Kildare Bournemouth
July 22^d

My dear Papa

Please to thank Monie for her letter of Friday, with inclosures for Charles which I have only just received owing to some irregularity in the post. A letter of hers to Mamma written Saturday arrived at the same time.

We had a thunderstorm this morning, not a bad thing for the weather was quite too hot – the sun so baking that it was impossible to sit on the beach before 5 or 6 ocl. the last day or two. but the clouds have now cleared off and we are going to have another warm afternoon. We are in a very nice situation here, on the pretty side with good view, plenty of breeze and the amusement of seeing the steamers arrive at the Pier &c. but there are some parts of Bournemouth which I should not care to inhabit I think at all; especially on a dark winter’s day the villas among the Fir trees must be gloomy – and you might imagine yourself among the back-woods of America – with nothing around you but firs and other little villa houses. The drives also I fancy are not very varied – there is the road to Poole by which we arrived, open and heathy. with a fine air – and the road to Christchurch – running straight as an arrow through the fir wood – but people fond of excursions might go by Steamer across the bay or to the Isle of Wight which looks very pretty on a clear day – As for us we content ourselves with sitting out on the cliff or in the shady pleasure ground through which the Bourne flows (an insignificant little stream – not bigger than the brook at Lacock – and yesterday I took a shady walk to S^t Peters church, fashionable and high, – service not very interesting when you got there, but of one thing I approved and I think one might suggest to M^r Roach to do likewise – which is, to have the sermon immediately after the litany thus shortening the morning service by a good half hour. – the Communion Service being celebrate afterwards as a separate service. The moon has been beautiful each night rising over the sea just opposite our windows and people were walking on the cliff up to 10 oclock yesterday evening enjoying themselves.

Today Henriette and I have been bathing – the water was so warm one might have staid in any length of time. Mamma is intending to write herself so I will not add more at present.

Yr. affec^te daughter
Ela

I heard from Tilly this morning; I hope she will have this fine warm weather at Fort William There are no shells nor sea weeds here to speak of –

[envelope:]
H F Talbot Esq^re
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts.