Oakfield
Sat. Nov. 17th
My dear Papa,
It is altogether the fault of these short gloomy days that I have not yet thanked you for your letter, because the daylight lasts so little that every sort of occupation gets crammed into it, and so the post hour slips bye unheeded. But this morning there is a change. Cloudless sky, and the most glorious snowy mountains, not merely capped, but pure white half the way down.
It evidently froze hard last night, but when the sun gets warm no doubt much of this beauty will melt away. It is quite enlivening after the continual hail and rain of the last few days. Tilly <1> is snugly settled at 9 Coates Crescent, <2> and wrote us yesterday and account of her prosperous journey, driving ac cross country by the Dalveen pass from Dabton <3>to Elvan foot station, which saves a good piece of Railway. She was not at all tired – seems pleased with the house, and settled. We admired the portrait you sent me, particularly in some parts, thought the corners are rather shadowy; but the individual being unknown rather takes off from the interest – Would not it be agreable to have a picture gallery of all one’s friends that size?
Mamie <4> had read that piece of news about Porcelli, and rather wondered that Aunt Caroline <5> should not have mentioned it in her letter, as it must please her much. We had been mentioning him shortly before, and thinking it would be strange if he missed such a favourable opportunity of distinguishing himself.
Sir John Mc Neill <6> is just now paying a flying visit to Naples, on his return from Malta, whither he accompanied his daughter Mrs Duncan Stewart and her children: she is gone to join her husband who commands the ship London in the Mediterranean. When you meet Sir John in Edinburgh on his return, it will be interesting to hear the opinion he formed of the state of things in Italy during his visit. Do you know that we might very well have left your flints here behind us, as you never told us to take care of them. But having discovered them in a corner of the cupboard in your sitting room we will carry them off.
Mama <7> is curious to know if Mr Scrope <8> called upon you at Lacock or if you met in London. It would have been amusing if you had suddenly come upon one another in the depths of the quarry at Amiens.
Mr Simms <9> will send from Bath next Saturday a thick flat parcel, containing some numbers of Cassells Illustrated Bible, and I should like very much to have them at Edinburgh, if you do not find it inconvenient to bring them at the bottom of a box.
My cold is quite well now, but almost every body else has got something of the kind more ofr less, now Mamie is suffering from a bad face-ache, but I hope it is beginning to go off. I am going to accompany Mama to the door of Mrs Monkhouse, so I must be off now and say good bye, dear Papa,
Your affectionate daughter
Rosamond.
[envelope:]
H. F. Talbot Esqre
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham.
Notes:
1. Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3rd daughter.
2. Edinburgh.
3. Dabton, Dumfriesshire: home of WHFT’s daughter Matilda.
4. Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].
5. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
6. Sir John McNeill (1795–1883), diplomat. He was in Persia from 1835 to 1842. The Talbots knew him in Edinburgh in the 1860s.
7. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
8. George Julius Duncombe Poulett Scrope (1797–1876), MP & scientist.
9. Mr Simms, bookseller.