link to Talbot Project home page link to De Montfort University home page link to Glasgow University home page
Project Director: Professor Larry J Schaaf
 

Back to the letter search >

Result number 54 of 90:   < Back     Back to results list   Next >  

Document number: 9282
Date: Sun 01 Dec 1867
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: TALBOT Ela Theresa
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Last updated: 21st December 2010

Sunday Decr 1st 1867.

My dear Papa,

I have been intending to write to you for some time and though it is not long since you heard from Mamma it is as well to do so at once for fear of being again prevented – You will also be glad to hear of Monie’s continued convalescence – she sits with us now most of the day, lunches and dines with us, and in fact is as well as can be expected – she feels weak of course and complains occasionally of head ache, but I believe complete recovery after Meazles is always an affair of patience, particularly where people are not very strong – and she certainly had them very favourably – I was amused at the alarm we created in the house – people as always so ridiculous about their children as if they were not sure to have it some day or other – and it is a good thing to have it over after all, but I think now their fears are beginning to subside, nobody else having taken it – Mamma wishes me to mention that she wrote to you on Friday and hopes soon for an answer to what she proposes – What are you doing yourself? Are you going to Dabton? and when are you coming back to us? –

The papers mention very cold weather in England and at Paris, here one almost forgets the time of year – it is more like early Spring – very cold wind at times but the Sun always powerfully hot and brilliant – The dull days are the exceptions and few in number; today is one of them – mild and windy – and it seems to be blowing up for a storm – yesterday was quite lovely I remained out till ½ past four in the afternoon having wandered into a sheltered valley where I found various flowers – the first violets, a pale fumitory, vipers bugloss, and a yellow flower with an elongated leaf of which I send you a specimen it is just coming into flower in large quantities – Is it a species of Hawkhead? Another somewhat similar flower with a rougher stem and calyx of five leaves was growing near but that was nearly over and beginning to ripen its seed. San Remo is said to be a most flowery place a little later in the season – Now the brownish purple Arum you mentioned and told us to look for, has got complete possession covering all the Olive terraces with its leaves and flowers – other Arums also abound with handsomer leaves but they are not in flower. I dare say you remember the daisies of the country growing on stems a foot in height – but in all respects except their gigantic proportions similar to our own – Then in the garden of the hotels there are roses & chrysanthemums and some fine yellow Acacias, one of them nearly as large as a laburnum besides other greenhouse plants whose names I have forgotten and Orange trees of course –

We see the island of Corsica sometimes at Sunrise and also before rain – it is considered a bad sign when seen very distinctly – The sunrise & Sunsets here are often very fine and it is also a fine thing to get up at 7 oclock in the morning by day-light and we are become – such early people that we are generally ready for breakfast by ½ past eight – What would Charles say if he was with us – he would never accustom himself to such hours!. –

The Speddings are at Mentone as you know and they have found themselves quite in a circle of Cumberland friends curiously enough; The Ocleys, Mr Denton, Mrs Stanger & her Daughter, (she is now a widow and lives a good deal abroad) besides some other families with whom we were not acquainted. I fancy the Monkhouses would have liked to be there too – it would have been more lively for Mrs Monkhouse to have had friends around her but her son was ordered especially to come to San Remo, the climate being considered superiour, and they intend I believe to stay through the winter here. We hear from Dr Daubeny that poor Mr Kenrick has been very ill the last few days – the journey was too much for him and he is now suffering from its effects – and his wife seems to be rather a helpless person, not very efficient in nursing him.

I wish you had been able to see this place though I suppose it is much like other places on the Coast the worst feature being the absence of pretty walks and drives – I mean easy walks for of rough ones there are plenty and when you get up a little way you have generally a fine view and often find pretty valleys where one might ramble for hours – I have explored some of them, but alone for both Mamma & Mamie find the stony paths too steep and fatiguing though so that when they are tired of the garden thy have nothing but the high road which is monotonous –

And now dear Papa I must wish Goodbye –

Yr affecte daughter
Ela

Is Charles still with you or is he gone to MerthyrMawr?

I send both the yellow flowers, as it is not over-weight. –

Result number 54 of 90:   < Back     Back to results list   Next >