TALBOT620

Harrow ¹
Oct: 20^th 1814.

My dear Mamma,

I was agreeably surprized this morning to see M^r Feilding. ² Kit ³ was in school when he came, so I went after him, but did not tell him what he was wanted for; & so he could not think where I was leading him. I suppose the triangular leaf that you sent me, dropped out by the way, for I did not find it in your letter. You ought to spell it Salisburia adiantifolia; the Ginkgo tree of the Chinese.⁴ How very odd a hedge seventy feet high must look. I have begun my declamation, but have not done much. The weather is changeable: rain & sunshine by turns: you see I inform you on this point in every letter. I do not think you will see many more flowers this year, except those of the Mosses, which are very curious if examined carefully. They have a little fringed blossom; the fingers, or teeth as they are called, of which, are always in number 4, 8, 16, 32, or 64: as exact as possible.

I remain Y^r Aff^te Son
W H F Talbot

Lady Elisabeth Feilding
31 Sackville S^t
London