Transcript of Letter from Charlotte Cushman to [Sidney Lanier], Oct 21, 1875

Transcripts by Jennie Lorenz

Credit

[page 1] [Pencil]

Dear friend—

I am at last settled for the winter (if not forever & the first thing I do is to write to beg you in your first holiday to come & pay me a visit, here– which where we are most comfortable—Have all our meals in our own room—so we are as cozy as if we were at housekeeping & we want to see you. Our talk with Mr. Calvert about you has made it seem that we must see you. You made a charming impression upon him & upon hr [sic]–dear little bird that she is—& all that he told me of you doing & being & the people you were seeing in New York pleased me very much. I was so grieved to Miss Lord Houghtons visit—I wanted particularly to see him about you—He went to Newport to see me & I was not there & only a servant saw him who told him nothing about my being in Boston, or I am sure he would have come here—perhaps I may see him yet. If you see him I wish you would say to him that I do hope he may not leave the country without coming to Boston & that he will let me see him. I did see the 'Absence' sonnet & was exquisitely charmed. The copy you sent me did not reach me—but I ordered one directly & sent over? to England with the others the 'Florida' article delighted me— & I long for your book. Your prose is almost as fine as your poetry,—can I say more to let you know how I like it. Mr. [Calvert[?] tells me you are at work for helping +++ on an Indian article—I am so glad—You must come to pay us one vsit before the very cold weather comes in— &You must stay just as long as you can possibly spare time. I hope your wife & children continue to send you good accounts of themselves. To such a true knight

[page 2] there can come no true peace or enjoyment apart from his loving 'comrade!.. You must commend me to hr [sic] in all true woma womanly greeting.—I am so sorry for her not to be with you & so sorry for you that you do not have hr [sic]. I must write in pencil as I cannot sit at a table & to write. I suffer very much but you can endure more in hope of the cure I am promised but am fearful cannot be realized. Let me hear at your leisure. & believe me ever as I am your faithful friend.

Charlotte Cushman