Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-003#003

Boston. Oct 27th 1833.—
 What a famous traveller thou art, dearest Tommy!  How ludicrous it would have appeared to you, if you had been told this time, a year since, that before twelve months were out you would have beheld the Capital of all the Russias!  We have received a letter from you dated Frankfurt, and we were all very much pleased that you have given us such decided information concerning your intended plans, & equally pleased with the plans themselves.  You will be a real Munchausen when you return to these credulous regions, but take care that you attempt not to “gum” us with any outlandish tales of a [??] nature, which you once immortalized by an incomprehensible conundrum in that renowned volume dedicated to “Dasonal Peth” &c &c &c.  I suspect we shall have to dispatch with an incredulous growl, & a muttered” Credat Judeeus”! more then a few of your tremendous stretches, which you will have picked up in the Hanty mountains & elsewhere, to astound us, wondering.  But I fear your agreeable little trip to St Petersburg will enlarge into a very lengthy sojourn, if the experience of a very distinguished voyager who has recently arrived in these parts (ie Johannes the bean) is that of every one, for he positively declared that [crossed out: every] one is obliged (noleus, voleus) to remain there three weeks at least to get permission to stay there at all.  Such are the absurd regulations, - but he also says, that no one would wish to remain there a shorter period, so much is there to behold there & at Moscow.  I wonder when [p. 2] your companion, Mr J. Dutton Russell intends turning his thoughts homeward, for Mr & Mrs D. were quite thunder-struck with his way of diverging still farther into foreign regions, when they have speedily anticipated his return, but young men are “reckless rovers” – n’est ce pas ainsi? – We were quite provoked with some parts of your letter.  In the first place, the Inglises are wholly au desespair that you did not see the Duffs at Baden, Baden, where they have been a long time residing, and where, (according to late letters from them), they have anxiously enquired about every new arrival, in hopes that some one would appear from Boston.  Sir Alexander would have been so delighted to have seen an American, & Lady D. would have been in such ecstasies to hear every particular you could remember or invent concerning her interesting relations!  What a loss!!! – But what we are truly distressed to hear, is, that you have gone through Hiedelburg and not hunted up Mrs Lieber’s family.  To be sure, you had lost your letter, but Mr Oppenheimer had received it & you might have regained his favor by telling him all about Matilda, her situation here, &c &c particulars which you alone could give, having known her so intimately.  We never imagined you would go there, or more would have been done to assist you in forming such an agreeable acquaintance.  À present c’est trop tard, & Dr L must scold if he will. – Much has occurred here, dear Tom, even since our last letter to you, written by Signor Carlos, as I think.  “Mr Clay, our distinguished senator & statesman” has been received with great pomp & éclat, in this bustling little city, and is daily receiving new proofs of the esteem in which he is held by its inhabitants. -  Such a ludicrous entré as he made here!  Cannons thun’dring, rain pouring to usher in half a dozen, shut up, funereal, coaches & six, with demure, meek, drenched coachees & sleek dripping steeds.  He has been indeed a huge  “lion” (mirabile [p. 3] dictm) his roar is his most admired quality.  The poor man has had no rest from the moment he left the peaceful ‘shades of Ashland’ ‘till the present hour, and if he does not come as near being murdered by civilities as the poor General was, in our hands, ‘tis because he is a younger & a stronger man, with a most marvelously good Constitution.  Last week he was escorted to Lowell, by a party of gentlemen & ladies – 20 in the whole – Mary & Miss Silsbee being the only damsels attending.  They had a very gay & agreeable time, as they say, & were well chosen – a most merry set.  They remained there one day, passed in tramping over factories, in hearing Mr Clay compliment the Lowellites, & in devouring all the eatables they could find; - indeed this seems to have been their most edifying amusement.  Mr Clay admired that famous boast of Sam Freeland as much as all sensible people do, & declared that tariff etc would need no other champion than Lowell itself, if it could be transported as it is to the region of nullifiers – the South.  Something to that effect.  While Mary & dad were gone to L., Sam Wright & myself kept house, & found it a pretty solitary & forlorn business.
