The life, letters and work of Frederic Leighton. Volume IIBarrington, Russell, Mrs.
General
The life, letters and work of Frederic Leighton. Volume II
Barrington, Russell, Mrs.
Leighton of Stretton, Frederic Leighton, Baron, 1830-1896
I don't feel sure whether I told you that I am about shortly to
send my "Paris and Juliet" with the "Samson" to America on spec.
Mrs. Kemble will do all she can to godmother them; I got a very
kind letter from her from Boston the other day--she has asked me
to send her a little sketch of Westbury with the pictures--of
course I shall.
The following letters from Mrs. Fanny Kemble reveal the interest which
this friend took in Leighton and his pictures, also the genius of the
writer in penning delightful epistles:--
REVERE HOUSE, BOSTON,
_Friday, December 9, 1861_.
DEAR MR. LEIGHTON,--It was very kind and amiable of you to write
to me of Westbury and my sister; you cannot imagine the
forlornness one feels when, to the loss of the sight of those
one loves, is added that bitter silence which leaves one almost
ignorant, as death does, of all the conditions in which our
friends remain. God knows, written words are a poor substitute
for the sound of a voice and the look of living eyes; still,
when they are all that can reach us of those towards whom our
hearts yearn, it is miserable not to be able to obtain them. The
friends with whom I constantly correspond see and know little or
nothing of her, and so no one of them can in any degree supply
me with the news that I most desire from across the sea--how it
is faring with my sister; so I am very grateful to you for your
intelligence, which was just what I would give anything for
(though not in itself, perhaps, very satisfactory) out here,
where I think you have none of you an idea how _banished_ I
feel. Now, my dear Mr. Leighton, to your business, about which
I began my inquiries almost immediately after my return to this
country, but only received the last of these communications last
night, and you perceive the other was incomplete without it. You
must command me entirely in any and every thing that I can do to
forward your aims, and I will promise to be _severe_ in my
obedience to any instructions you may like to give me. New York
is undoubtedly a better market for pictures, and therefore a
better place to exhibit them than this, but I do not know
anybody whom I trust there. Mr. Ordway, however, seems inclined
to take charge of your pictures if they are exhibited there.
Good-bye. Do not fail to employ me in this matter to the fullest
extent that I can be of the least use to you; it will be a great
pleasure to me to help you in any way that I possibly
can.--Yours very truly,
FANNY KEMBLE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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