James T. Fields — 26 Nov. 1861

To JAMES T. FIELDS

November 26, 1861, Wheeling

Mr. Fields

May I shake hands with you in our Virginia fashion? You have made the day a very happy one for me. I cannot tell you what old childish fancies surged up at the sight of Longfellow and Hawthorne. Mr. Holmes’ face is not what I expected. Thank Mrs Fields most earnestly for me. She ought to thank God for such a face–it must be so natural to love her.[1] It is quite en regle[2] for me to ask for your own, isn’t it? I make it so at any rate;— please send it. I have wished to see it for a long time. For mine, you will understand that it “had best be hushed up among my friends” when I tell you there is but one copy of it extant. But as soon as this fog allows the sun to attend to his business, I will send one to Mrs Fields.

If you are contented with the end of the story, so am I. I only intended to kill Dr. Knowles at Manassas,[3] but he may as well see the war out, I suppose.

Yours truly R.B.H.

Notes

1. The Fieldses often sent RHD small portraits of the authors they published and occasionally of themselves. These portraits were of the author Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864), the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882), and the physician, poet, and author Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes (1809-1884).

2. En règle (French): in order; by the rule.

3. Manassas or Bull Run was the first battle of the Civil War, resulting in a Union defeat.

Key Words

“A Story of To-Day”, Annie Adams Fields, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Margret Howth, Nathaniel Hawthorne

Source

Richard Harding Davis Papers, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia

Contributor

S. M. Harris