M^t Edgcumbe ^<1>
Monday April 25^th 1836

My dear Henry

I wish you & Constance ^<2> joy of little Ela’s ^<3> birthday, & beg you will give her a kiss from me & make it clear to her understanding that I wish her a great many happy returns of it – & thank C. for her most amiable answer to my letter. – We have still some time longer to stay here, though I cannot exactly say till when – perhaps the end of next month – but your best time, mi pare, ^<4> would be now immediately, from Southampton & before they all come home – Today is so hot I could hardly bear to be out – quite summer – Let me hear soon – I hope you will come now – Do not follow the maxim, “Never do today that which you can put off till tomorrow” –

Bimbo ^<5> sends Ela his love & a kiss –

Ever y^rs aff^ly
Caroline

W. H. Fox Talbot Esq^r
Bellevue House
Southampton
31. Sackville Street ^<6>

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Notes:

1. Mt Edgecumbe, near Plymouth: seat of the Earl of Mt Edgcumbe

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

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

4. It seems to me.

5. William Henry Edgcumbe, ‘Val’, 4^th Earl Mt Edgcumbe (1832–1917), JP & Ld Steward of the Royal Household; WHFT’s nephew ‘Bimbo’.

6. Readdressed in Constance Talbot’s hand.