Xmas day
9 Victoria Terrace
My dear Henry
We send you the best wishes of the festive Season and hope that you & Ela <1> will do honor to the Turkey – which is a noble dish to set before two Persons! but what could we do? not being near enough to share it with you. I am glad to hear from Ela’s letters to Mamie, <2> received this morning, that Fanny (the kitchen maid) manages to prepare your food tolerably – for I should grieve to feel that you were too uncomfortable, – during this interim – We are getting on very well here – and rejoicing that the weather continues so warm – nothing could be pleasanter or less seasonable than yesterday. I was induced to make the most of it – and at last, over tired myself, because I liked staying out so much. – Charles <3> has joined us in this lodging, and whenever we leave, he will take possession of the Dining-Room apartments. We shall of course make a very short stay here – but we have not fixed our day of return as yet.
The weather today has been gloomy but not cold. –
I am impatient to hear your explanation of the Phantascope <4> exhibition which Ela took you to see. – I don’t hear of any amusing sights here –
Charles is suffering rather more pain today in his leg – from extra fatigue of the last few days – that proves that he is not yet in a fit condition to leave Weymouth – unless he were to exchange it for some other Sea side place – Our accounts from Dabton <5> are very satisfactory, but the weather seems to be much colder there. Perhaps they like it better.
I enclose a note for Ela – I hope she had the letter I wrote to her yesterday –
Your affectionate
Constance
[envelope:]
H. F. Talbot Esqre
4 Circus
Bath
Notes:
1. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter.
2. Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].
3. Charles Henry Talbot (1842–1916), antiquary & WHFT’s only son.
4. Phantascopes, sometimes called Phantasmascopes or Phenakistoscopes, existed in various forms since the 1830s. They relied on a slitted revolving drum - viewing the succession of images inside the rotating drum gave the illusion of motion. In the one that WHFT and his daughter saw, the image was projected onto a large sheet of glass, itself invisible to the audience but forming a mirror, which gave the impression of a moving figure suspended in the air. [See Doc. No: 00269].
5. Dabton, Dumfriesshire: home of Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, née Talbot (1839-1927), 'Tilly', WHFT's 3rd daughter.