<on mourning paper>
Augst 1st 72
St Hilary
My dear Henry
I was so glad to get your letter in April that I cannot understand how or why I never replied to it – it was a disappointment to me not to see you when I was at Bath & saw your folk, but I hoped to have seen you after – I was six weeks (or seven) at Weymouth & since then have been mostly here I have just got Theresa’s two girls again with me – they c<a>me here before in the winter & think the place wonderfully pretty with the trees & flowers in blow – it is not however a good year for gardens the slugs have been so numerous owing to birds being killed I suppose, that this year we encourage the birds, they devour all our fruit – but if they will also save us from snails & slugs we will not mind that – Jane is at home and is going to have a large number of grandchildren round her for the next two months – two of Edwards children are there now – & some of Iltids Edward is wanting to move from Falmouth which is a pity as his children are so well there – I do not think he has heard of anything to suit him yet – I was at Margam last week they are in the midst of restoring the church & it is in a great mess – the new roof is not bad but not to my taste – the chancel will be very nice when done but at present nothing is <placed?> there are to be open wood work screens each side & an open iron one in front <low?> & good pattern – they have a new young clergyman who seems likely to be very popular – he is a North Wales man – son of the Archdeacon of Merioneth & looks very young for so large a parish but our population has diminished – owing to the fire in the coal pit near Aberavon causing it to be stopped up as the only way of getting it extinguished & some explosions in other places. I have no thoughts of going abroad though I should like it much – Tom Franklens wedding took place last week & he & his bride are going to Switzerland. I charged them to go & see my old friend Mlle Dutscheck at Lausanne Pray let me hear from you
Yours affly
C L. Traherne
I will ask Bella about the Lacock Pea – she keeps a great many old favorites – the Arundo donax, from seedlings from Penllergare, grows famously here – Anemonies <sic> are my chief ornament last spring I had a border about two foot broad all down the garden it was gay for two months at least & I gathered a quantity of seed – of which I send you some – & if you will have it sowed directly quite on the surface & covered just with sand they will blow early like mine – there used to be a border at Penrice of them all down the walk & I have not seen them so fine since, till this year my border was a reproduction of the old effect if you would like a little plant of Polygonum Sieboldi I can give it – I have a large plant & it sends out little ones – it is very pretty – I got it from the old garden at Pyle inn where “a gentleman planted it” – I think they have lost it there now, it likes shelter – last winter was mild & suited it well