File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Mary (Longfellow) Greenleaf, 4 January 1855 (e3a55aea-8f73-41e4-b307-208ccb8a0de1).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-025#002

Cambridge Jan 4th / 55
Dear Mary
The box of tongues arrived most opportunely upon New Year’s day, & excited Henry’s wonder in conjecturing to what kind of friend he was indebted for so rare a present. I guessed the truth however, & your letter, the next day, confirmed my wisdom.
The evening after, we had a little supper for an Irish gentleman name Neile (who has a statue of Evangeline & whose sister is married to Mr Brace, Mrs Professor Gray’s cousin,) & the tongues were not only eloquent on the occasion [p. 2] but the cause of eloquence in others, sharing the honors with canvass-backs & receiving Felton’s warm encomiums. The have the wild flavor of the prairie still lingering about them, & are certainly one of our nicest delicacies.
I was very glad to know you were comfortably settled again – after your migration and we felt anxious enough to hear about you after the storm – which began it. Mrs Greenleaf & I talked it over, & hoped you had a warning in time, to take the land route. Well it is happily over, & we hope the New Year will bring [p. 3] you no further serious storms of any kind. I heard from Anne, today, in answer to a box of N. Year remembrances, & she spoke very cheerfully of Aunt Lucia & all. Sam we hope to see before long, but he seems to be very busy in his parish.
The boys are greatly enjoying their holidays, which have been extended more to their pleasure than mine, by scarletina breaking out in the Wellington’s family. I know not when it will be safe to send them. Mrs Horatio Greenough has lost her little deformed girl by this disease, & her boy, of their age & a schoolmate, is still dangerously ill. Mrs Sparks & children [p. 4] have also the varolied – all in that vicinity! Charley has been quieting down by working his papa on a mat for this birth-day - & Erny by drawing some cows – their own idea & a very welcome one to me. Baby runs about now like a white rabbit, & is very lively & rosy – but has had some bronchial trouble for the last month.
My poor friend Mary Parkman has lost her excellent husband by typhus fever – a cruel loss to all his family, - & to her irreparable. His sunny nature was so suited to cheer her more intense & thoughtful one. The Nichols got to take tea with us at last, but I see little of them – the mud & snow are such barriers. If you ever come in the way of the “Rivere des deux Mondes” at N.O. you will find an appreciative article on Henry in the Nov. number It is, I believe, by the Countess de Bury – a friend of Tom’s & a great admirer of the poet she writes about. If we have no roses here we have the verdure of Xmas [p. 1 cross] wreaths to make our Library gay, & a bright wood-fire gives us no uninviting aspect to a long evening of good books & chat.
All send love to you & James with many thanks for the savory souvenir.
affly yrs
Fanny E.L.

• Keywords: correspondence; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; people; document; subject; family life; health and illness; holidays; new year; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1855 (1011/002.001-025); (LONG-FileUnitName)