Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-12-29
LoNGfELLoW 10 A FRIEND.
A Letter WTitfea During His
ProfessorshiP at Bowdoin.
AnAn Aaverti ef CorrespOpdence.


Aubu n Advert ef correspondence.
JACKSONVILLE. LII. December
i6-Inasmuch as the accompanying
letter OF Lougfellow makes mention
Of A very important event in bis life,
and also expresses 40 opinion Of down
East" in general, and has never been
published, il may be Of interest to
some of your readers. 1t was written
to James Berdln. then a rising young
lawyer of New York, and afterward
n of the most brilliant lawyers in
the West. James Berdan and Long
fellow we're fast friends, as this letter
testifes. J. Berdan was by marriage
a relative of Washington Irving, from
whom he also has letters. he was
also a life long friend Of Lincoln, and
possesses letters from him. The epis-
tie is written in a small, neat hand,
without a single mistake. 1t is
through the kindness of Mrs. l.. Q.
Tiffany, daughter Of Judge Berdan,
that | am permitted to send you a
copy:
PORTLAND, January A, 1881.
DEAR BERDAN-After a silence OF
SO many months. common courtesy
seems to demand that this letter
should commence with an apology. |
received your last in the busy prepa
ration Of an inaugural address. A
fortnight after | had delivered that, |
pronounced a discourse Of a different
kind before a society in this town, and
within the course of two months two
more public addresses-0ne here and
another 10 HallOwell. In all these
instances circumstances were such
that | could not relt Sc, though l
wished to and so %endeayored. Add to
this my college duties, and it would
be an idle QUESTION to ak whether |
was sick OF pen, ink aud paper. l
have, too, been very busily employed
in every interval with writing my
lectures on modern literature.
The few letters which | have writ
ten during this period are limited to
those which bore the superscription
Of a young lady Of Portland, to whom
| have sworn iealty. You saw the
same lady in New York last summer,
Miss Mary Potter. Please communi-
cate this news, if news it be, to all Of
Mr.. Storer's family. Surely this is
quite as succinet and categorical a
statement Of the case as could well be
made out.
There, you have my reasons for thu
long silence | have guarded. / hop
you will find this Of weight. The few
lines | wrote you in September
hear did not reach you in season t
determine you to take
northward journey. If that wa
the cause OF your rot coming,
sincerely regret it. Giving you tn
information you desired too late 70
you to avail yourself Of it is wha
Pierre = Pierre living would ca
shabby treatment. But [ imagin
other circumstances prevented you
visiting Maine, besides were it not S
my negligence has been sufficient
punished by my being deprived Of th
pleasure of seeing you,
| have given Mr.. Kurdish, a Port
lander, a letter of introduction to YOU
He is an odd kind of a man, but thin
you will be pleased with some Of h
ideas on things and matters in genera
tie will probably be in New York i
the course Of a week or ten days
perhaps not at all. To him | refe
you for all that can possibly interes
you in this land Of barbarians, thi
miserable down East. | feel as if
were living in exile here, and it wi
be a deed Of charity in you to com
and makea long visit as o as 20
can 6nd leisure.
Give my best regards to my cousin
and friends, one and all. Pray writ
me soon, for though an inexorabl
correspondent, | am fond of hearin
Of my friends and receiving letter
from them
Is Slidell in New York? I hav
long owed him a letter, six months q
least. / wish he would waive cere
mony.
Most sincerely your friend,
Il. W. LoNGFELL0W,