London

13^th Dec^r 1844

My Dear Mother

Don’t think of coming to Town in this weather you have no idea how wretched it is – The darkness and cold are so great that I feel indisposed to transact any business, and prefer remaining under the protection of my Penates ^<1> in Sackville S^{t <2>} or else at the corner of the Club fire, or looking over curious books in the Athenæum ^<3> Library.

I have given the binder the plates for N^o 2, and also those for fifty more copies of N^o 1. and having done that I think I shall defer other matters till after X^mas – I therefore intend to return home tomorrow (Saturday) and stay till you go to Melbury ^<4>

Your aff^te

Henry

Pray ask Constance ^<5> to let the fire burn all day in my rooms, else I shall not be able to inhabit them in this weather – Even Sackville S^t is colder that I ever recollect it, and the air in the streets is such that I doubt whether walking does one any good

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Notes:

1. Household gods.

2. 31 Sackville Street, London residence of the Feildings, often used as a London base by WHFT.

3. Athenaeum Club, Pall Mall, London: WHFT’s club; a gentleman’s club composed primarily of artists and scientists.

4. Melbury, Dorset: one of the Fox Strangways family homes; WHFT was born there.

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