Metadata
Title
Frances Calderon de la Barca to Sarah Josepha Hale
Creator
Calderón de la Barca, Madame (Frances Erskine Inglis), 1804?-1882
Date
1858-01-11
January 11, 1858
Subject
Hale, Sarah Josepha Buell, 1788-1879
Medium
Manuscripts
Language
eng
Type
text
Collection
Sarah Josepha Hale Collection, The Athenaeum of Philadelphia
Identifier
46-M-071
Rights
http://www.philaathenaeum.org/rights.html
Text
Washington
11 Jany 1851
My dear Madam - I hardly know what you
must have thought of receiving no answer to
your friendly letter of the 2d Novr, but when I
tell you that it has only now accidentally fallen
into my hands, you will at least believe that
the neglect has not been intentional. A short time
ago I returned from Habana - and as during my
absence, the house occupied by this Legation had
been changed - there may probably have been
some confusion in the delivery of the letters -
Although Mr. de Calderon does not recollect it, I
think that amongst his extensive correspondence,
he may have inadvertently opened this letter
in my absence - and feeling it was not for him,
put it aside. In short no one can explain the
circumstances - but I found it amongst other papers
opened - and no portrait within it - This is what
most disturbs me - as it may I fear, put
you to very serious inconvenience. My sister who
was here at the time - and in all the confusion
of moving - furnishing &c [etc.] says she is convinced
she saw the letter - but of the portrait knows
nothing. I shall have a thorough search made
for it - but in the meantime I thought it
better to write and explain to you the circumstance
without any further delay.
Now my dear Madam with regard to your kindness
in considering me worthy of a place in your
work, I truly think that I am not entitled to it -
but should you continue of a different opinion, I
must while expressing my sense of the honor you
confer upon me, entreat you to say as little personally
of me as possible. Before I wrote "Life in Mexico,"
I had published various things, of which no one
ever knew me to be the Author - or perhaps ever
will - and it was only at the urgent desire of
Mr. Prescott, that my name in initials was put
in that book. Since then I have been brought
forward in reviews, and become more accustomed
to see my own name in print - but I think
the life of a living person can be but a mere
sketch - and containing a few facts - at least I
speak of a person as undistinguished as myself -
As for family, my father was a descendant in
the female line from the Earls of Buchan - his
grandmother being Lady Frances Erskine daughter of the Earl married
to the celebrated Col. Gardiner who fell at Preston-
Pans [Prestonpans] - and is the Col. Gardiner of Walter Scott's
Waverly. My Grandmother was their daughter -
and I was called Fanny Erskine after Lady
Frances, who was celebrated both for her beauty
and for her correspondences with Dr. Doddridge
and other celebrated divines of the day. The pictures
of Colonel and Lady Frances Gardiner hung in our
school-room when we were children in Scotland,
and are amongst my very earliest recollections -
when my father lost his fortune, we went
to France, and lived there in retirement in
an old house in Normandy for several years -
when we all removed to America - For
[DE: five] six very happy years I assisted in the labors
of the school in Boston - and was then
married to the Spanish Minister and went
to reside in Washington - In the year 1840 he
was named to Mexico - where we passed two
years very delightfully - and when my husband
was recalled during the Regency of Espartero, we
returned to the U.S. staid there a few months -
and then sailed for Europe - visited Paris, London,
Edinburgh - near which I spent one melancholy
day in revisiting our old country place, now
in the hands of strangers - we then went to
Madrid where we spent a winter - and Mr.
de Calderon being again named Minister to the
U.S., we returned here in the year 44 - And
have resided in this Country ever since.
During these last seven years the most remarkable
event that has happened to me, is that
after three years of very hard study, I have
become a Catholic - with a thorough conviction
of having [DE: arrived?] embraced the true Faith. You
see my dear Madam that the outline of my
life is not particularly interesting - with
with regard to a portrait, there is one of me in oils
in Baltimore, which is said to be very like.
A daguerreotype was taken from it some time
ago, but was a complete failure, - we can
however have it tried again, and if it succeeds,
I shall have the pleasure of sending it to you -
Your work embraces such an extensive period,
and must be so voluminous, that I do not
suppose my delay in answering your letter
can be of any real consequence - but the
portrait you mention as having sent within the
letter must be of real importance - and I [am?]
really distressed about its disappearance.
