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Easter day
Dear Constance
At length we have a fine day, and fortunately for the poor people it has come at Easter when they have a holiday to enjoy it. Last Friday was most dismal weather, the ground was covered with snow & everything had the appearance of January. I am sorry to say that my Lancashire manufacturer will not have any more of our people at present but he gives me hopes that at some future time he may be willing to receive them. I shall be anxious for the next accounts from my family to say how they get over the Col de Tende <1> and Mt Cenis. I am afraid there must have been much snow there. I crossed Cenis myself <2> once in the month of March when there was 25 feet of snow on the ground if I recollect aright – The carriage went between 2 high walls of snow & I remember encountering a carriage in that narrow defile where there was hardly room to pass, & I recollect we had much difficulty & I carried away the lamp of my opponent’s carriage & suffered no loss myself – I hope they will not have met with any such misadventures there. The garden looks less gay than it did, as if the Spring had gone backwards. The birds however seem to care for nothing they continued to sing during the snow of Friday as if it had been the pleasantest of weather. I have
Notes:
1. See Doc. No: 03234.
2. See Doc. No: 01405.