Edinburgh
April 25th
My dear Papa
Many many thanks for your Kind letter and especially for your beautiful present which I had no difficulty in finding in the drawer in your room
We all think the engravings excellent and wonder that any thing so delicate could be produced on wood but it makes one feel impatient ..when will your own art be brought to sufficient perfection to illustrate such a volume from photographs? That is what I want to see. This beautiful weather must be most favourable for you Engraving I should think Up till this morning we had been enduring a succession of gloomy foggy days with east wind ever since Easter Sunday our last really fine day but a sudden and most pleasant change has come on the wind has gone round to the west and the thermometer outside the drawing room window now stands at 70 [illegegible mark or symbol] Miss Gibson Craig sent us this morning a most beautiful bouquet from Hermiston I wish you could have seen it. Very fine Camelias & Rhododendrons besides Primulas and other out door plants
I hope the weather will not continue so hot at Lacock or the things will come on too quickly I should be very sorry to miss the Wisteria as you say it is going to be so fine When we come, which will be as soon as we possibly can, do you wish us to bring the plant from the Botanic garden that was promised you? I have forgotten its name
Tilly has had most beautiful weather at Dabton which made us quite jealous and has been enjoying drives in Mrs Ewarts open carriage in fact we saw by the papers that Edinburgh and Aberdeen were about the two most unlucky places in the Kingdom. I never remember such a fog before in the month of April what could have been the cause of it?
You must excuse a short letter as there is really nothing to mention people are leaving Edinburgh fast our neighbours at no 11 are departed and the Lord Advocates family are just going
Good bye dear Papa Your affecte daughter
Ela
[envelope:]
H. F. Talbot Esqre
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts