4 Circus <1>
Thursday Decr 10th
My dear Henry
I had a letter <2> from you yesterday enclosing Mrs Traherne’s, <3> which I now return; and one by the 1 oClock post today, announcing your safe arrival in London. We had sharp frost last night, and it continues very cold & winterly today – but not dark, so we hope you will have been able to visit the British Museum comfortably. Ela & Connie <4> seem to have made a very prosperous journey to Scotland, & to have found regular winter at Dabton <5> – frost & snow. If it continues dry the boys will be very happy on their return from school next week. – they will have plenty of skating & curling. Both Ela & Tilly <6> have written – most satisfactorily – Her Mamma thinks Connie grown, and looking particularly well. She had a slight cold before leaving us; but she doesn’t appear to have encreased <sic> it on the journey – My cold is still rather troublesome – but it is less oppressive than it was – and I still keep indoors altogether. I spoke to Mr Fowler, <7> but I don’t think the <prickly?> ammonia mixture which he ordered me to take, was at all successful – It encreased my cough very much at night after I had swallowed it, & therefore I shall try letting it alone today. and he promised to call again tomorrow – I hope he will have learnt from his neighbour Mr Hunt that Goodwin <8> was removed to the Asylum today. Yesterday he informed Mr Fowler that the case was urgent, the papers were made out & properly signed, & that nothing remained to be done before removing him, but that the Brother was unwilling – Henriette was at the house in Orange Grove later in the day, & we desired her to ask the reason for such an extraordinary statement – It appears to have been a cowardly fear of what his neighbour might say – but he & his Mother promised that when the Doctor called to see him today, they would give their consent. It is a sad story, & I am afraid the Brother has behaved very ill all this time that they were living together. –
Mrs Traherne has not sent the packet of letters which you expected – Perhaps you will wish to write & tell her that no such packet has yet been received. If she changed her mind about sending it off immediately, she should have written again to say so. – We expect Charles <9> tomorrow.
Your affectionate
Constance
The telegrams seem to be bringing in favorable tidings of weather from the Observers of the Transit of Venus – on the 9th (yesterday)Notes:
1. 4 the Circus, Bath; frequent summer home of Constance Talbot, now a Museum of Costume.
2. Letter not located.
3. Charlotte Louisa 'Charry' Traherne, née Talbot (1800–1880), WHFT’s cousin.
4. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter, and Constance Stewart, née Gilchrist-Clark (b. 1863), ‘Connie’, WHFT’s Scottish granddaughter.
5. Dabton, Dumfriesshire: home of WHFT’s daughter Matilda.
6. Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3rd daughter.
7. Richard Fowler (1765–1863), physician.
8. George Goodwin (d. 1875), footman at Lacock Abbey. [See Doc. No: 03955].
9. Charles Henry Talbot (1842–1916), antiquary & WHFT’s only son.