TALBOT8020

The Winter Villa
Stonehouse
Plymouth
Thursday 5^th Jan^y 1860

My dear Henry

I am so glad we are going to have a visit from Matilda, ¹ & I wish you could be persuaded to accompany them here – or if you stay on at Melbury, ² as Matilda thinks probably, do come & see us afterw^ds before you return home It is very naughty of you never having come here once for such ages – When really you have no tie whatever to prevent you. L^d M^t E. ³ would like so much to see you & the Bougainvillea is in such beautiful flower! Sir W^m Hooker ⁴ says it only flowers very sparingly at Kew even. If Charles ⁵ is with you at Melbury do bring him too – & tell Uncle W^m & Sophy, ⁶ they must pay us a visit some day too.

Harriot wrote me word Uncle W^m had shewn her such interesting old letters from L^y Sarah Bunbury to Aunt Susan. ⁷ We had a brilliant Xmas tree last night. Val ⁸ helped us – so it was sure to be successful. Katie ⁹ is not quite well enough to travel yet; but [illegible deletion] we hope in a few days she will be able to come down here. We have had such tremendous gales here – One night [illegible] the guns in the Royal Albert got loose, & rolled about the deck – altho’ the ship was in the Sound where the anchorage is protected by the Breakwater.

Y^r aff^te Sister
Caroline

[envelope:]
Henry Fox Talbot Esq^re
Abbotsbury
Dorchester
Dorset
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham