TALBOT5494

Lacock Abbey
Sunday Dec^r 28.

My dear Henry

I am disappointed that you don’t write to me from the seaside – but I must not complain because you wrote so often before you left London. – You enjoyed the storm I dare say, though Worthing can scarcely be the best place for the magnificence of a North Wester. –

Today we had a very high wind early & torrents of rain as soon as the wind began to fall – altogether so bad a day that I gave up going to Church, which I have rarely been forced to do on account of rain. – The new Communion Table ¹ looked very handsome on Xmas-day M^r Beckett ² has contrived to give it a marked character by some raised drapery behind it – and also raising it on a kind of dais (if I may use the expression – so that during the service he was continually stepping up & down. At Bowood ³ Lady Elis^{th 4} says it was celebrated by Candlelight which appears to have made it very impressive –

A flat thin parcel was brought over from Chippenham for you today – it is about the size & form of large sized letter paper. It is from Southampton according to the report of the messenger who received it from the hands of the guard of the Southampton Coach. – Charge 2/2 – and 1/ from Chippenham – Must I keep it? – It is too slightly packed I think to follow you all over the country. – Lady Elis^th regrets in her letter to me that you have turned against the scheme of meeting her at Brighton – Is this so, or is it only her fancy? – she keeps putting off her return from Bowood from day to day – to the great discomfiture of Horatia’s ⁵ old women who expected to have had their bacon & potatoes yesterday. – I imagine they will scarcely be ready to move Southwards on the 8^th according to the message I sent you in my last – particularly if they go again to Bowood for Mrs Heneage’s ⁶ ball on the 2^d –

Mary ⁷ has accepted my invitation to spend New years day here – perhaps we may also have Miss King ⁸ & her 2 two sic oldest pupils – I dare say we shall be merry. – but we needn’t be more so than we were on Xmas-day by ourselves. We had a tree to whose branches we tied biscuits, raisins, figs &c – & in gathering them, a name appeared to each indicating for whom it was destined – & the person gathering it gave it accordingly. – After stripping the tree, all the children sat down to tea with M^lle D. ⁹ & me in the Library – and we ate our fruits & tea together. – They enjoyed it extremely & Charles ¹⁰ still talks of it –

Chicks ¹¹ & I are very busy preparing trifling presents for New years day, & mean to repeat the tree with a little variation s by mixing the said presents with the eatables. –

Charles is sitting at the table beside me & sends you his love – & hopes you will come back soon –

Y^r affectionate
Constance. –

We have just been making trial of the New Substance ¹² – it takes the impression of seals perfectly – and has afforded us great entertainment. –

I see the stars are peeping out – so I hope for better weather. Have you seen the new Planet? ¹³ –