Tragedy struck both the nation and the Longfellow family in 1861. The opening salvos of the American Civil War were fired on April 12th. Fanny Longfellow was fatally burned in an accident in her home three months later on July 10th. After trimming her seven-year-old daughter’s hair, Fanny decided to preserve the clippings in sealing wax. Melting a bar of sealing wax with a candle, a few drops fell on her dress. The breeze gusted through the window igniting Fanny’s dress and immediately wrapped her in flames.
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