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9 Jun 61 Julius Fyzabad Mother ______________________________________________________________________________________________

Fyzabad

9 – 6 – 61

My dear Mother

Our Mails have come in rather irregularly lately. It was therefore with considerable pleasure that I received, about four days after the date for the arrival of the English post at Fyzabad, a letter from you in which you tell me of a box en route that I am to look out for.

I am sorry to hear again that my Father has been ailing. I do not like these periodical intimations of approaching sickness at all.

John, you tell me is in Dresden, happy fellow, going over all old haunts again. I shall be glad to see his cards wish, as you say, that I could return some of Capt. L’s but somehow or other the fates never seem to be propitiously inclined towards me. I daresay you think me an indifferent correspondent. I feel I am one: I am losing my energy considerably and want something stirring to wake me up again. No doubt India must affect people’s disposition & characters according to the length of time they are subject to the climate. I had some thoughts of taking a trip to the Hills for a couple of

Months to stir myself up again, but then I expect it would be an expensive matter & one which my finances would be totally inadequate to carry out. A fresh light has lately broken on me of which up to the present time I have said nothing & even now it is only in the way of a possibility. Tell me how should you like me to be Adjutant of H.M. 34^th Regt. under Sir Richard Kelly? Leeson, our Adjt. who has held up against sickness for a long time has announced his intention of going home in October. He is very likely to change his mind again, but if he does not, I flatter myself that I should step into his shoes. Our Colonel is very just & although there are several senior officers to myself who would jump at the opportunity, they have not stuck to the Regt. like me (boasting apart) & I think in this case, as in the play, Virtue becomes triumphant * in the end. This is a sort of thing which one does not get through interest or the assistance of any one. One has to stand on one’s own merit and the man who succeeds is selected from amongst the whole of the Subs of the Regt. as having the best claims. From the first I have felt a strong wish to obtain the Adjutancy of the 34^th before getting my Captaincy, may the time of holding it be ever so short, as I feel certain it will please both my Father & you. If I fail, I am no worse than before but if I succeed & it gratifies you, I shall be pleased.

If you or John should happen to see any of our people (34^th Offrs.) don’t talk about this until I tell you it is settled, please.

Rifle Instruction & Hindustani I am completely sick of & wish to drop them both. The former affords one such a very small field of action, too confined to continue to work in. So far I have succeeded & I wish to leave it while my success is still young.

We are looking out for the Indian General Order classifying the Regts. according to merit & are anxious to see where ‘most satisfactory in every respect’ will find its position.

We had a rattling ‘Paper Hunt’ (another name for a steeplechase) the other morning, a first rate run. Some very ugly falls, but altogether harmless. One man dislocated his shoulder & another ought to have broken his back but somehow or other they are both about again now, so there was nothing serious. I got notice from Mr Seymour (I think) of the box having started, but he did not say if it was consigned to the care of an Agent. To make sure, I will write down to the P&O Co’s Agent about it as I am quite anxious to see it. By the bye, you have never told me anything more about Miss Prater’s marriage. You hardly gave me enough grounds for a letter of congratulations which I should have liked to have sent.

I shall write no more until I can report the arrival of the box for which I shall look out like a school boy.

Love to all, including Helen.

From yr affect Son

JDLaurie

* Virtue becomes triumphant – WS Gilbert (of Gilbert & Sullivan) is quoted as having said ‘I'm really very sorry for you all, but it's an unjust world, and virtue is triumphant only in theatrical performances.’