News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-05-04
LONGFELLOW'S ROMANCE.
How He Wooed His Second Wife.

The Pittsfeld Evening Journal con
tains the following: Early in the present
century, Nathan Appleton, a prominent
Boston merchant, writer and publicist,
married Miss Maria Theresa, daughter
of Thomas Gold, a Pittsfeld lawyer,
who owned and occupied the fine man.
sion now the residence of Mrs. Thomas
F. Pinnkett. Mrs. Appleton appears to
have been lady of rare excellence.
Her contemporaries in Pittsburg and
Boston could find no terms too high to
express their admiration of her graces
of mind and person. Her daughter,
Miss Francis Elizabeth Appleton, was
worthy of such mother. In the year
1912, Miss Appleton was with her faith
er travelling on the continent of Europe,
and especially in Germany. In the
same year Professor Longfeilow was in
Germany.
He was then 35 years old, professor of
the modern languages and belles-lettres
in Harvard University. He had mar
ried very early in life, and soon lost a
beloved wife and infant child, whose
memory he cherished to tho last; but
be was not unsusceptible to new love,
and he became deeply enamored of
Fannie Appleton. No passion can be
more ardent than that of man of 35.
Mr.. Longfellow was man of fine
personal appearance, with rare attain
ments in European culture, to which he
had devoted several years of travel and
study, and he had already fame as
poet not confined to America. But
still his suit did not thrive. If not alb
solutely rejected he was not an accepted
lover.
Both returned to America. Mr.. Long
fellow published his romance of "Ry-
perion," in which he told the story of
his love he being his own hero, under
the name of Paul F2eman1irag; his
heroine, Mary Ashbmrton, being Miss
Appleton. It is in this romance that
the song, 81 know maiden fair to see,"
occurs.
The professor followed the lady to
her summer home in Pittsfeld, and no
lady who has read "Hyperion" and
'Kavanagh" will blame the heroine
that she then yielded to SO passionate
lover. Much of the scenery and some
of the story of "Kavanagh'' is derived
from Prof. Longfellow's wooing and
marriage, although not so closely as in
Hyperion" The Pittsfeld scenery is
easily recognized.
Following are two or three extracts
the marriage and the bride
from the letters of Mr.. Longfellow's
lifelong friend, Charles Sumner:
Writing to John Jay at New York,
May 25, 1843, Mr.. Sumner says: ''You
will probably find Longfellow married
man, for he is now engaged to Miss
Fannie Appleton, the Mary AShba4rto1l
of Hyperion lady of the greatest
sweetness, imagination and elevation
of character, with striking personal
charms"
August 13, 1843, he writes from Bos-
ton to George W. Greene: "You will
find dear Longfellow married to the
beautiful and most lovely Mary Ash-
burton. They were married July 13.
They will rejoice to see you. They
will linger among her friends in Berk
shire until Saturday, August 10, when
they will return to Cambridge, and she
will commence her life as 10ro6essorin. "
To Prof. Mitten Marie of Heidelburg,
Germany, Mr.. Sumner wrote: ''You
have heard of the happiness of Long
fellow, who is married to a most beau
tiful lady, possessing every attraction of
character and intelIipence