Lacock

Wedn^y Ev^g

Feb. 25

My Dear Constance

The train was only a quarter of an hour behind time at starting. The Directors of the G^t Western are obliged to be economical so we had no lights in the tunnel. I found the carriage at Corsham. ^<1> The East Wind was very keen, but the glass front acted in a satisfactory manner.

I took a walk in the garden and met Wilkins, ^<2> who looks ill but he assured me he felt much better. The garden is full of snowdrops and crocusses.

The Lælia in the stove is still in beauty, having been shaded from the sun. In the green houses there is a beautiful New Holland Acacia and a white Camellia and Triteleia uniflora which used to grow in Dean cemetery at Edinbro’. and many other things. And some seeds are coming up which I sowed very carefully last summer, among them the Blue Tropæolum, w^ch only ripened seven seeds and one of them has come up and is indeed several inches high. Then we have a dozen young Michauxias coming up which I think might be called the Turk’s cap Campanula being a Campanula in fact with the corolla split into 8 parts and rolled back.

Adieu. Yours aff^tly

Henry

This letter written with the Magic Inkstand, and Woods paper warranted not greasy.

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Notes:

1. Corsham Court, Wiltshire, 3 mi NW of Lacock: seat of Ld Methuen.

2. George Wilkins (b. 1814), gardener at Lacock.