Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Matilda Lieber, 23 February 1850 (78a85ec9-5d06-4dc3-9dee-8685edd5c9b7)

Manuscript letter
Archives Number: 1011/002.001-020#004
Cambridge Feb 23d 1850
Dear Matilda,
We both feel ashamed that so many sweet, fragrant notes from you & Frank should have been unanswered, but our only apology is that Henry has been very busy, & has such endless epistles to answer to stupid people that he has to neglect his friends, having very little eyesight to spare, & I have been feeling so miserably the past month all writing was an exertion. Nothing ails me but a general debility, which our unusually mild winter & the heat of the house have kept up, for it is very difficult to regulate the latter such a season as this, & our venerable gentleman has only one idea in his exhausted brain , which is to heap on coal perpetually. We have kept him thro’ the winter out of charity, thinking he could not easily find employment, but [p. 2] he is such a ghost of a good servant that we shall eschew his services as soon as possible. There seems to be a spell against our ever getting another sight of poor Nanny. We never get to Boston except on Saturday, but as luck would have it went this week on Wednesday to take leave of my father, who sails today from N.Y. for Charleston, - partly to break up a bad cold & partly for pleasure. That rainy day Nanny & Liedhof called, bringing the pretty paper-cutter from Norman for which Henry sends him warmest thanks. We were truly disappointed when we saw his card, for we were not only sorry to lose the sight of his good, honest face, but also fear he will be discouraged from another attempt.
I hope my father will be able to go to Columbia, but as he was desirous to see Cuba before the season was too much advanced, I do not know whether he will accomplish a visit to your town. I cannot give you a [p. 3] certain promise either of Miss Bremer, for as she has not yet left Boston I doubt if she will have time, taking the cities all on her way, to go so far inland, as she also wishes to see the tropics. I however gave her the letter you requested, & made her fully aware of the pleasure she would find in a visit to people so well able to appreciate her. She is a very modest, quite little body & much prefers warm hearts & intelligent minds to any amount of physical comforts & elegancies, so you need have no concern, if she comes amongst you, to deviate from your customary mode of living. Her tastes are very simple & a happy home is what she loves best to see. Her health is feeble, so that parties are very distasteful to her, & she avoids them whenever she can. She has given me a cast of her hand which I begged for a souvenir, as it is remarkably delicate (her only beauty) & has written so many charming books. She must have the drollest idea of Boston society. Her good-nature makes her the victim to all sorts of people, & of course she cannot distinguish their [p. 4] social position. Henry was with her the other day when Mrs Alcott (wife of the Platonic philosopher) a grim, gaunt woman said to her, “Miss Bremer do you think a woman has fulfilled her mission until she has become a mother?” Poor Miss B. answered with spirit “Yes indeed – for when she has no[crossed out:ne] children herself all become hers.” Mrs Kemble is finishing her Shakspeare course, & I am more & more amazed at her inexhaustible powers. She has a hundred stops to that splendid organ – her voice. She read, before an immense audience of more than three thousand, Henry’s “Building of the Ship,” prefacing it by a few words stating her desire to read it to a Boston audience. She stood forth without desk, & gave it off con amore with the greatest effect, the whole flow & meaning most beautifully rendered, & the part about the flag with great emotion, as also the close. It was listened to in breathless silence, & followed by warmest applause. It was a very nervous moment for me but a happy one. No voice but hers could so have rung tis changes & given the rhythm so perfectly. She is a wonderful creature, one of those rare creations which come only once in a hundred years. And we are to have Jenny Lind too! I wish she were in Washington now, to charm the [p. 1 cross] disloyal spirits into union & harmony. I have no faith that a few mad men, with a cause mankind blushes to own, can break down the temple of our liberties. Might, right & every holy alliance are on our side & on that of its preservation.
I hope you get good accounts from Oscar. Are you not glad Crawford has the Richmond monument. It is a great thing for him. With love to Norman from Henry & myself ever yr aff
Fanny E. L.
Keywords: correspondence; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; people; document; health and illness; social life; subject; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1850 (1011/002.001-020); (LONG-FileUnitName)