TALBOT227

New years day
Margam ¹

My dear Henry

I believe I never answered your last letter which is very condemnable but I hope you will behave better to me than I to you & let me know how you all are I conclude you all to be at Lacock as the continent is not an agreeable place this winter & M^rs Talbot ² would be more comfortable by her own fireside than the other side of the straits of Calais – how sad all this war is & what pleasure can it be to the king of Prussia ³ (late) to deserve the name of William the destroyer –

I came home yesterday & found Bertha & M^r Fletcher ⁴ & the children all v^y flourishing my brother looking very well indeed & enjoying his shooting with M^r F – wild geese in hundreds besides strange birds on the moors – six of the wild geese they shot yesterday – and one day a week ago 365 hares were shot but I dont know how many guns did that, I think four – Is Charles ⁵ at home now? We have a sketching club which I think Rosamund ⁶ ought to join – four drawings in a year only are required – whereas most of the sketching societies require one every month – we are about 22 members – Ellinor Llewelyn ⁷ has got more than one prize – I wish you were coming here – I mean to stay till the ninth or tenth when I expect some young visitors at home With love to you both

believe me yrs affy
C L Traherne