TALBOT5164

Tuesday

My Dear Henry

You have cooled my ardour, & therefore the Paper shall wait till I am going to Brighton, where I long to be whenever it is muggy. That 3 weeks at Melbury ¹ almost killed me with mug but now it is bright frosty sunshine & a clear North east wind that is quite reviving. The two Louisas ² are just departed, the only drawback to their present happiness is that Lord Lansdowne ³ will insist on his grandson’s being called Lord Fitzmaurice instead of Lord Clanmorris, a degree of blind obstinacy which is quite inconceivable in a man of taste. Such wailings as there are about it, both there & here!! Horatia ⁴ is going tomorrow to Bowood ⁵ to stay till Monday & give advice about the trousseau, She being a young lady who is supposed to have improved her ideas at Paris. I hope you read the last Examiner at the Athenæum ⁶ where I conclude they take it, it is very good indeed. Look at the following plan & tell me if you have no objection, M^r Awdry thinks there is not any – It is to fill up the ditch in order to widen the walk which is at present so narrow & the ditch so deep it is difficult to get along without tumbling in. This is the time of year to do these sort of jobs – I am afraid you won’t understand the map I send