Carruchan Dumfries
Nov. 6^th 1868

My dear Papa,

I ought not to have put off so long thanking you for the Quinces, and the Rubus plants which arrived at their destination quite safely. Mary’s rubus plants have been placed in a group in front of some bushes near the house – ours are put in a temporary place here until we go home. We were all very much interested about the shock of an earthquake which you felt – it must indeed have been most startling at that hour of the night, and I am sure, if I had been there, I should have been quite frightened, & never thought of the true cause of the disturbance. Since you wrote, the newspapers have been full of different accounts of the shock I suppose it was more noticed from occurring at that quiet time of the night – The weather here is now excessively cold – today I was out driving in a regular snow-storm – and the snow did not melt as it fell, but lay on the ground, & my fingers are so cold even now that I can hardly write. It is strangely sudden

The excitement of the three elections continues to increase – It has been discovered during the last three days that Sir S. Waterlow who disputes the County of Dumfries with Major Walker is a Unitarian – a fact which he had been afraid to divulge when questioned about his religious belief – so that many of the free church & others who were going to support him on the ground that he would go with M^r Gladstone on the Irish Ch: question, have withdrawn their pledges. I send you an unlucky likeness of Connie which you can burn if you like!

With love from the children I am y^r affec^te daughter
Tilly

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