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1 Jun 60 Julius Fyzabad Mother 10, Hyde Park Terrace ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Fyzabad
1 June. 60
My dear Mother
Your letter of 2nd May arrived last night from which I am very sorry indeed to hear of my poor Father’s bad illness. He has generally had such excellent health that he will feel any attack of illness more than other people.
From the latter part of your letter I am inclined to hope that although very weak, my Father has passed the crisis & was improving. You must prevail on him to rest himself well. He should go right away from Town & all the cares of business, as what are they in comparison to his chancing the loss of his health. Supposing his affairs do suffer by his absence, if he recovers his strength, it will be money well laid out.
Luck’s evils never come singly. How very unfortunate that this cashier* should not have been detected before. I am very glad to see that you treat the affair so lightly. I hope you will not find it necessary to be anything more than a ‘little more economical than usual’. It is very lucky that there was so large a nest egg to bear the weight.
If I only knew whether it was worth while, I would really go in for Hindustani. I do not want to be tied down to India if I can help it, but as I have previously said – do it I can & if required, will.
I think it is a great pity John is not at home. He might do so much to save my Father trouble. I almost regret I did not attempt to get leave myself when John found he was unable. I think with management I could have arranged it as up to the present no Subaltern has applied for leave since we came to India.
The heat out here now is something intense. It increases every day up to the middle of June & then from Roasting Heat it changes to Boiling during the Rains. In my house now with Punkhas going & all air & light excluded it is 92° – & my house is rather cool than otherwise.
We have been getting gay here lately – an Officers’ Theatre & a Dance. There are about 11 Ladies (all married) & some of them great fun.
Excuse the shortness of this letter.
With love to Helen & all & a sincere hope of shortly hearing a better account of my Father.
Believe me yr affect Son
J D Laurie
* this cashier – A serious fraud on the Union Bank of London, committed by the chief cashier William Pullinger, was discovered in April 1860. By means of a duplicate pass- book on the Bank of England, he succeeded in defrauding his employers of £263,000, the greater part of which he squandered in stock exchange speculation and betting. It was only when he had been obliged to attend a funeral that his massive embezzlement came to light. Having pleaded Guilty to two specimen charges (of stealing from a master), he was sentenced to fourteen years' penal servitude on the first indictment and six years' penal servitude on the second, the latter sentence to commence at the expiration of the first. (Banking almanac 1861, p. 25; The Times, 21 April 1860)
Extract from letter dated 28th December 1901 written by Margaret Grant (Née Laurie), great-niece of Sir Peter Laurie, to Peter G Laurie (her half second cousin):
‘As to Pullinger, the model official who would never take a holiday, I do not know anything about him after his conviction. It affected Sir Peter painfully & he was sent away to Brighton out of the way of meetings etc. for he could not have done the work of Chairman at the time without breaking down & perhaps crying. His big diary was not written up to that time. I can remember nothing special except that I tell you privately he fancied himself ruined for a while & that he could not afford this & that & there was a little worry over getting a cheque – but that is entre nous.’