[Lydia] Maria [Child] ALS to Anna Loring, December 8, 1845

New York, Dec. 8th, 1845

Dear Anna,

It seems a long long time since John
came back from Boston, bringing me your sweet affec-
-tionate little note. It does me more good than you can
think to have a few kind lines from you; for whether
I express it or not, there always lies deep down in my
heart love for my good little Anna, and the thought
of her always brings with it the gentlest and pleasantest
memories.

Our loved and honored friend Ole has gone from us. It
was exceedingly hard for John and I to part with him.
He was to have sailed on Wednesday, the 3d, and I bade
him farewell on Tuesday evening, with that expectation.
But a North East storm came on, and he came back on
Wednesday, and staid with John and I, till he sailed
on Friday forenoon. He was obliged to be a fixture,
that the Captain might know where to send for him,
at any moment; so we had him entirely to ourselves.
He was extremely kind and pleasant in those last
hours; and on my sweet-toned piano he circumnaviga-
-ted the globe of music - playing Norwegian, Russian,
Polish, Hungarian, Spanish, Italian, French, Irish,
and all sorts of airs; patiently instructing me the while
in the different effects produced by changes of key and