Croce di Malta Genoa
Friday 3d April 1868
My dear Papa,
I can give you an improved report of things in general today, as Mama <1> is decidedly better, but still, as she is not able to leave her bed, it is difficult yet to conjecture when we may be enabled to leave this place. We do not expect to do so before a fortnight; perhaps it may be a little longer, but we shall be able to judge better in a day or two. Dr Millingen (an Englishman of German extraction, who has practised here 19 years) seems careful and attentive, though of unprepossessing exterior. He was rather anxious at first, as there are a good many bad cases at present especially from colds, and that made him to so positive as to the necessity of employing leeches. These were applied on two successive days, and effectually subdued the inflammation on the chest, but as this was going off a fit of rheumatism came on, acute pains of rheumatic gout in the knees and ancles <sic>, such as Mama had never had before, as the kind she generally suffers from is much more torpid in it’s <sic> nature. This was annoying, particularly as it deprived her of rest, but the doctor seemed to consider it otherwise as rather salutary as it tended to counteract the more serious complaint on the chest. Today she suffers less pain, but the rheumatism has made her perfectly helpless for the moment, as she can neither stand, nor even turn round in bed without great difficulty. The only thing is to have patience and trust to time. Luckily she is not very weak, not nearly so much as one would expect, but perhaps when she begins to get up she may feel it more. We can say nothing about our plans as yet, as this illness may oblige us to alter them in some respects, but as soon as we can decide anything we will of course let you know. Your spring seems to be almost as much advanced as ours, as you speak of lilacs nearly open! We have only just seen the first lilac flowers; the young leaves in the gardens are growing very green, and yesterday we had our first dish of asparagus – but the wind continues very sharp and trying, with an almost constantly bright sun, and the doctor says that during his 19 years experience of Genoa he has never known so cold a season. The snow on the hills is not yet quite disappeared.
I will keep this open till post time, in case of there being anything to add, and in the meantime, dear Papa, with love from everybody, I am
your affectionate daughter
Rosamond
Do you ever hear anything of our tenants in Edinburgh?... Will you please tell Goodwin <2> that Henriette <3> has received his letter, and would like him to know that she has heard from Paris that the money sent to her Mother arrived all right, though they were so slow acknowledging it.
Goodwin’s report about the cats was very interesting to us all, but we are very sorry to hear of poor Mrs Wilkins’ <4> being so much worse, and their eldest daughter having been obliged to leave her place to come and nurse her Mother. Do please tell Wilkins how very sorry we are for his fresh troubles, poor man: it is sad that nothing seems to do her any real good.
Aunt Caroline <5> writes from Cannes complaining most bitterly of the cold – the regatta was quite spoiled by it, everybody was shivering – However Lady Mt E. <6> is stronger than last year and the rest all well –
Notes:
1. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
2. George Goodwin (d. 1875), footman at Lacock Abbey.
3. Henriette Sanit, French ladies maid.
4. George Wilkins (b. 1814), gardener at Lacock.
5. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
6. Wife of William Henry Edgcumbe, ‘Val’, 4th Earl Mt Edgcumbe (1832–1917), JP & Ld Steward of the Royal Household; WHFT’s nephew ‘Bimbo’.