TALBOT5774

Bowood. ¹
Thursday.

My dear Henry

Lady Lansdowne ² says that if M^rs Moore ³ comes tomorrow as she has promised, she shall be glad for me & the children ⁴ to stay till Monday – As I believe you will not be at home before & I know of no impediment, I have consented conditionally – Our children are wild with pleasure – The beauty of the house in general & of their own apartments in particular the delight of playing with Kenneth ⁵ & Edmund ⁶ – the anticipation of seeing Clanmaurice ⁷ tomorrow – are all highly gratifying.

Rosamond sleeps in a room all to herself opening into the Nursery. & Ela has a similarly stately chamber opening into mine – & they are charmed with the grandeur of this. – Ela assembles the others for a little study in her room by her fireside & her candles on the table! I am writing close by with the door open – Charles is writing what he calls a letter to you – We walked this morning before lunch to M^rs Phelps’s ⁸ to see Miss King – They were both very glad to see us – Miss King is going to some institution in London, where cases of curvature of the Spine are attended to – & I hope it may be of use – as she is already much better for resting since she left M^rs West Awdry. ⁹

I had a second walk with Lady Louisa ¹⁰ through the wood – to a cottage at Sandy Lane – & enjoyed it very much though the air was rather keen for me – but the ground was dry & the leaves rustled about delightfully – M^r Guthrie ¹¹ dined & slept here yesterday – today he is gone home, but returns tomorrow – He is to shew me some of his schools tomorrow –

Your affectionate
Constance.

Lady Lansdowne is delighted with the pictures you presented to her – & she will give up the bad old ones–

[enclosure in child’s hand:]
W
CAT
AND
MAY
MAY
AND
CAT

To Papa from Charles ¹²