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7 Oct 60 Julius Fyzabad Mother ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Fyzabad
7 – 10 – 60
My dear Mother
Your letter from Worthing reached me two days ago. I am very glad to find your old favourite Worthing has suited my Father so well, but you must never let him wear a wig. Why should a man be ashamed of showing his head?
You seem to have some inkling of John’s leave having been arranged. What a happy meeting you will have had. He deserves a run of Leave as he has had less of it than most people.
By the way, now I think of it, your friend Peel quite suddenly one day lately, took it into his head to send in his Papers to sell out. Just the sort of thing he would do, without mentioning a word to any one. There is considerable doubt who is to be the happy man to get the vacant Company. The first two Lieuts. I do not think can purchase. The second two i.e. Nos. 3 & 4 on the list, are doubtful but I think one of them is likely to. Nos 5 & 6, I am pretty sure cannot & I look upon the case as if there were only two doubtful purchasers between me & a Company. I hope Cox & Co. quite understand that I am going in for purchase. Leeson, my junior, would not at all mind finding a loophole to enable him to walk over my head. Please ask my Father to make quite sure.
I am hard at work (except on Sundays) with this horrid language, but the more I learn, the more I find before me. Sometimes I quite despair of ever passing the Examination, & then again, my determination comes to my assistance & at it I go until of an afternoon, my head begins to spin.
We are now just entering on the cold season. Our men, some of whom lately have been rather difficult to manage, are beginning to find their bearings again with the cool weather. Drill, nothing but drill, is now the order of the day.
The Commander-in-Chief (or C-in-C) & the Governor General (or GG) are both expected to look us up here as Fyzabad is a rising place (we are to have a Brigadier here). Sir R & Lady Kelly return home on 15th, on which date my annual hard labour commences. Last year there were six Regts. or parts of Regts. before us in merit, out of twenty six. In Bengal, only one whole Regt. before us, but this year I should like to beat them all, & then being rather tired of ‘teaching men how to shoot’ I would not mind directing my energies onto something else.
I am very comfortable in my house. I have, I think, the best garden in the station, this being made into a Brigadier’s Station will raise House property, I expect in value. I have never yet recovered the financial crisis that occurred with me when I built my 300 Rupee shed, which in reality cost me about 1,200 for particulars. Vide: Officers’ Account Book in care of Paymaster H.M.34th Regt. But I suppose I am considered creditable after my six years’ service, for he never asks me to sign my accounts. With Cox it was always the same, always (I am happy to say only a) slight tendency to get into the Dr Side of the Book. I think the disease is chronic. It is good in one way as it causes one to think before making hasty purchases, but it is a bore when you want to buy a horse, as I do at present, or any other equally expensive article. Tell my Father if he will only get me that Company, I won’t ever come down on him, so long as I am in India. (Of course unless some very unforeseen circumstance turns up). I expect John & I are a good deal alike. If so, he will explain my feelings about money. I have no patience with a man who throws his money away. I admire a man who lives like a Gentleman, but I do despise a stingy man. The latter is quite out of place in the Army, where so much depends on good fellowship, as no one likes associating with a mean man. But I am not delivering a Lecture, so will change the subject.
We are getting no end of married officers into the Regt. In Edinburgh there was only one, exclusive of the Staff, but now we have no less than 7 present. They say the disease is contagious. A new Doctor of Ours has some sisters of his wife coming to stay with him. I wonder who will take the bait?
How ones letter does spread out. You will be quite tired of reading so now, with best love to all, not excluding Helen.
I am yr affect son
JDLaurie
Tell John if he does not write & give me all the news, I shall be forced to take necessary measures regarding him.