Letter to Miss Mary C. Cook, Great Falls, New Hampshire, from Fanny, Concord, New Hampshire, 1847
Concord, July 11, 1847
My dear Mary. Your last letter lies before me, dated May 17, and urging me to write very soon. Now this not soon, by a good deal, is it? I have no excuse to offer for my negligence, excepting multiplycity of cares and the like, but I trust your kind heart will excuse and forgive me as it has often done.
I have been absent from home three weeks – returned yesterday afternoon – this will excuse me in part for not writing a little sooner. I spent two weeks, with friends in Portland, very pleasantly indeed. I think Portland is a very beautiful city and I enjoyed my visit there, even better than I expected to. I should not have enjoyed it, if I had not found kind, warm-hearted friends – such as I love. Who can be happy without the society of dear friends, even if they could have everything else that the heart could wish. I know of some persons who seem not capable of having anybody or anything – of all persons I pity them the must. I expect you are still teaching at Great Falls, and shall venture to direct my letter there. I am glad you have so pleasant a situation and enjoy yourself so well.
Do you find Mr Pickering any more agreable than formerly? I expect he just a good young man, but I thought him rather strange, and I never could fancy him – if I may be allowed to use that expression – in other words – he wasn’t agreable to me in his looks or manners. I presume he has improved. I am glad he succeeds so well in teaching.
Is Shackford as agreable as you used to think him. He was one of your favorites, I believe. Does he like to play with the girls as well as ever? I should like well to see him – he was a merry soul. Rollins was a pleasant little fellow.
Sarah is out teaching now. She expects to go to school at Gilmanton in the Fall. I received a letter from Mac. last evening. He says your sister Phebe is not as well as she has been. I am sorry to hear it. I hoped she was much better.
When McLaurin last called on us he invited me to go up to Commencement. I think I shall improve the opportunity. I shall certainly be very happy to go. He told me he thought you would be there. I hope so Mary. If you go, you will, of course come to Concord and go up with me. If I go I shall want a visit from you.
I hope Emily Bird will be here, though I have heard nothing from her recently. Do come, dear girl, if you can. Come so as to stop with us as long as you can before going to Hanover. We shall be very happy to see you, and will do all in our power to make your visit pleasant. I think you would enjoy a visit here now, better than you could in the Winter. You said when you was here that you shouldn’t come again until we had visited you. That was a naughty promise and “bad promises are better broken than kept,” you know. We want to see you just as much as though you had never been here, and more, certainly. Be assured you shall receive a warm welcome, if you will come, and we shall feel very much disappointed if you dont.
In regard to the promised visit you speak of – I can only say that I shall be mos[t] happy to fulfil any such promise, whenever I h[ave] an opportunity and can do so conveniently. I know not when thet will be, but sometime, I trust. When I see you, we will talk about it.
I should like to visit Marie and George too. I am glad they enjoy life. I am surprised at what you tell me in regard to Daniel Parsons. I never was much acquainted with him, but always supposed he was a moral young man. I understand he is at Barnstead now. I pity his mother, I think there are but few good young men. I know one good one.
Write soon wont you? I shall expect to see you very soon. Accept love from Mother and Sister.
Adieu.
Yrs. affectionately Fanny.
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Notes: Letter to Miss Mary C. Cook, Great Falls, New Hampshire, from “Fanny,” Concord, New Hampshire, July 11, 1847 — From the Phillip F. Schlee Collection, Manhattan, Kansas