______________________________________________________________________________________________
18 Apr 61 Julius Fyzabad Mother ______________________________________________________________________________________________
Fyzabad
18 – 4 – 61
My dear Mother
I hear the Mail leaves to day so must needs send a few lines by it. We are here waiting for the English letters which should arrive today & in which we certainly expect to hear some news of Steuart’s step. I feel quite certain neither my Father or John would have allowed so much time to elapse without taking means to find out what Steuart’s intentions were about going. I can not believe that he would have written out to Holroyd some time ago saying he would go on getting £600 over regulation if he had not intended to. So I hope our expectations concerning some news coming on this Mail will not be groundless.
I see by John’s letter that he has been busy trying for an unattached Majority. I hope he may succeed in getting one if it will suit him. I believe they are hard things to get just now. I feel confident John would never allow his own business to cause him to neglect doing his best for me & my promotion. Every one else here is more sanguine about the step than I am. My luck lately has not been such as to cause me to be over confident about anything just at present.
I have had one piece of good fortune though (I cannot call it luck) which I hope may be the turning point. This morning the Report of the Chief Inspector of Musketry came to the Colonel. It referred to the yearly course of M.I. which has been carried in the Regt. & the remark on the whole was that the training had been ‘most satisfactory in every particular’. The Colnl is delighted & tonight there is a Regimental Order published stating that ‘not only is the result to be attributed to the zeal & attention always displayed in the performance of his duties by the Musketry Instructor’ but also etc. (going on to praise the men for the trouble they have taken & for the officers for encouraging it.) so that one’s exertions are beginning to bear fruit at last.
I think the above will please my Father & you so I have put it in. Otherwise I generally keep off shop as much as possible, but it is difficult when one has an opportunity of making oneself out a very fine fellow, to prevent oneself doing so.
The hot weather is now at us full swing and so also are punkahs which, with the assistance of Kus-Kus Tatties, serve to make a room bearable during the heat of the day.
My Horses are still all lame. My Mare is coming round very well though. I have turned my attention to Rackets. I can’t play a bit but I run like anything all about the court & thus get a sufficiency of exercise to carry me on. I was once at Gondah * last week for a couple of days at some Masonic business & rode back on 12th instant for a dance which the ‘Tent Club’ members gave to the Station. I am getting amazingly fond of dancing, but of course out here you don’t get half enough practice. I was sufficiently lucky to get a partner for every dance, which I assure you is uncommon good fortune for India. I went once to Gondah as I have before stated to be present at some Masonic ceremony & put up with Fraser of Hodson’s Horse, the 2nd Regt. of which is quartered there.
Gondah is a very decent out station I expect. There seem to be a good lot there, but still give me Fyzabad. I have no ambition to change.
For a couple of months I shall go up to the Hills I think, if all goes well. I can go for Six months but I have to give up all (?) my staff pay in that case. Rifle Instructors are by far the worst paid Staff Officers in India. Why, I am at shop again not withstanding all my promises.
I have been sorry to observe, time after time, in my home letters that my Father still keeps on opium etc. To keep off pain. I have always hoped that he will sooner or later be able to drop all these preventives. How is he getting on now. I hope better.
With the exception of letters I write to you, I am afraid I am a shockingly bad correspondent. Will you tell me if you hear any one abuse me very much & I will write & apologise. With love to all at home & Helen to whom please give my best acknowledgements for her letter which was really capitally printed.
Believe me, yr affect Son
JDLaurie
* Gondah – now Gonda, about 30 miles North of Faizabad, across the Ghaghara River