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Document number: 9360
Date: Sat 11 Apr 1868
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: TALBOT Rosamond Constance
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Last updated: 17th February 2012

Genoa.
Saturday April 11th

My dear Papa,

I received your letter yesterday, in which you say you are preparing to start, but I conclude you will have time to receive this before your departure. However you should reflect well before coming straight to join us here, whether you had not better any either put off your journey a little longer or at least linger somewhere on the road: For it would be no use coming here directly. You could not have patience to wait for us, here, where you would have nothing to do to fill up your time – and in despair you would probably soon abandon us again, and go on somewhere else! Mama <1> is getting better certainly but so slowly that we are as far from as ever from being able to fix any time for our departure. She is only just beginning to be able to leave her bed each day for an hour, and it will be some days before she is fit to venture as far as the sitting-room. She feels her weakness and exhaustion much more this last day or two, so that every move is an exertion, and I fear it will require a good deal of time and patience to set her up again.

We have had a fine warm week, but yesterday it suddenly turned quite cold again, and today the wind is bitterly keen from the north west, and the hills are covered with a fresh coating of snow. Is it not provoking to have just pitched upon the worst season known for twenty years in these parts, whereas it has been finer than usual in England?

On Thursday we made a regular round of the churches along with the rest of the population to see the flowery decorations – they were brillantly [sic] lit up and some of the flowers, especially Azeleas and Camellias, magnificent: but they don’t know how to arrange them to advantage, and mix up artificial with real flowers in a most provoking manner.

Mrs Spedding <2> and Margaret <3> are here – the latter still coughs and has not got much good, apparently, from her winter at Mentone.

We will go and look for the Orchises &c which you mention. At Bordighera the wild flowers are said to be charming now: it seems a nice place altogether, and the new Hotel d’Angleterre is much praised, although it’s [sic] situation is not well chosen.

Good bye now, dear Papa, I suppose we shall hear from you again in a day or two.

Everybody sends their love.
Your affectionate daughter
Rosamond.

Ela <4> begs Goodwin <5> to bring her a 2/6 bottle of Dinneford’s fluid Magnesia. Ela had a letter from Charles <6> on Wednesday.

Notes:

1. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.

2. Francis Emily Spedding, née Headlam, wife of Thomas Story Spedding.

3. Francis's daughter, Margaret Emily Spedding (1841-1873).

4. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter.

5. George Goodwin (d. 1875), footman at Lacock Abbey.

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

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