My dear Henry –
You must send us more definite Data, before Gwynne <1> or I can tell you whether your accounts are as low as they should be – If you subtract 3 · 0 · 0 amount of Board usages from 5 · 14 · 0 your Total the remainder does not appear a great deal – do you include oil & candles? how many Lamps or candles – Soup, Fish, Poultry or neither or which – is washing included necessary for me to form an opinion & The only way would be to have the Bill, & then knowing how often you dined out, & the other matters hinted at above we could get nearer – but as certainly your House Keeping does not come to a great deal, it will be better perhaps to bring all your accounts with you, & you can talk it over & memoranda for another Time – on the other side I have given a sketch, an idea in Short – but I repeat that unless we know all particulars it is impossible to say exactly
for 2 Persons Tea – 0· 4· 6
Sugar 1· 6
Ditto Kitchen – 1· 4
Bread 3· 6
Meat – 14
Cream – 2 · 6
Milk – 1· 6
Oil – 7 ·
Candles – 3 ·
Do Tallow – 3 · 6
Desert – 2
2 persons &
horse – Washing – 1 · 6 · 0
Vegetables 5
Sundries soap
dip for oil &ce 3 · 6
Vinegar <illegible>
/and Blk tea – 3 · 14 · 10
&c &c
Boardiages 3 · 0 · 6
6· 15 · 6
according to this if you include all I have, your accounts are fair enough, – for the scale above is low –
I fear the election Bills are higher than you expected. I am going to the Vestry by & bye – 5 pCent just recd Mr Harman <2> was there & made several long speeches on all possible subjects – but to be less diffuse – There was no objection to the Expence which will be incurred by the Embassy & great readiness to adopt any Proposal likely to be useful –
but a strong wish expressed which I was desired to state to you that as little Time should be lost as possible – Therefore please to let us have your ideas as soon as you have digested them
When do you come
Yr afft
CF
H. F. Talbot Esqre M P
Sackville St
London
Notes:
1. Mrs Gwynne (d. winter 1841/1842), lady’s maid, cook and housekeeper to Elisabeth Feilding.
2. Ezekiel Harman.