TALBOT5126

London

13^th Dec^r 1844

My Dear Mother

Don’t think of coming to Town in this weather you have no idea how wretched it is – The darkness and cold are so great that I feel indisposed to transact any business, and prefer remaining under the protection of my Penates ¹ in Sackville S^{t 2} or else at the corner of the Club fire, or looking over curious books in the Athenæum ³ Library.

I have given the binder the plates for N^o 2, and also those for fifty more copies of N^o 1. and having done that I think I shall defer other matters till after X^mas – I therefore intend to return home tomorrow (Saturday) and stay till you go to Melbury ⁴

Your aff^te

Henry

Pray ask Constance ⁵ to let the fire burn all day in my rooms, else I shall not be able to inhabit them in this weather – Even Sackville S^t is colder that I ever recollect it, and the air in the streets is such that I doubt whether walking does one any good