Letters from Frances Longfellow //1847년 8월 31일.

[모나리자]

내일은 사랑하는 사람이여, 우리는 10일간의 방문을 마치고 크레이기 성의 안락한 곳으로 돌아갑니다. 그리고 다시 내 지붕 아래에 있게 되어서 정말 감사할 것입니다. 개별이 내 아이들에게 악의를 품고 있지 않다면 말입니다.

우리는 포틀랜드에서 린을 거쳐 여기로 왔는데, 호텔이 얇을 것이라고 믿었지만 방을 확보하지 못했고, 따라서 처음에는 경사 지붕이 아주 그림처럼 보이는 다락방에 앉았습니다. 마침내 헨리가 진정한 시적 고각인 다락방을 찾았을 때 농담을 했고, 나 자신을 '고통에 시달리는' 불쌍한 여자로 상상했습니다. 아기가 칠하지 않은 나무 요람에 묻혀 있는 것을 보고, 아기가 그 아기에게 충분히 고풍스럽고, [p. 2] 모든 발걸음마다 들보에 머리를 부딪혔습니다.

며칠 후 우리는 기쁜 마음으로 다른 방으로 내려갔지만, 여전히 너무 작아서 쥐덫 같았고, 우리는 거의 창밖으로 발을 내딛고 잠을 잡니다. 여름 내내 이 호텔의 더럽고 불편한 환경에서 살아남을 수 없을 것 같지만, 날씨가 충분히 따뜻하지 않았고, 제가 온 이후로 끔찍한 감기에 걸렸다는 점을 제외하면, 저는 이 시간을 매우 즐겼습니다.

저는 여기에서 시드니 브룩스 부인과 고램 부인을 기쁘게 만났습니다. 베이컨 부인, 라이스 부부, 벨냅 부부, 그리고 다른 보스턴 사람들과 상당수의 캐나다인들도 유쾌했습니다. 베란다에서 산책하고 수다를 떨고, 현관 소파 위나 근처에 모이는 것은 흔한 일이지만, 제가 온 이후로는 [p. 3] 활기찬 일은 없었습니다. 호너 로맨스는 진부해졌지만, 그 주인공은 여전히 ​​남아서, 흥미로운 모습을 보이기 위해 검은 손수건을 팔에 두르고 산책을 하며, 엄마와 딸이 끊임없이 동행하고, 아버지는 분노에 차서 자신의 집으로 돌아갔습니다.

브룩스 부인은 이틀 전에 아버지를 찾아갔고, 제네시오를 방문하라고 권하지 않았습니다. 윌리엄 버트는 그의 방문을 극찬하며 묘사했습니다. 저에게는 "미국에서 그녀가 한 가장 매력적인 방문"이라고 했습니다. 그래서 당신의 노력이 헛되지 않았다는 것을 알 수 있습니다. 집과 저녁 식사의 스타일이 그를 기쁘게 했고, 여주인도 칭찬할 수 없습니다.

여기에는 매우 예쁜 소녀들이 있습니다. 아름다운 눈썹과 눈을 가진 미스 스톤과 6명의 여동생[4쪽]이 있습니다. 예쁘고 착하고 놀라울 정도로 똑똑한 아이들입니다. 그들은 이틀 저녁 일어나서 멋진 우아함과 취향으로 그룹을 지어 옷을 입었습니다. 그들의 어머니는 아름다운 여성입니다. 그리고 미스 스프래그는 상큼하고 아름다운 처녀이고, 미스 다나는 매우 위엄이 있습니다(그녀의 오빠는 제이 중 한 명과 약혼했습니다). 하지만 아마도 가장 사랑스러운 사람은 필라델피아 소녀인 애벗 로렌스 부인[줄이 그어짐: 결혼한 사람]일 것입니다. 그녀는 매우 기분 좋고 매력적으로 옷을 입었습니다.

나는 멋진 드레스들 사이에서 매우 초라하게 느껴진다. 이번 여름에는 품위 있는 옷장을 가질 시간이 없었기 때문이다. 러글스 양은 종종 페이지 부인에게서 온다. 나는 그녀를 매우 좋아한다. 그런데, P 부인은 Codmans의 오래된 저택을 개조하여 지은 매우 세련된 저택을 가지고 있으며, 그녀의 마을에서와 마찬가지로 저녁 식사를 제공한다.

