Oakfield
Sepr 29th
My dear Papa
I have been intending every day lately to write to you, but something or other has always prevented me. I hope you have got at Lacock the same bright, clear though truly autumnal weather we are enjoying here, so good for the harvest, the progress of which we can watch from our windows without any trouble, and I see that most of our nearer fields are now cut. We have had no frost as yet to speak of, though at Speddoch <1> we heard some time ago of the dahlias being the worse – here only some Kidney beans appear to have been touched and they are down below in the Kitchen garden.
Monie <2> wrote the other day to Mary Fitztmaurice <3> to offer her our joint congratulations on her marriage and we learn from her answer that the wedding will be on the 4th of October and by her saying they will return to London the beginning of Novr I suppose they will live in town. Lady Shelburne <4> in a letter Mamma <5> received lately spoke very highly of Coll Herbert <6> and seemed quite to approve of her choice so I hope they will be happy.
Did you happen to take away your new collection of Photographic portraits? <7> We thought they were still in the drawer in the drawing room and searched for them to show to Ibbley <8> but could not discover them anywhere; but we are sorry to have lost them as they are so very good and everybody is interested in looking at an authentic portrait of the Emperor, Empress &c What do you think of the turn events are taking in Italy? The Times seems to be losing confidence in Garibaldi <9> –
I began my letter yesterday and have new to add that the post has brought Mamma a note from Tilly <10> giving a tolerable account of herself – She was a good deal fatigued on reaching Dabton <11> but after a days rest felt much better and she hopes that change of air and moderate exercise will quite set her up – Dr Chalmers will find it very convenient also to have his patient so near at hand and we suspect him of interested views! in having persuaded her to remove there so soon; he considers the pains and aches she complains of as simply muscular, showing she has not yet got up her strength and recommends a little moderate exercise as the best thing – She had at first supposed them to be rhumatic. You have never told us if you duly receive your letters by the early post, but I suppose Jones <12> has been made aware of your return and has resumed his usual duties –
I am afraid I must add, to give you a fair account of the weather that today is rather unsettled, but I hope it will not last –
With love to you dear Papa I remain your affectionate daughter
Ela
[envelope:]
H F Talbot Esq
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Notes:
1. Speddoch, Dumfriesshire, 10 mi NW of Dumfries: home of WHFT’s daughter Matilda.
2. Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT’s 2nd daughter.
3. Mary Caroline Fitzmaurice (d. 1927), daughter of the 5th Earl of Kerry.
4. Emily Jane Mercer Elphinstone de Flahault (Baroness Nairne), was the 2nd wife of the 4th Marquess of Lansdowne.
5. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
6. Hon Sir Percy Egerton Herbert (1822–1876).
7. Portraits of the Imperial family. [See Doc. No: 08245, and Doc. No: 08212].
8. Ibbley Spedding. [See Doc. No: 04855].
9. Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807–1882), Italian patriot.
10. Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3rd daughter.
11. Dabton, Dumfriesshire: home of WHFT’s daughter Matilda.
12. Jones, servant.