File:Caroline Frances Appleton to Fanny Appleton, 11 February 1834 (e061ff4e-2cda-492a-bdb1-4099025c8969).jpg

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.002-002#006

Feb 11th 1834
My dear Cousin,
I duly received your amusing letter of the 15th Jan, & can assure you it would have been answered long before this but for for the unexpected return of Willie, [strikethough] which of course has put every thing else out of my usually flighty brains, but as he is going away tomorrow much to my despair (for Lowell is now more stupid than ever) I was determined to delay my epistle no longer. Lowell has been and is unusualy [sic] dull, tho’ it is no great shaks [sic] at any time, the only [endearing?] thing to be heard is innumerable sleighbell, giving forth all kinds of notes, some of them resembling Miss H. B- piano at Nahant, pray remember some of the scenes round it, it is quite a usual thing to see the Lowell carts trolling over the snow without any rider, & turning the right corners as if by instinct, but woe to any unlucky urchin that stands in their way, you know horses are never polite! I am glad to hear you are pursing [sic] your Italian, just [attend?] a moment while I relate my misfortunes in that [?]. When I left shchool [sic] I had learnt enough of the mechanicals to be enabled to [prosecute?] if by myself & fully intended to do so one day I seized “Saml” and [page 2] looking after the dictionary found it flung on top of the book case with inumerable [sic] other cast off books. I mounted a chair, & in my learning frenzy knocked the wished for book behind the bookcase, the bookcase can not be moved, the book could not be got out, the unfortunate dictionary there slumbers in dark & pitiable solitude, & ever since that my thirst for learning has subsided! how much more lucky you are. The young pair Mr & Mrs [Baits?] have [strikethrough] edified this town by their presence lately, & I was much surprised not to hear the bells toll on their arrival, it is reported here that they came in a barouche and four & departed in a stage and six! Your cousin Miss Wright, will have an oportunity [sic] of seeing Miss Kemble as I see she is adorning Boston by her presence. I am obliged to you for the compliment conveyed in your wish to possess some of my drawing & when I have any spare time I will certainly oblige you, on condition you will send me a face done in Miss Clark’s way. I never laughed so much as I did at the Bradbury downfall it was capital, pray tell me was our friend [Hxxxxxx] among them? I will give you the shchooling now that you have long deserved, why after having asked you so many times will you not tell me how to direct my letters to Elizabeth, if you do not tell me in your next letter- beware! I had just found something to say that I thought would interest when lo! our door opened & in walked a female bore, [dispersed?] my wits by talking about what I did not care a bit about, made me forget what I had to tell you and therefore will deprive you of the pleasure of [page 3] an interesting and “balky epistle” for which you say true enough. I am not [reassured?]. But who living in such a [dreadful?] place would invite an interesting, ^for that you would have to toss up the [beds?] of sand with which this place abounds and see what secrets they would disclose. They have already [rendered?] up hundreds of [homes?] of [disputed?] [individuals?], & no knowing if we looked far enough what other wonders might not be revealed but who would undertake such a task surely not I, and therefore I am afraid this letter will fail to [entice?] one who has [novelty?] [sound?] her every step she takes. Do you remember the interesting French tale you read to me while at your house, of your own composition? when I returned for want of occupation I tried to write one in English, & if you should ever make your appearance up here (which I hope to mercy will be soon.) I intend to submit it to your inspection & I assure you you must consider it a great favor for me [?] [eyes?] has peeped into my literary sanctorum. I have at this moment before me some lectures written by Jesse Appleton D. D. just lent me, it is an imense [sic] looking book, & I do not know when I shall begin the undertaking, I hope I shall have a letter from you in the mean time to refresh me. My music is coming on in about the same usual way, & Samuel told you time enough when he said he accompanied me, wether [sic] I consider the sort of bass he [gives?] any [audition?] is another thing, the duett [sic] he most excels in is our one we used to chant before the glass, “No.” the only dificulty [sic] is that he generally speaks before his time or come a bar or two after, making no confusion at all. I begin to think it time for me to quit Lowell for will you [page 3 cross hatching] three chamber maids were sitting at the bottom of the stairs chatting with each other, they had heard an unusual scampering in the entries but did not take much notice of it, till down rolled the two combatant in the middle of the frightened female, then upon the shriek, one took the dog & tossed him against the [?] door, [?] other siezed [sic] the cat by the neck & made off with her and the other I suppose was the one that [mildly?] [expostulated?] Mercy upon me! how have I continued to spin out this letter to such a length [sic] if this is not long enough [strikethroughs] I do not know what you want, I bet you will read this just as you go to bed for I am sure you will sleep sound upon it. Remember me to all your family & believe me
your affectionate Cousin
Caroline
[page 4] believe it the legs drop out of the chairs themselves at the eminent risk of precipitating the being thereupon instated to the ground. This recalls to my mind a most ridiculous anecdote [sic], which for want of something more amusing I will here relate. The other morning while my busy fingers were dilegently [sic] [flying?] my needle, a most horrid shriek [sic] sent the air, then a burst of laughter, & to crown the whole, a howling of dogs a mewing of cats, and a chorus of female voices ranting some poor wretch in no very merciful manner thunderstruck at such a noise in our quiet abode. I opened the door, but the noise had ceased & I saw nothing but a black cat flying across the entry her hair tail & ears pointing most ominously towards the ceiling never did I see a cat run like that one! I afterwards learnt the cause of all this comotion [sic], my brother Samuel’s dog Rob Roy McGregor” or as he is generally called here “Bob” had a bitter enmity towards the black cat I had seen galopading the entry; on the said morning he had found her in the entry, she [strikethrough] instead of [leaving?] upon the dog as is usual with this furry species, took to her heel & flew up the front stairs, up Bob went after her, down the back stairs she came her pursuer hotly followed thro [sic] the lower entry she flew, but still untired he followed up the front stairs she came, & both fairly exausted [sic] stopped on our landing, but puss feeling I suppose she would not [mew?] much longer, flew at him with her paws, this sort of attack Bob did not understand so he up with his paws, & some how in this unequal contest they got entangled and both came rolling one after another down stairs, now it happened that

• Keywords: correspondence; frances elizabeth (appleton) longfellow; manuscript; document; appleton family; long archives; frances e. a. longfellow papers (long 20257); Correspondence (1011/002); (LONG-SeriesName); Letters to Frances Longfellow (1011/002.002); (LONG-SubseriesName); J.W. Andrews - C.F. Appleton (1011/002.002-002); (LONG-FileUnitName)