File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Emmeline (Austin) Wadsworth, 3 December 1849 (77aebb67-8903-49c6-9409-defbc1fd0ab9).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-019#031

Dearest Emmeline,
You will see, by the papers, what dark horror overshadows us like an eclipse, that all thoughts are soiled by suspicions of murder, but you cannot easily conceive how we feel here, how impossible it is for us to believe Dr Webster guilty, knowing him as we do. Not to speak of his character, which has been above all suspicion, he is a man of simple, child-like disposition, passionately fond of flowers & music, nervous, and I should think physically a coward. Therefore, if in a moment of passion, he had been tempted to strike a blow which proved fatal, we cannot imagine he could conceal it in his countenance, nor be at ease in the presence of others, whereas he has been perfectly so for [p. 2] the last week, & the evening of the day the supposed murder was committed he passed at a neighors, with his family, with his usual cheerfulness-
You cannot imagine the growing excitement since Dr Parkman’s disappearance. Indefatigable search has been made, [crossed out: for him] very large rewards offered for him, alive or dead, & many think, & I incline to the same suspicion, that the janitor of the Medical College, who is known to be a bad man (for they cannot easily get any to take his disagreeable office) and has been heard to express a wish to get the reward, may have made things appear against Dr Webster. This man first accused him, & having bones at his control could have placed them where they might seem to bear witness of murder – with a false key &c. Remember the murder is not proved, & it seems to me a strange thing to arrest a man on suspicion of a deed not known to be done. Imagine the distress of [p. 3] both families – the Parkmans, Shaws – Websters & Prescotts! (Mrs Prescott is, you know, half-sister to Mrs Webster) It is the most awful tragedy that ever gloomed upon a Christian community –
I went to see, on Saturday, poor Mrs Webster as an act of kindness, but of course was not admitted. I have the liveliest sympathy for her, - she is such a gentle, sensitive, charming little woman, & her daughters are very amiable. What a blight on their whole lives, even the suspicion, for I cannot think any thing can be proved, black as the evidence looks. Heaven send a ray of light upon the truth, & relieve our minds of this horror & mystery!
To turn from this painful subject, to which every one comes back as by a fatal proclivity, I have just heard that Agassiz’ engagement to Lizzy Cary is at last announced – at an ominous time truly! But it is no secret to any one. She is a good girl & deserves her rare fortune, for he appears to be as thoroughly amiable as he is learned – I like him exceedingly, [p. 4] but should be jealous of a husband so deeply in love with fishes. He & Felton talk of going to Europe in the spring, to leave the feminity behind of course – cool creatures I believe I am the most exigiante wife since Eve, for I doubt if all the sciences in the world could make me consent to be such an Ariadne, so left & lorn. What solitude I do have, I so long to fill with thy presence my darling, - there is so much two women have to say to each other, & since Mary Dixwell deserted me, I have nothing feminine to speak to from mouth to mouth. How much then must I yearn for thee to whom my heart was ever open, with whom I had such unfailing sympathy on every subject. Henry is jealous when I tell him this, but he has his male friends & I can well know the peculiar pleasure their society must give him, while I have no darling Emmeline with whom to chatter & talk as only women can. I have felt this more keenly reading Shirley. It is admirable, - nature itself, & the style wonderfully vigorous & natural – a great improvement on Jane Eyre. There can no longer be any doubt but a woman’s genius sounds those depths. How [p. 1 cross] I wish I could read it with you. – I have written to Tom about the fan.
Fanny Danforth has a very nice husband, gentlemanlike & intelligent, seem very happy. He is of a Boston family, &, from her account, she has no congenial society in Rochester. She looks nobly still, tho thin, nursing a huge baby. Her little Fanny is only a fort night older than my little angel, & it shook me not a little to have her under my roof & to see the children so fond of her. I must begin a new sheet to say something about [p. 5 marked 2] your baby. You have chosen a fine na[me] for him. I trust his troubles are less than Austin’s at his age. The most important think, I think is to avoid all acid food you self, if you still nurse him. Some people drink ale or porter, but I tried it & found it caused colic more than anything else. Cocoa has always been the most nourishing drink to myself, & most innocent, enriching the milk without injuring it. I took it for breakfast, luncheon, tea & supper, & nothing ever could take its place. Boil it with milk & drink nice cream with it. The next most important thing is to keep a babys feet warm, & not to swathe it too tightly, but in spite of every precaution the poor little wretches will suffer until they are older. They are like a ship with new ropes. Our first snow has come, after a very mild autumn, & Henry is trying to tempt me to southern seas. A steamer goes to Bermuda, taking only a day or two for the trip, & it would be charming to see Prospero’s island so easily, but I am lazy about voyaging, particularly with infantry.
[p. 6] It was a hard parting on all sides with “Mamy”—Charley, to our surprise, took it most to heart, but they like their new nurse Ellen May very much. She is remarkably gentle & ladylike in her voice & manner, with a sweet face,-- one of the best kind of Yankee girls. Mary, tho really kind, had a severe, threatening way sometimes which I think rather injured their tempers, & I have faith in the gentler influence with children. But it is very puzzling to know how far to yield—it is very hard to be severe without teaching them to be so to each other. Charley can never be forced—he would go to the death sooner—but his affections are his vulnerable part—& his remorse sometimes aggravates the difficulty. He is now intensely absorbed with a tool-chest—filled with only toy instruments, but he works as hard as if he were building a city. Mrs. Prescott was to have a ball this week! I suppose it must be given up. Lizzy P. looks very nobly now, tho’ beauty without soul. She is eprise[?] at present with Mrs. David Sears. This lady is pleasing & pretty, & always charmingly dressed, more simple & natural than [p. 7] Mrs Ritchie who is a little too New Yorkly mincing. I think young Mrs Tom[?] Perkins & the Chadwicks dress as well, & dance as well. Our friend Scherb gave a lecture on woman a propos of Dante’s Beatrice, the other day, which must have astounded some people as he defended the worship of, or rather reverence for, the Virgin Mary & talked of the “eternal feminine” as the peculiary of X ianity. I saw Miss Wormseley there (she has only just returned from Newport) with Julia Howe who is again enceinte. Mrs Crawford is still with her. Thank you for the sonnet. It is one I had forgotten, but have always thought they all deserved better fame. Miss Bremer passed Thanksgiving at Worcester. She will soon pay Lowell a visit. I think of asking her if I feel in spirits for it. All speak of her as a quiet, unpretending old [woman—is overwritten by] lady, a very pleasant guest, full of kindly feeling of course. This letter has done me good, quelled the heaving & quaking of my mind, which has not been at rest since Saturday. [p. 8] “Can such things overcome us like a summer’s cloud without our special wonder”? Fancy Henry put in irons for murder—or Mr Everett, many other of our sober Professors. A teacher of youth!! How the poor College will be abused by the low & ignorant, who delight to throw mud at the lofty in station. But enough of this. Your gracious image has driven it for awhile from my thoughts, & they shall not be sullied by returning to it—
All good angels watch over you
& yours. With Henry’s love
Ever & ever thine
Fanny E. L.
Cambridge
Monday Dec 3d
A letter from Tom just arrived says he will remain abroad to see after Mary. She has taken a sunny house on Regents Park. The Laurences are very kind & attentive & the Sturgis’ (Russell) they see much of. They gave them a very elegant dinner to meet the L’s. Young Prescott had been having a fine time with all kinds of grand people & was next to go to Spain where his name will be an open sesame.

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