TALBOT6446

Grasmere Tuesday July 29

My dear Henry

I received yesterday your third letter dated Berlin. 22^d and posted on the 23^d Probably, had not Sunday intervened (Where the Postman omits his daily delivery) I should have read it one day sooner – making 4 days from Berlin – not 3 as you suppose – The same time was occupied by your letter to Ela, posted a day later than mine, & rec^d also yesterday the 28^th. She was very much pleased with your writing to her, & intends to answer for herself another day and will doubtless tell you how busy she & her Sisters were with M^lle Amélina observing the Eclipse through coloured glasses, during my absence at Kendal – I write today according to your request to apprise you of Charles’s safe arrival. Though M^r Williams persisted in thinking he would not reach Kendal till 7 I, knowing better, was punctual to the hour when the express is due at Oxenholme Station, (the Junction). – and ½ an hour behind time he arrived looking bright & well, but rather thin. I scarcely recognised him at first, among the great crowd of passengers on the Platform, till I heard a gentleman saying, to a slim boy about his height, – “Where did you see your Servant?” – for Charles it seems had spied out George before the train fairly stopped & then lost sight of him again – I immediately pounced upon him & thanked his escort, M^r Crickinay, who instantly returned to his own little pupil L^d Montgomery; while George was getting possession of Charles’s trunk. – with some difficulty – for there was a vast number of travellers – & the train was detained a long time. Luckily, the weather was very fine all day after a most tempestuous night of wind & rains – And I anticipated a wretchedly wet trip after Charles – something like the weather you had for the last time you left Grasmere – The air was hot & the sky often shaded by flying clouds, especially passing over the Sun’s face during the whole time of the Eclipse – sometimes partially veiling him, at others allowing the whole to shine with its full measure of diminished quantity – as the Eclipse proceeded. I think this kind of sky added greatly to the effect & relieved the eyes, which might have been fatigued by consistently looking at the sun – and it was seldom hid for more than a few seconds at a time – I saw it perfectly in the streets of Kendal. Though I was not favorably situated for watching the whole. Still I saw quite enough to interest me; & it filled my hours of waiting with a little shopping. – & a solitary dinner – I was provided with 2 coloured glasses & had sent 2 to Charles for the same purpose – And he might have seen it perfectly through the carriage windows – but did not because he says it rained at two o’clock – and when the sky cleared, he imagined the proper time to have passed – Neither did any of his fellow travelers put their heads to the window – which I think stupid. – At Kendal, the whole population were gazing before their doors – This morning was showery, but M^r Green has just called to take Charles out walking – 12 o’clock – We agreed their should be no study today – but tomorrow they will begin at 10. –

Charles sends his love to you – and so do the Girls –

Your affectionate

Constance

I wrote to Berlin on Friday –