. When you see Jewett please remember me to him, & tell him I have never received the promised letter. The last accounts from Port- [p. 4 top] land were very agreeable. I suppose Sam will soon leave us to make his visit. He is practising [sic] here very faithfully one branch of parochial duty – making visits. He will win Aunt Sally’s heart entirely from Henry by his devotions. Pray write us, dear Mary, how you are occupying yourself, & be assured that our thoughts, tho’ unexpressed, are hovering [p. 1 cross] very often about you. Charlie is a perfect little despot with my time, for when he does not claim it by his necessities, he steals it by his artful, enticing ways so that it is gone before I am aware. I relied upon Sam to make up for my deficiencies but his pen seems to be too much engrossed with spiritual matters for the humbler vocation of letter-writing.
Jan 10th This letter has been sadly delayed, dear Mary, as I could not find out exactly when a packet was going to which I could entrust this [p. 2 cross] little box with a New Year’s gift from each of us.
Sam got your letter last night & we are very glad to hear you are so pleasantly situated yet still appreciate the North. Much love to James –
ever yr affte
Fanny L.
ADDRESSED: MRS JAMES GREENLEAF.
ENDORSED: RECEIVED FEBY 13TH

• Keywords: correspondence; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; people; document; new year; holidays; henry wadsworth longfellow; subject; family life; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1845 (1011/002.001-015); (LONG-FileUnitName)