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7 Aug 59 Julius Fyzabad Mother ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Fyzabad
7th August /59
My dear Mother
I have received (on 5th) yours of 10th June. It has taken a long while reaching me.
I am much obliged to all of you for the trouble you had in getting all those things I wrote about. I quite agree with you that for this country everything should be useful & the ornamental dispensed with. I must also thank you for yr. presents which no doubt will be most acceptable; also Helen for hers. I am sure it must have been through some great oversight of mine that I did not send my love to her, but she ought to include herself in the ‘all’ with which my letters generally close. However I see it must be mentioned singly as it would be sad indeed if my letters were to occasion a fall of tears on arrival.
By your accounts of her, we shall all spoil her when she gets a little older. I am very glad indeed to hear that ‘Peace’ once more reigns in the Family. A House divided against itself would never do. It gives me great pleasure to hear of the ‘reunion’.
Since my last I have at length got out of a tent into a Hut. The change was so luxurious that I gave myself up entirely to enjoying it for the first fortnight. This you must know is the rainy season & from living on the wet ground with the rain coming on you, as from a sieve, clothes & everything you touched quite damp – boots that could hardly be drawn on; all at once to get the luxuries of a Roof, Punkha & Chicks (instead of doors, a sort of blind made of thin strips of bamboo tied so close as to prevent the entry of flies, wasps &c.) was too much. I used to sleep & read, and read & sleep – like everything else the effect has worn off & now I have to set to work & knock off some of my debts in the way of letters. We had been just 10 months in Tents.
We are living in the married men’s quarters, their wives not having yet arrived from England. This is what is called a new station, which means that we find no sort of amusement of any sort except what we choose to make. The consequence is that subscription to everything is the order of the day. Of course we must have a Mess House, a Billiard House & Table, a Swimming Bath, gardens, Station Library, to say nothing of each Officer having to build a Bungalow, on a piece of ground given him for that purpose, which costs an immense sum of money alone. Then there is the Pack of Hounds now on their way up to the Regt. from Calcutta.
When one considers that there are only about 25 Officers here, the wonder is how they do all these things. In the end, very little of this wonderful Indian pay stays in the Pocket of the British Sub. I have not yet been able to replace my poor old ‘Camel’ (I think I told you I killed him out dog spearing). He was a capital old Horse.
I told Arthur if he reduced his establishment which at present is large, I would send him a little mare I have. I got an answer reminding me of my promise & begging me to send her down sharp. As however he had not done what I suggested regarding the numbers of servants & Horses, I wrote & told him I must decline until he could tell me that he had done so. This was I think about a month ago & I have not heard a word since. From what John says & from this, I am afraid he is inclined to be sulky.
John keeps his spirits up. He seems to like India about as much as I do. He talks of getting out of it but I do not see my way at all clear. I have to commence teaching Musketry again tomorrow, which in the former warlike times has been neglected. The cool season will commence about 1st Octbr. At present the Range is at the bottom of a River, but that will be dry by the time I shall want it.
I am afraid my duties, as M.I., will keep me from Shooting & Hunting a good deal, but of course ‘Duty before pleasure’ is always our motto. Colnl. Gwilt is up at the Hills in ‘Simla’. Col Kelly has returned with Mrs K. & they live in the end of the other building which contains Capts & Field Officers. I remember my Father’s story of the Curtain in the Barrack Room of one of his friends who was married. This case is somewhat like it.
There is not a Bungalow in the place. There are now some 6 ladies, who of course are made much of. This will be a very fair Station in 3 or 4 years.
I have not heard from Peter very lately. I am very glad to see by the papers that my Father is not going to stand for Marylebone. It would be ‘paying very dear for his whistle’. Does he still wish to be in Parliament? I see you talk of going somewhere for a change. Where do you think of? I wish I was with you to go too. I often think of our Welsh trip & look forward to such an other.
I see the French & Austrians* are killing each other in fine style. Rather different fighting to what we have been seeing I expect.
We all wish the French to catch it & hope that in the end they may. What a pity the Austrians have no Commander, as every one seems to agree that they fight well. I suppose in the end we shall be drawn in to it, but I hope not.
Today being Sunday, we have a great Church Parade: Colonel Kelly CB officiates. There is one Clergyman to three large Stations, of which this is one, so we do not see much of him. We had three men taken suddenly with Cholera the other day & expected it was going to settle all of us. Two of the three died & no more cases have since occurred. I was very nearly going down to Calcutta with discharged men but I am now glad I did not have to go as it would have been an expensive trip.
I hope my Father keeps his health well & has not had any returns of illness.
With best love to all & Helen
Believe me
Yr affect Son
JD Laurie
* French and Austrians – The Battle of Solferino, the last engagement of the second War of Italian Independence, had taken place on June 24th. The outcome was defeat for the Austrians, leading to their loss of parts of Lombardy, in what is now northern Italy. The bloodshed (15,000 Franco-Piedmontese and 14,000 Austrians killed and wounded) inspired Henri Dunant to lead the movement to establish the International Red Cross