Dabton
Friday Feb 10 1865
My dear Papa,
I have undertaken to send you Johnnie’s most particular apologies for not having answered your letter – but he was away in Dumfries when it arrived, in the middle of rather a con fusion [sic] of business, and in the mean time I got a letter from Mama, telling me that he would not be expected unless you heard that he was to be in Edinburgh today – He now wants me to tell you that he would have written today, and joined me in wishing you many happy returns of tomorrow, and all sorts of good things, but I said I would write for both – as he had to go out this afternoon, & afterwards to dress early to go & dine at Capenoet, with Mary Maxwell & me. – I am quite anxious to hear that your dinner parties went off brilliantly & were satisfactory altogether – ours yesterday did very well, I think – but gave us some trouble beforehand, as several people fell through & it is far from easy to replace them here, at this time of the year: so we had no one staying in the house, except Mary, who came up without her brother from Dumfries the previous day. Tomorrow we are to have a little party of eight – quite quiet – & after that Johnnie is going in for his rent-day week – which really lasts about ten days. – Lady Victoria Scott’s marriage is now fixed for the 23dand they are talking of having a ball in Thornhill to celebrate the occasion – so I think we shall stay here till after that day, & if the ball is to be a nice one, have one or two people staying in the house to go to it – after that we shall be free at last to turn our steps towards Edinburgh! & see you all. What a long time it seems till that can be accomplished! – Will you tell Monie that I had a days’ shopping in Dumfries, but could get nothing I wanted – so I have written to Alexander & McNab for patterns – Good bye, love to all –
fr. yr most affecte daughter
Tilly
Baby & Jack came into the drawing room before dinner yesterday & Baby was quite tame & showed the doll you gave her to every body! Wasn’t that quite remarkable? Perhaps they will leave off being so shy –
[envelope:]
H. F. Talbot Esqr
13. Great Stuart Street
Edinburgh