Lacock Abbey
Sunday 17/6 <1>
My dear Henry
I was quite delighted by the account of your prosperous journey – & now that you have twice made trial of the Railroad I shall expect you always to travel by it – so that in future you may throw aside the veil of mystery which you assumed this time in kindness, to spare all our anxious alarms about you. – It was a pleasant conclusion to your day to find some of your most particular friends drinking tea; but I wonder you were not tired!
I could almost feel glad that you left us here when you did, (as you were obliged to go at all); because we have all been troubled with headaches & other trifling indispositions for the last few days, which we attribute to the rainy weather & to the heavy state of the atmosphere – We are all brighter to day however (though I had a fit of the fidgets at church) & the weather is brighter too, but still so unsettled that it appears extremely doubtful whether we shall accomplish before your return any of the drives which you recommended us to take.
Groves <2> proceeds as well as possible & gains Rosamond’s <3> affections very rapidly – She has discovered in the Garden shed a little cart belonging to Lady Elisabeth <4> & used sometimes I believe for carrying stones, weeds, & things of that kind; & she puts the children <5> into this & wheels them round about the garden sometimes both together & sometimes Rosamond by herself. They are perfectly delighted with their carriage although it is of rather a rude construction & sometimes shakes them rather roughly; & when you come home I mean to ask you to have something more comfortable arranged for them. I have pursued the various plans which we agreed upon together respecting the Nursery & everything goes on so much to my satisfaction that I am quite delighted you will send us some account of the dinner I hope beyond what the Newspaper affords – I observe however<5> that the company was not strictly confined to men of Science & extr6ordinary learning, for & I hear the my Brother <7> was there. – I hope you escaped the dangers of hot plates and scalding soups. – Your plants in the green house do not seem to pine for water or to suffer from the Gardener’s <8> neglect – & the Botanic Garden has been partially weeded – really the plants seem to Spring up so rapidly since this warm rain that it is a difficult task to keep the beds neat. – Yesterday the Gardener was busy transplanting a quantity of Annuals from the borders of the Kitchen garden which indeed was become highly necessary, for they were quite smothering the Roses – my dark beautiful favorite Roses! – What shall you do for some man in the Garden capable of superintending the others when the person in question has left you? Have you anyone now in your service worthy of such promotion? for it strikes me that you cannot manage without somebody of this kind – My love to Horatia. <9> I am sorry she has caught a cold –
Yr affectionate
Constance
H. F. Talbot Esqre
31 Sackville Street
London
Notes:
1. The 6 (representing the 6th month, ie, June) is written in Lady Elisabeth's hand - "1838" is added below this, apparently in another hand.
2. Nurse.
3. Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT’s 2nd daughter.
4. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.
5. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter, and Rosamond.
6. Text torn away under seal.
7. William Mundy (1801-1877), politician, WHFT’s brother-in-law.
8. Cornelius Fitzsimmons, Scottish gardener at Lacock Abbey.
9. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.