Lacock
W. Nov. 2
My Dear Charles
I rather think that our Telegraph was to open today. Who do you suppose was very near being the first person to send a message by it. You will never guess so I must tell you that it was Mr Gladstone <1> the Prime Minister. He came down to his niece’s wedding. While there he received a telegram announcing the fall of Metz. <2> He wrote an answer and took it to Mr Austen, <3> who regretted extremely his inability to send it as he was not yet open.
So Mr G. drove on to Chippm and telegraphed from thence.
Afterwards the Chippm <4> postmaster told Austen he was very glad that A. had not had the sending of it, for he would certainly have made a mess of it, for it was very long and full of uncommonly hard words – Only fancy if the destinies of Europe had been put in jeopardy through our post office!
A thick fog prevailed here all day today (Wednesday) and I fancy you cannot have escaped it in Town
Your affte
Father
Envelope:
C. H. Talbot EsqNew University Club
St James’s St
London S.W.
Notes:
1. William Ewart Gladstone (1809–1898), statesman and author.
2. The surrender of General Achille Bazaine and his 173,000 men at Metz, on 27 October 1870, during the Franco–Prussian War (1870–1871). The fall of Metz was followed soon after with the capitulation of Paris, January 28th 1871.
3. The Lacock postmaster.
4. Chippenham, Wiltshire: largest town near Lacock, 3 miles N.