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Document number: 8274
Date: Thu 20 Dec 1860
Postmark: Edinburgh 20 Dec 1860
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: TALBOT Rosamond Constance
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Collection number historic: Acc 21638 (envelope)
Last updated: 20th November 2012

Edinbro
Thursday Dec. 20.

My dear Papa,

You will have read before this in the paper of our wintry condition, but in case the Times does not report it properly tomorrow, we will send you the Courant of this morning. Imagine our surprise on discovering yesterday morning more than a foot deep of snow lying on the ground! – such a storm has never occurred here for 23 years, – and we could do nothing all day but watch the efforts of a numerous band of men shovelling the snow from the pavement, and the poor horses struggling to drag their carriages through the drift. It continued falling more or less all day, and had again grown so thick today that a fresh shovelling had to be gone through. Do you know we are beginning to be seriously apprehensive about your journey; the London train due at 8 last evening was delayed till 1-15 a.m. and all the rest in proportion. Do’nt [sic] be rash, please, dear Papa, and rather delay setting off for a day or two, than run the risk of being snowed up on the road, or obliged to pass the night in a cutting, even if nothing worse occurred. We should be so unhappy to know you were travelling in such weather. And alas! there seems small prospect of change. We have had one more heavy fall since daylight and another is coming on. Charles <1> has just set forth to inquire how Tilly <2> gets on – We all are prisoners.

Today it is especially unlucky, as it is kept as the Tricentenary anniversary of the first meeting of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. There is service [sic] in all the churches, and sermons on the Rise, Progress &c of the Reformation – and a general holiday. We meant to go and hear Dr Candlish, <3> who preached a most remarkable and moderate sermon on Popery last Sunday as an introduction to today’s subject, but it was impossible to go forth. I think Charles is most decidedly improved, in appearance and spirits. Mama is afraid it may not last, but I hope she is mistaken, as he has several times said that he was very happy to be here, were [sic] there is always something to do, and objects of interest to go and see without fatigue If he could only avoid falling into gloomy fits from being often totally idle, (as he will hardly bring himself to read at all) I am sure he would get on very well. Yesterday he took a lesson of Gymnastics from a Mr Francalunza in George St and liked it, but came back rather tired; so I hope he will persevere.

We shall not be able to write again till we know what you are going to do. It is now 3 o’clock. Things still look gloomy out of doors. but we had some clearances during the day, and the sun appeared at intervals, like a ball of fire shorn of its rays. It is not freezing now, and there is even a little dripping from the heavy laden trees

Good bye dear Papa, Yr affectionate daughter
Rosamond.

[envelope:]
H. F. Talbot Esqre
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham


Notes:

1. Charles Henry Talbot (1842–1916), antiquary & WHFT’s only son.

2. Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3rd daughter.

3. Rev. Robert Smith Candlish (1806-1873) had a leading role in the organisation of the Free Church of Scotland. He was minister of St. George's, Edinburgh from 1846 until his death.

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