4 Circus

December 13^th

My dear Henry

I hope you will easily find the key of the Cellar (and the Cellar Book) in the left hand drawer of my writing-table – Monie ^<1> would have saved you the trouble of looking for it, had she been out to Lacock yesterday – You do not say whether you suffered from the extreme cold – It was perhaps an unfortunate moment for the move – but I know you don’t stir much from your fireside, & therefore feel the change less acutely –

I don’t discover by the papers what occasioned the delay in the post yesterday – no dreadful accident at any rate – You see they will not carry out the sentence of death against Marshal Bazaine ^<2> – but the commuted sentence is still crushing! –

Monie was at Drummonds nursery today, and there saw a subscription book for the Winter Garden – So you see the thing is to be, if they can raise the money – Subscriptions seem to run from £3– to £50– and M^r Drummond ^<3> hopes that you will favor the scheme & put down your name as a Subscriber – When you come back to Bath, you can learn all the particulars – We think it will be a very nice thing – and the emplacement will be very near to us – at this end of the Park – where one sometimes sees Sheep grazing I was out today paying some visits – and found the weather comparatively mild – no frost – either today or last night –

Your affectionate
Constance

I told M^rs Traherne ^<4> you would make a point of returning to see her – and she is to let you know how long she stays –

[envelope:]
H. F. Talbot Esq^re,br> Lacock Abbey
Chippenham

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Notes:

1. Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT’s 2^nd daughter.

2. General Achille Bazaine (1811–1888), French Marshal who was sentenced to death on 10th December 1873; he surrendered Metz on 27 October 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871).

3. W.C. Drummond, nurserymen, Weston Rd, Bath.

4. Charlotte Louisa 'Charry' Traherne, née Talbot (1800–1880), WHFT’s cousin.