Letter, December 8, 1888, to Mr. Butler
Date
1888-12-08
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Abstract
Letter thanking Mr. Butler for apples and his condolences on the death of Matthew Arnold.
Description
Cobham Surrey – December 8th, 1888. (in margin) How are Mr. and Mrs. Tiffany, Mrs. Ogden, Mrs. Draper, of our mutual and other friends?
My dear Mr. Butler
Your apples arrived quite safely, and in good order thanks to the careful packing, and they are beautiful to look at, and excellent to eat. It was most kind of you to think of us and to send them. Your letter followed the next day. Dear Mr. Butler it was so good of you to write, and I value your letter more than I can say. It touched me deeply – I know how truly you and dear Miss Butler feel for me. You loved, as well as admired, my beloved Matt. You knew him well, and knew therefore all that was so great and good in him; and there too, you have yourself know so much sorrow, that you understand, what my sorrow must be. I can only say the sense of loss deepens and increases as time goes on. If it were not for my children, who are all so “lovely” and tender and dear to me, I don’t know what I should do! Though I pray and strive for that absolute and true faith, so that I may say “It is well,” and then I try to think of all my beloved would have wished me to do; and this helps me to occupy my time and to go on, as far as I can, with my old anticipations. You must forgive me for writing so much about myself, but your kind words and the knowledge of your sympathy have led me into it. Will you give my most ample love to dear Miss Butler and thank her for her letter, which ought to have had an answer before this, but want of time has really prevented it. Nelly and I thank you both for all your good wishes to her on her engagement to Mr. Wodehouse. It is a great comfort to us both, that her beloved father would have approved. He knew of Mr. Wodehouse’s attachment to Nelly, but she was not engaged to him until nearly the end of the summer. There ___st ____ be a great conflict in at all, and the yearning and longing for our beloved one, and his love and interest in his Nelly’s future. I am sure you and Miss Butler would like Armine, and I know you will both be glad to hear that I like
him extremely and nothing can be better or more considerate than he is, to me. I was extremely sorry to miss seeing General and Mrs. McClurg when they were on this side of the Atlantic. I had such ____ ____ letters from them, and am hoping to write to them now they are back at Chicago. I hope Mrs. McClurg is better and ____ quite well and strong.
I wish you and Miss Butler were coming to England again – I can not tell you how much I should love to see you again. I can never forget your kindness to us, and how
you made your house quite a house to us in New York – just this time five years ago we were with you I think? Lucy in her last letter mentioned your having dined with them – and the pleasure it had been to her to see you and Miss Butler, and to ____ you. Again thanking you dear Mr. Butler for your great kindness in writing to us as you did, and also for the apples, and with Nelly’s very best love. Believe me always very affectionately yours
Frances L. Arnold
I must not forget to add the apples arrived quite free of expense! Thank you!
Frances
Keywords
Letters, Arnold, Matthew, 1822-1888