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6 Jul 58 Julius Azingurh Mother ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Azimgurh, 6th July /58
My dear Mother
Since I last wrote (21st June*) I have had two letters; one from you (May 15th) & one from my Father (May 22nd).
I am very glad to hear by your letter that Helen is quite out of danger. My Father in his former letter told me that she had been ill but I was not at all aware of the case being so serious. It must have been very trying to you to have seen your only daughter as it were, on the brink of the grave & I am sure it is a great blessing that she has been spared.
Long before you get this I hope she will be restored in strength.
I am keeping very well but quite cursed with prickly heat & boils. Another Subaltern is to go down to Benares immediately for a medical board. He is very bad with liver – I am sure the great secret of keeping in good health is to take lots of exercise. It is uncommonly warm work but we must not think like that. I always go for a ride of a morning 5am for an hour & a half, & about 6 o’clock in the evening for an hour.
We are getting up some races for the 21st which is the only excitement prevailing. I hope to win one race with my mare.
The rains, that people out here talk so much about, have begun. Plenty of thunder & dust storms but we have had for the last two days fine weather, quite a break in the rainy season.
Mr Layard* who has been lecturing in England is not at all approved of out here. His alias is, according to the papers ‘Sir Laid’.
My Father says you are going down to the country. I suppose it will be ‘Sweet Devonshire’ this time. I hope Mary* is getting on well.
I never take up a paper now without looking up the births & marriages as all our friends seem to be doing something in those ways now.
I was delighted to hear of the victory gained by the ministerialists in the House on the ‘Vote of Censure’. I suspect if there had been a dissolution my Father would have had a sharp contest for his seat. I do not think you have cultivated the acquaintances of the Barnstapleites half sufficiently.
This is a very fine place for snakes of all sorts & sizes. Occasionally you see some very fine ones. I can not say that I admire them but I believe they generally run away unless you hit at them or tread on them by accident. There is a very nasty species called the ‘whip snake’ – a very thin long reptile which darts at you as you ride under trees. I have never seen any of these latter but I am told they always fasten on your eyes.
I wrote to Peter yesterday & have not heard from him since his first letter to tell me of his good fortune.
The mail goes out this evening so with love to all, Helen included who I hope is as fat as ever again.
I remain yr affect. son
J D Laurie
* 21st June – He is mistaken. As is evident, his last letter had been sent a week, rather than a fortnight, earlier
* Mr Layard – Sir Austen H Layard (1817–1894) British archaeologist, politician, and diplomat; MP for Aylesbury 1852–57 and for Southwark 1860–69
* Mary – John and Mary Riley were expecting the birth of their first child