나한트는 지금 가장 인구가 밀집되어 있지만, 그 지역은 예전처럼 거칠고 웅장하다. 나는 훌륭한 파도를 헛되이 갈망했다. 우리는 죽은 듯이 고요했고 [p. 5] 너무 차가운 안개 때문에 달이 보이지 않았다. 톰은 그리스 의상을 입고 매니저를 맡았던 Fancy Ball에 대한 생생한 이야기를 가지고 뉴포트에서 돌아왔다.

매킨토시의 한 연줄인 웨지우드 부인이 영국에서 도착했고, 나이아가라를 보고 가능한 한 많은 것을 보고 싶어한다. 그녀는 여자 친구는 찾았지만, 남자는 없었고, 그녀와 동행할 사람을 찾았고, 톰을 붙잡았고, 톰은 친절하게 동의했고, 그들은 아마도 모레 출발할 것이고, 나는 당신이 가는 길에 당신을 볼 수 있기를 바랍니다.

그녀는 살찐, 현명하고 기분 좋은 여자이고, 여성과 아이들의 아름다움에서부터 많은 사람들이 다투는 다른 것들에 이르기까지 미국적인 모든 것에 매우 기뻐합니다. [p. 6] 그녀는 어제 여기서 하루를 보냈고, 이 해안의 웅장함에 크게 사로잡혔습니다.
저는 한스 안데르센의 인생 이야기를 담은 매력적인 책을 읽기 시작했습니다.

보셨나요? 그것은 북부의 모든 단순함과 정서와 천재적인 사람을 담고 있습니다. 저는 매일 당신의 마지막 편지를 바랍니다.
우리 집주인은 다음 주에 화려한 무도회에 대해 미친 듯이 이야기하고 있지만, 그가 인어와 인어 남자들을 그들의 민족 의상으로 초대하지 않는 한, 그가 공연자들을 어디에서 찾을지 모르겠습니다. 우리는 매우 빨리 줄어들고 있지만, 모든 예언은 9월이 따뜻할 것이라고 합니다.

나는 이번 여름에 [줄을 그었다: 거의] 충분히 따뜻한 하루를 보내지 못했고, 햇살 가득한 가을을 즐길 것입니다.

[p. 7]

저는 벨냅 부인과 체이스 부인에게 리치 부인에 대한 이야기를 물었고, 그녀는 지루하지만 고통스럽지는 않은 시간을 보냈다는 것을 알게 되었습니다. 그녀는 매우 가볍고 효과가 없는 고통을 겪었고, 그 고통은 위기를 너무 오래 지속시켰습니다. 그녀는 마지막에야 에테르를 사용했습니다. 저는 여기에서 많은 새로운 사례에 대해 들었고, 지금은 매우 보편적인 것 같고, 저는 그러한 축복에 대한 개척자라는 점에서 한 명 이상의 사람에게 진심으로 감사를 표합니다. 메리 드와이트는 이곳에서 태어난 일주일 된 아들을 두고 있습니다.

그녀의 큰 아들은 가장 특이한 영향을 받았다고 합니다. 아이들을 보면 아프고, 모든 작은 언덕이 그에게는 산과 같습니다. 그는 슬프게도 그렇게 예민하게 굴었던 것 같지만, 언제 조여야 하고 얼마나 멀리까지 해야 하는지는 매우 당혹스러운 방식입니다.

[p. 8]

나는 내 아이들을 제대로 교육하는 데 거의 절망합니다. 그들은 때때로 너무 변덕스러워서 어떤 진심도 용서받을 수 있을 것 같고, 그런 다음 너무 사랑스럽고 신뢰하는 당신의 마음이 녹아내립니다.
하지만 나는 무릎에 너무 많은 글을 쓰는 데 지쳤고, 비어 있는 땅을 떠나는 것을 싫어합니다. 리버 박사가 이 근처에 있습니다.

사랑하는 사람아, 작별 인사를 전합니다. 당신 주변의 모든 사람에게 가장 따뜻한 추억을 전합니다. 당신의 애정은 항상
팬 - 헨리의 가장 큰 사랑.

Manuscript letter

Archives Number: 1011/002.001-018#022

Nahant. Wednesday.

Tomorrow beloved, we return to the comforts of Craigie Castle, after a ten days visit here, & most thankful shall I be to be under my own roof again, unless the dog star is malicious to my children.

We came here from Portland via Lynn, & trusting to find the Hotel thin did not secure rooms, & were accordingly perched up in the garret whose sloping roof seemed quite picturesque at first, & I joked Henry upon finding his true poetical elevation, the attic, at last, & imagined myself a poor woman ‘distrained for rint,’ seeing my baby buried in an unpainted, wooden cradle, antique enough for the infant Them, & knocking my [p. 2] head against the rafters at every step.

