File:Frances (Appleton) Longfellow to Nathan Appleton, 19 August 1842 (af54944f-7bb8-4f47-8780-a6f13d134f0f).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-012#011

Nahant. Friday. August 19th 1842.
Dearest Papa,
After hoping to welcome you here this week & refresh your body & spirit [crossed out: after] from their wearisome labours with our invigorating sea-air (albeit today is as dogdayish as it can be with you) it is too vexations to think your coming is as uncertain as ever. But it is doubtless more patriotic, as well as convenient, on the whole [crossed out: for] to patch up a Tariff, tale quale, than have the prospect of a speedy return to damp your release. If you had time for any-thing else I should send in a petition, & I guess I could get as many abettors as the Chartists for theirs,! that the Veto power should be modified or abolished without delay, if for nothing else that we may not be the laughing-stock of the world for representing the novel spectacle of a Republic metamorphosed into a Despotism.
Mr Laurence came to see us a few nights since & edified us with an account of his conversations with our worthy Sultan, which must have been about as satisfactory as if held with the Brother of the Sun himself. Common sense & right feeling [p. 2] & broad patriotic views seem to make hardly as much impressions on his narrow, selfish mind as the Atlantic here upon these stern rocks. Have you seen Mr Mann’s 4th of July oration? Probably not, or have had no time to read it. It has given me intense satisfaction & ought to do much good. It is refreshing to hear such direct, needful, tho’ painful, truths on an occasion when sugarplums or Champagne have been the only diet offered men’s souls & bodies. You are surprised I take an interest in the nation’s doings (or undoings) & think it is because I have now a personal bond through you. I dont care much I confess for the details of legislation but a great deal for the spirit dwelling in them, whether it is a right or wrong one. That is a woman’s patriotism! I suppose Harriet has written you that poor Mr Coffin is no more – a great release from his prolonged suffering & helplessness. She has gone to town today to attend his funeral & will perhaps pass the night. Unluckily it is the warmest day we have had this month & the air which makes it delicious here will be wanting between those brick walls. The weather has been strangely unlike what it should be; such heavy mists – constant showers – & dampness. We have [p. 3] consoled ourselves for your desertion by thinking you escaped inevitable rheumatism if you were par boiled in W. I passed a day & night with Emmelin & poor Mr Austin was groaning with it altho’ wrapped in a great coat. The country is as “remarkable for its greenness” still as Mr Webster thought England but the atmosphere seems like an exhausted receiver after this. I enjoy highly my daily rides on Victoria who is more manageable under the bit than her namesake. & trots me over the beaches charmingly. We have had very gay doings at the Hotel in the way of weekly balls & tableaux – under pretty Mrs Ridgway’s patronage. They teased me into enacting one of [the] latter [w]hich I did, not to seem unamiable, but have refused since, it is a little too public an exposure of oneself. The Laurence clan in all its branches fills up the vacant corners there pretty effectually. Sarah is looking beautifully & I hope Mary A. will gain here for she is at present a painful contrast to her former pretty self. Madame Calderon comes to Boston next week & Aunt Sam tells me the Inglises have decided to return to us for good, - trusting much in old friends – overmuch I fear. It seems Mrs Schenley urged her Father so warmly as a dying request, feeling it a great risk to go to Surinam, to acknowledge them as innocent of her elopement that he has relented & is very forgiving & civil to them.
[p. 4 bottom] The steamer should be in today. I am impatient for its arrival as Capt Judkins brought us nothing but his goodly self. They may write from Scotland. I expect much from Highland air & constant variety. Alonzo has been hovering about us & yesterday came near alighting but Tom but a veto upon it by a ‘not at home’ in good season –
[p. 4 top] He left a paper for me with any quantity of doggrel [sic] making very free with all the young ladies’ names at Nahant. Not only doggrel but mad-dogrel [sic]. That is a pun worthy of the dog-days – but I will curtail this nonsense. Sincerely praying that you will bake a digestible Tariff before the oven grows cold & as quickly as may be I am
Yr most aff Fanny –
[p. 1 cross] Healey’s portrait of Uncle Sam is excellent for expression gentlemanliness &c but he has not given the full depth of his coloring. Mr Paige is most admirable & Madame pleasing tho ‘tant soit peu’ silly looking. I think a little of sitting for Mary (small size).
William has been quite ill but is down stairs today – I hope the heat has not reduced you to Mrs Royall’s sketch – a “tall spare man” &c!

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