Laycock Abbey
Friday 5th March
Dear Papa,
We were very glad to hear that your daisy flowered plant is so very curious and rare; Mamie <1>and Matilda <2> went directly into the conservatory to look at it.
As it is just the time for sowing seeds, we would be very glad if you were so good as to procure us some seeds from the Horticultural Society as you did last year. We send you a list <3> of those which we desire most to have.
It has been very fine here lately and today there is a very sharp frost. The violets are in full flower and one daffodill is open.
We have been out several times, and today we took a long walk up the hill with Fido.
Charles <4> has written twice, and sent us a drawing of the front of Dummer House, <5> which gives a very good idea of it: he seems to like it better than Ashleworth. <6>
We are beginning to read the astronomy book you gave to Matilda, and we find many things in it which interest us very much.
The large fumi ntary in the conservatory is coming into flower, and all the floxes Phloxes, campanulas, etc we brought from Grasmere <7> are coming up in the Westmoreland bed. The crab tree is beginning to be covered with leaves; and the apricots are in flower.
Good bye, dear Papa, I hope it is as fine with you as with us, though it can never be so pleasant in London as here.
Your affectionate and dutiful daughter
Rosamond.
[envelope:]
H. F. Talbot Esqre
The Athenæum Club
London.
Notes:
1. Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].
2. Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3rd daughter.
3. No enclosure.
4. Charles Henry Talbot (1842–1916), antiquary & WHFT’s only son.
5. Dummer House, Basingstoke.
6. Ashleworth, Gloucester: site of a medieval tithe barn, now a National Trust property.
7. Grasmere, Westmoreland: popular summer venue; Wordsworth is buried there.