In a few days we joyfully descended, however, to other rooms, tho still so small they are like mouse traps, & we sleep with our feet almost out of the window. I think I could not survive for a summer the dirt & discomfort of this hotel, but, except that the weather has not been warm enough, & I have had a wretched cold ever since I came, I have enjoyed this much time very well.

I found to my joy Mrs Sidney Brooks here, & Mrs Goram [sic]; Mrs Bacon, the Rices, the Belknaps & other Boston people & quite a number of Canadians have also been pleasant. There is the usual strolling & gossiping on the verandahs, & congregating on or near the sofas in the entry – but nothing very [p. 3] lively has been going on since I came – the Horner romance was growing stale, tho’ the hero of it still remains, promenading with his arm in a black handkerchief by way of looking interesting, constantly accompanied by the mamma & daughter, the father having retired in indignation to his own house.

Mrs Brooks left for her Fathers a day or two since, & gives no encouragement of visiting Geneseo. Wm Birtt described his visit in glowing terms – to me – “altogether the most charming one her ever made in America,” so you see your efforts were not thrown away. The style opf the house & dinners delighted him, not to speak of the hostesses whicho can not be praised in the same breath.

We have some very pretty girls here – A Miss Stone with fine brow & eyes, & half a dozen little sisters [p. 4] pretty, nice children & amazingly clever. They got up tableaux two evenings, grouping & dressing themselves with wonderful grace & taste their mother is a fine looking woman Then Miss Sprague is a fresh & fair damsel, & a Miss Dana is very stately (whose brother is engaged to one of the Jays) but perhaps the loveliest person is Mrs Abbot Lawrence [crossed out: who married] a Philadelphia girl very pleasing & dressing charmingly.

I feel very shabby among the nice dresses, having had no time, this summer, to have a respectable wardrobe. Miss Ruggles often comes over from Mrs Paiges. I like her much. Mrs P., by the way, has a most tasteful mansion constructed out of the Codmans old one, & gives dinners equal to her town ones.

Nahant is most thickly settled now but the region is as wild & grand as ever. I have longed in vain for fine surf. We have had a dead calm [p. 5] & such chilly mists that the moon has been lost upon us. Tom has returned from Newport with lively accounts of the Fancy Ball, where he was Manager in his Greek dress.

A connection of Mackintoshes, a Mrs Wedgwood, has arrived from England, & wishes to see Niagara & as much besides as possible. She has found a female friend, but no male, one to accompany her, & seizes upon Tom, who goodnaturedly assents, & they will set forth day after tomorrow probably & will I hope see you en route.

She is a fat, sensible pleasing woman & highly delighted with every thing American, from the beauty of the women & children to other things many quarrel with. [p. 6] She passed the day here yesterday, & was much stuck by the grandeur of this shore.
I have begun a charming book Hans Andersen’s story of his life.

Have you seen it? It has all the simplicity & sentiment of the North & a man of genius. I am hoping daily for your last letter.
Our landlord is insanely talking of a fancy ball next week, but where he will find performers I know not, unless he invites the mermaids & mermen in their national costume. We are thinning off very fast, altho’ all prophecy September will be warm.

I have hardly [crossed out: hardly] had a day warm enough this summer & shall enjoy a sunny Autumn.

[p. 7]

I asked Mrs Belknap & Mrs Chase lore of Mrs Ritch, & found she had a tedious, but not painful, time. She had very slight, ineffectual pains which prolonged so much the crisis. She used the ether only at the last. I have heard of many new cases here, & it seems now quite universal, & I am cordially thanked by more than one for pioneering to such a blessing. Mary Dwight has a boy a week old born down here.

Her eldest boy is most singularly affected they say. The sight of children makes him ill, & every mole-hill is a mountain to him. He has been sadly indulged in such sensitiveness I believe, but when to pull the bit & how far is a most puzzling manner.

[p. 8]

I almost despair of educating my children decently – they are so perverse at times that any sincerity seems excusable, & then are so lovely & trusting that your heart melts.
But I am weary scribbling so much on my knee, tho loath to leave any unoccupied ground. Dr Lieber is in this vicinity.

Farewell beloved – with warmest remembrances to all about you – ever thy affte
Fan –
Henry’s best love.

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Fanny (Applet‎on) Longfellow (1817-1861)