Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-029#003

Cambridge Jan 25th 1859.
Dearest Mary,
I hope you begin to find London more cheerful & amusing than when you last wrote, but I suppose this is the dreariest season while all the world is in the country. Your Xmas gaieties came back to us, like an echo, in Punch & the Illus. News, & give us a second glow like a midnight sun.
Since my last, however, we have ourselves been a little saddened by the death of worthy Aunt Everett, who died at the good old age of 88. She was serene & happy unto her end, & comforted by the devoted care of Mrs Bent (Narcissa) [p. 2] who has been constantly with her, & seems to have become very fond of her. She says, of late years, she lost entirely the asperity she formerly had, & has been very gentle & agreeable, remarkably intelligent & shrewd as she always was.
She has left most of her money to her church, with some small legacies to Mrs Bent & Spaulding.
Of course, papa feels very much this departure of the last of his large family, so long journeying thro’ life with him; within hearing of, if not within sight, of each other.
We all regret not having seen more of her of late years, but papa, who has been often to N. Ipswich, & has taken Willy & Hatty who will remember her. Henry & I have often talked of going, but we could not very well take children where hospit- [p. 3] ality was a necessity, there being no inn, & we never like to leave them. They are all well now, but Charley has been kept at home for a fortnight by an attack of jaundice & rheumatism together. He liked very well being cosseted in mamma’s room & getting read to, but is now out again. He & Erny both enjoy dancing-school very much, & meet there many ladies of my acquaintance, so that I shall look in on them some day.
Henry & I called, on Saturday, on a very pretty person Lady Radstock, who is here with her husband for the winter, being near her confinement. She is not more than 20 & came over as a wedding tour.
The Hon Mr Seymour & Lord Fred. Cavendish she has met at break [p. 4] fast at Dana’s & Palfrey’s, thinks the former very agreeable.
Mrs Charles Amory & some other ladies have carried them off to Phil. for a bachelor’s ball. She is as energetic as ever, & now having a daughter to amuse will be doubly so.
Today is Burns’ hundredth birthday & is duly celebrated with us. Henry was expected to speak at the dinner, but is too shy of it to go at-all I believe. I have a letter from Aunt Dorothy who is comfortable in Pittsfield. Tom is still in N. York & his servants have a nice chance for “high life”. His cook graciously sent me an omelet this morning, as good as a Parisian one. My sister Lizzie & brother Alex L. dined with us yesterday. She is with her sister Mrs Aspinwall, who has a new baby & still lives in Brookline. Em came in the pm [p. 1 cross] bringing me some pretty buttons from N. York. I am in a great hurry so you must excuse this extreme scrawl
With love to R.
Yr aff Fanny.
Many thanks for the Times. I have sent papa your paper (Hospital)
X[p. 3 cross] I found Mrs Ticknor there bringing books &c so I hope she is kindly looked after.

• Keywords: correspondence; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; document; birthday; death; family life; education; health and illness; Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters from Frances Longfellow (1011/002.001); (LONG-SubseriesName); 1859 (1011/002.001-029); (LONG-FileUnitName)