 I believe, dear Tommy, that Charles mentioned in his last, that young Tappan was dangerously ill; he is not now living.  This was a most unforeseen event, even by his family; he was always so healthy! at least in appearance; but since his death it has been discovered that his lungs were ulcerated & that he could not have lived long, even if this fever had not attacked him.  He was, I believe, a great friend of Roberts, and a little like him in feature.  This melancholy event was followed by another which has schocked [sic] every one, & will, I am sure, surprise you.  George Otis, who was attacked by the same fever has been for a long time vacillating on the edge of the grave, alternately getting better & [p. 4] worse, ‘till after lingering a week, last Friday he ceased to breathe!  This is a most dreadful thing to every one particularly to his parents who have lost so many children and will probably follow another son too his last home before many years have passed.  The funeral was on Saturday & it was a melancholy sight indeed to see his father & brothers performing a service for him, which every beholder would suppose to survive them all – William Otis walked behind with them, the first time he has been out for many months & carefully wrapped up in a cloak a handkerchief over his mouth & though the day was by no means uncomfortable.  He is a great invalid, & will probably never recover permanently his health.  It seems to me you might be readily excused for depression of spirits, while away from home, to hear so much bad news.  Hardly a letter has been written you without an account of one death or severe illness of some one of your friends – and I too have been twice the double dispenser of sad tidings!  There must certainly have been an unusual number of deaths amongst people that we know & love.
 As I have told you before – Signor Johannes has arrived, & as I am sorry to say not at all improved a personal appearance, manners &c for all his ramblings into distant regions even into Africa’s where few have been before him.  He sports a flaming [??] & a cane & [??] about, as much as ever.  He has now to bow it away down to a dark & dreary house instead of paying homage to the [???] of Raphael or Domenuchino in Callo Italie, or on forming acquaintance with Russian bears & Russian coasts better seen perhaps in the [???]rious gardens of Tivoli than in the [???] country from which they derive their name.  He is in distress because you say he has not received the letter which you promised should be waiting his return here & he is most anxious to know its destiny – we have seen naught of it.  He [p. 4 cross] says that he wrote you from Spain a tremendously long letter, but forgot when he got home that his Father had forgot to send it & has it folded up now.  He thinks it is too ancient to send but as it is only about his travels perhaps no great loss, even if he does not decide to send it.  We are all extremely sorry you should have been so long without letters, but it was whilst we were travelling & I fear you have been disappointed again ‘till August, when we must have written pretty regularly.  How are you dearest?  How do you look (for doubtless you know) & how do you feel?  Have you rounded off any of the angles existing in your Corpus with that fleshy substance so foreign to your nature here?  All & every particular of this sort is interesting to us – forget not to inform us of every change.  Pray do not come back like John B looking, acting & for aught I know feeling the same as before he had ever crossed the Atlantic & seen the wonders of Europe.  We shall expect a foreign-looking, distinguished, stranger & not at first recognized – there follows all the double satisfaction of discovery, surprise & admiration!  We are often startled by the resemblance which Charles has to you; especially in figure & distant appearance – He is very tall & lamentably attenuate.  Mary gains daily & sightine fear that Father’s prophecy may be fulfilled & that she may yet be a fat old woman.  I [???] about the same, occasionally adding to my stock of flesh & then a cold takes me quietly back to my former state.  We have adjourned up into the Green Room, Mary having been presented by Papa with a splendid new prama & we find it much more comfortable.  We have all been lately devouring Godolphilin & were much interested.  Have you seen it?  I hope you have taken oceans of sketches, for Johannes has but a meagre sketch-book & not at all to my taste – He finishes too exquisitely.  Why does not the Journal come along! we expect it?  Thanks, thanks dearest for remembering to write me! a letter.  When may I expect another?  Forgive me for writing thee such the accompanying stupidity as this – my best excuse is a villainous influenza justification of head & brain.  In loves Fan.
 Endorsed: Oct 27

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