Dabton Thornhill
Oct. 15th 1861.
My dear Papa,
Did you have a sudden hurricane of wind on Sunday afternoon? It came on here quite suddenly, for we had been to church at the Castle in the morning and thought it a very fine day; but soon after our return the wind become so violent that the house shook distinctly. One of the tall Aspen trees opposite the windows was broken in two, and many branches were strewn on the ground. Before night the wind fell again completely, and it became quite calm. The leaves are falling very fast, but the flowers are still very pretty and not sensibly spoilt by the frost. This has been a damp mild 7 days yet we all managed to be out a little while, even Baby. He paid a visit the other day, to the two old Ladies who gave him the Centre piece as they were extremely anxious to see him, and live quite close here. He behaved so well, and never said anything, but looked quite good, and opened his eyes wide – do you know, that he is beginning to make the funniest little sounds with his mouth, as if he wanted to talk, and then laughs at himself, as if he thought it very amusing! You will not know him again when we come back. I cannot get rid of the impression that we must be going to Speddoch; that is I feel as if we were necessarily going, from having come here, but I do not even know if it will be possible for me to drive over, as it takes such a long time to go and come back. I shall be sorry if it cannot be managed, but the distance is so great, 13 miles to go and return, and once there, one should be able to stay an hour or two, or it wd not be worth while going at all. Johnnie will go of course & at present he is trying to find some one to go and shoot there with him – as he has only had one day’s shooting this year. But they are all so busy, no one is to be had. Next week is to be exclusively military. Finding that the Volunteers will not assemble regularly once a week to drill, many people are now trying to get them together for a whole week at a time, and cramming as many drills as possible into that period – Johnnie’s company is going to assemble next week, and drill three days at Minihine, and three days at Penpont. He will remain all the time with them while at Minihine, but from Penpont, he can return at night.
Good bye, dear Papa, give my love & Johnnie’s to all at Milburn,<1>
Yr affectionate daughter
Tilly –
Is Charles gone back yet?
Notes:
1. Millburn Tower, Gogar, just west of Edinburgh; the Talbot family made it their northern home from June 1861 to November 1863. It is particularly important because WHFT conducted many of his photoglyphic engraving experiments there. The house had a rich history. Built for Sir Robert Liston (1742-1836), an 1805 design by Benjamin Latrobe for a round building was contemplated but in 1806 a small house was built to the design of William Atkinson (1773-1839), best known for Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford. The distinctive Gothic exterior was raised in 1815 and an additional extension built in 1821. Liston had been ambassador to the United States and maintained a warm Anglo-American relationship in the years 1796-1800. His wife, the botanist Henrietta Liston, née Marchant (1751-1828) designed a lavish American garden, sadly largely gone by the time the Talbots rented the house .