Laycock Abbey
26 January
My dear Henry
They have set a plan here for your assent or dissent, of a slight alteration in the line of the rail road, & we wish to know whether you think it worth while to be sent to you in the shape of a parcel, as you are coming home so soon.
My Sister Mary <1> has written for the direction of the Man who made the model of the windows of the South Gallery I believe he is moved from Mount St <2> I cannot imagine what she can want of him. I am sorry you persuaded your Sisters to go round by Sidmouth as every additional hour en route & every cold Inn must add to the chance of Horatia’s <3> catching the Influenza and I remember your telling me the Hôtel is half a mile from your house. Everybody is ill with it in the village & the Parish Doctor (who lives at Chippenham) is so taken up with his patients there that he has not time to come to these, so we have been obliged to desire Mr Elgee <4> to attend to them, and the whole of the Kitchen Maid & Still room Maid’s time is employed in making & dispensing Broth, gruel, tisannes &c &c – Mr Kendrick is confined to his bed, so is Mr Moore <5> at Sloperton. Not one of the Garden men except old John can come to work, I saw him yesterday tristement <6> digging in company with the Gardener, & a melancholy tête à tête it seemed.
The weather to day is too deplorable & dark & rainy, so bad that as it comes from the South west, you probably have the same at Sidmouth, & if you go out to seek another gîte in such an evening I should think you too in great danger of this horrid influenza. There is an enormous flood to day covering the wes[t]<7> and it requires good animal spir[its] to illumine with “a ray”
“of mental light the melancholy day”.
The new book case we ordered is at length put up, after Gale’s <8> usual dilatory manner & I have been occupying myself this dismal day in settling & arranging the Books & putting up all those we bought from Paris.
Mr F. <9> hopes you will remember to send him the memoranda about the Bailiff as he thinks it very adviseable [sic] that you should see him here in your way to London, & it may take some time for Mr Paley’s <10> friend to find one that will suit you
Affly yrs
EF
Henry Fox Talbot Esqr
Sidmouth
Devon
Notes:
1. Lady Mary Lucy Cole, née Strangways, first m. Talbot (1776–1855), WHFT’s aunt.
2. Thomas Dibden Dighton (1799-1883), architect & model maker, 17 Mount Street, London - see Doc. No: 01953.
2. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
3. See Doc. No: 03456.
4. Thomas Moore (1780–1852), Irish poet.
5. Gloomily.
6. Text torn away under seal.
7. John Gale, carpenter at Lacock.
8. Rear Admiral Charles Feilding (1780–1837), Royal Navy; WHFT’s step-father.
9. Probably Rev James Paley (1790–1863), Vicar at Lacock.