I have written very hurriedly, that I might
not miss this day's Post - and shall only add
that I am dear Madam truly yrs
Fanny Calderon
de la Barca
I re-open my letter to say that to my great
joy, I have found the portrait! - and enclose
it.
11 Jany 1851
My dear Madam - I hardly know what you
must have thought of receiving no answer to
your friendly letter of the 2d Novr, but when I
tell you that it has only now accidentally fallen
into my hands, you will at least believe that
the neglect has not been intentional. A short time
ago I returned from Habana - and as during my
absence, the house occupied by this Legation had
been changed - there may probably have been
some confusion in the delivery of the letters -
Although Mr. de Calderon does not recollect it, I
think that amongst his extensive correspondence,
he may have inadvertently opened this letter
in my absence - and feeling it was not for him,
put it aside. In short no one can explain the
circumstances - but I found it amongst other papers
opened - and no portrait within it - This is what
most disturbs me - as it may I fear, put
you to very serious inconvenience. My sister who
was here at the time - and in all the confusion
of moving - furnishing &c [etc.] says she is convinced
she saw the letter - but of the portrait knows
nothing. I shall have a thorough search made
for it - but in the meantime I thought it
better to write and explain to you the circumstance
without any further delay.
Now my dear Madam with regard to your kindness
in considering me worthy of a place in your
work, I truly think that I am not entitled to it -
but should you continue of a different opinion, I
must while expressing my sense of the honor you
confer upon me, entreat you to say as little personally
of me as possible. Before I wrote "Life in Mexico,"
I had published various things, of which no one
ever knew me to be the Author - or perhaps ever
will - and it was only at the urgent desire of
Mr. Prescott, that my name in initials was put
in that book. Since then I have been brought
forward in reviews, and become more accustomed
to see my own name in print - but I think
the life of a living person can be but a mere
sketch - and containing a few facts - at least I
speak of a person as undistinguished as myself -
As for family, my father was a descendant in
the female line from the Earls of Buchan - his
grandmother being Lady Frances Erskine daughter of the Earl married
to the celebrated Col. Gardiner who fell at Preston-
Pans [Prestonpans] - and is the Col. Gardiner of Walter Scott's
Waverly. My Grandmother was their daughter -
and I was called Fanny Erskine after Lady
Frances, who was celebrated both for her beauty
and for her correspondences with Dr. Doddridge
and other celebrated divines of the day. The pictures
of Colonel and Lady Frances Gardiner hung in our
school-room when we were children in Scotland,
and are amongst my very earliest recollections -
when my father lost his fortune, we went
to France, and lived there in retirement in
an old house in Normandy for several years -
when we all removed to America - For
[DE: five] six very happy years I assisted in the labors
of the school in Boston - and was then
married to the Spanish Minister and went
to reside in Washington - In the year 1840 he
was named to Mexico - where we passed two
years very delightfully - and when my husband
was recalled during the Regency of Espartero, we
returned to the U.S. staid there a few months -
and then sailed for Europe - visited Paris, London,
Edinburgh - near which I spent one melancholy
day in revisiting our old country place, now
in the hands of strangers - we then went to
Madrid where we spent a winter - and Mr.
de Calderon being again named Minister to the
U.S., we returned here in the year 44 - And
have resided in this Country ever since.
During these last seven years the most remarkable
event that has happened to me, is that
after three years of very hard study, I have
become a Catholic - with a thorough conviction
of having [DE: arrived?] embraced the true Faith. You
see my dear Madam that the outline of my
life is not particularly interesting - with
with regard to a portrait, there is one of me in oils
in Baltimore, which is said to be very like.
A daguerreotype was taken from it some time
ago, but was a complete failure, - we can
however have it tried again, and if it succeeds,
I shall have the pleasure of sending it to you -
Your work embraces such an extensive period,
and must be so voluminous, that I do not
suppose my delay in answering your letter
can be of any real consequence - but the
portrait you mention as having sent within the
letter must be of real importance - and I [am?]
really distressed about its disappearance.
I have written very hurriedly, that I might
not miss this day's Post - and shall only add
that I am dear Madam truly yrs
Fanny Calderon
de la Barca
I re-open my letter to say that to my great
joy, I have found the portrait! - and enclose
it.