Aix les Bains
Tuesday Septr 9th
My dear Henry
Thanks for your wee letter – but pray write me a longer one with the promised account of your journey. It is a pity you overtired yourselves & I am sorry to hear from Papa <1> that you are not yet quite restored. I suppose it must have been the heat which has been very great here, but I should rather have enjoyed it if the instant it grows cool in the evening I was not ordered in & shut up for fear of damp. We had a violent hurricane last night & thunder & floods of rain all the morning so I am afraid there is an end of our fine hot weather. Were you not surprized to see Papa walk in he tells me Mama <2> is better. I do think the douches here would do her feet good – but that of course Dr Prévost can judge of better than I can.
It is very tantalizing to think Caroline <3> & you & Constance <4> should be all so near me & yet I cannot see you. You must not fix any time for going back till I come, you know there can be no particular hurry for going back now you have come all this way. If I can but take my douches 2 days running without too much fatigue I shall get over the ground much quicker. I am certainly much better, & have actually taken rides on donkeys for the last 3 days. It is a beautiful country & there are nice lanes to ride in & mountains to climb up for those who have sufficient energy.
Give my love to Constance – I am afraid the letter I wrote her was lost which is a great pity tell her as it was very interesting
yr affte
Horatia
Monsieur
Mr Fox Talbot
aux Délices
près Genève
Notes:
1. Rear Admiral Charles Feilding (1780–1837), Royal Navy; WHFT’s step-father.
2. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.
3. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808–1881); WHFT’s half-sister.
4. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.