1933 May
From LJT to Annette
Rockville Hotel
Darjeeling
May 2nd 1933
My darling Annette
Thank you very much for your letter – I was very glad to have your description of the Guide Ceremony on “Thinking Day”. I wonder why we did not get proper instructions for it in Calcutta. Your reports came this week and I am very pleased with both of them. I am specially glad of Miss Capstick’s remark at the end of your report, that you are becoming more public spirited. Carry on the good work, daughter mine, and try always to think of other people first. Its the best receipe for happiness that I know. Rosemary had a very nice report too. Her French seems to be the thing she is laziest over, which is a pity. I wish her interest in it could somehow be caught. She would probably go ahead then.
I am terrible sorry to hear that Francesça has had a bad riding accident. Poor child! Its very worrying for Mrs. Gurner too – being so far away –
This morning I had a lovely basket of roses, pansies (such beauties.) cornflowers and poppies sent to me from the Darjeeling Flower Show, which took place yesterday – The pansies – deep purples browns rusts and tawny yellows – are massed in a bowl which standing under the lamp in front of me, keeps on catching my eye and then I have to stop for a moment to admire them. Another form of interruption comes from Dad – who is woking away on his scheme for bringing the river flood water back on to the land. Every now and again he reads me lists of figures about the yields of rice on certain areas of land and how much they can be increased by putting two or three inches of flood water over the land. Actually figures read out to me like that, convey little or nothing to me, but I don’t like to hurt his feelings by saying so so I try to listen and look intelligent.
I was interested in your comment that so many books have no proper ending. In a way that is a fair comment. A story book or a play should lead up to some sort of a climax or conclusion – but the “no proper ending” is much truer of life. Life woks up to some sort of a climax every now and again and sinks perhaps into rather a quiet groove for a while after it – but then some fresh series of events crop up and lead one on through all sorts of varying degrees of interest – excitement – happiness or misery - Life never stops still, till death comes to hush it – and after all, we sort of believe that that is only some more radicle change. Browning’s lines come into my head – “God be praised that man is hurled from change to change unceasingly –
His Souls’ wings never furled.” When people regret the past, I often think of those lines. Do you ever read Browning? Perhaps you are a bit young for him yet. I must have been at least fifteen before I started reading his poems with pleasure – and I read the shorter poems so much and so often that quotations from them spring to my mind almost as often as quotations from the Bible.
I’m writing after dinner as I have to play in the tennis tournament to-morrow morning – To tell you the truth I am getting rather sleepy so I think I shall leave Richard’s and Auntie’s letter to do before breakfast to-morrow.
Best love, my darling.
from
Mum
From HPV to Annette
Darjeeling
May 3rd
My dear Annette.
The sun is shining and I am dancing with my ribbon. Or would be if I had one: with the daffodils, so to speak.
It is the summer term. You’ll be diving and swimming and galumphing in the water. Very well. Remember not to look at the water when you take off for your dive. Look up till the time comes to duck your head between your arms and go in. “Look above the hands”
(little diagram drawn in) Like that. if you can follow it.
Also remember arms should go straight up from sides above the head in one clean sweep (little diagram) and not (little diagram) or (little diagram) as so many people tend to do. Mr Fawcus for example waves his arms wildly level with the shoulder almost before he gets them above his head.
Item a swallow dive is easier than a really good plain dive: easier to keep the head back and body braced like that.
So you’re having tennis lessons. Excellent idea. More useful than many things which are more prized and deserve to be so.
I don’t know that I’ve any news. Anyhow you wont hear it this week, Miss Annette.
Much love
Daddie
From LJT to Annette
Rockville Hotel
Darjeeling
May 9th 1933
My darling Annette
From all the letters it sounds as if the Easter holidays were a great success. I can just imagine you all immersed in the detective stories that Ken had given you, and Auntie calling in vain for help to a party of children whose minds were all far away – Mind you, she did not say that had happened but I can see very clearly how it might.
I like your selection of things for your garden. They are all good and well tried favourites and should all bloom before the term ends.
Auntie says that the Bishop preached very well and with much common sense at the Three Hours Service. Did you like his sermons?
An old friend of your turned up in Darjeeling a few days ago – Mr. Anderson from Jalpaiguri. He asked a lot of questions about you and Rosemary and was astonished to hear how tall you are – He went away to-day, unfortunately – so it was not a very long visit.
I seem to be one of the few people in the world who has not knitted a jumper lately. I have been knitting a baby’s coat for months past and it is still only half done. Is your blue jumper a success?
Somehow there does not seem to be a great deal to talk about this week, outside the “family” letter. Perhaps it is because I was not in bed till past half-past two last night and have been out riding all the morning – so now, after lunch, I am feeling a bit sleepy. I soon have to change and go along to the Club to entertain the Governor and daughter to tea. Mary – the daughter – is only seventeen – and he only intended to have her out for a few months and then send her back to the ‘varsity or a finishing school – but once she was out here I think he felt that he did not want to part with her again. She is a nice sensible sort of girl and not one who will be easily spoilt.
It has been raining and now the sun has just come out and is shining on the fresh young leaves of a maple tree outside the window – which stands out in brilliant contrast to a dark blue background of hills. It looks so lovely. I like having a writing-table from which I can see the view.
I’m sorry I have written you such a dull letter this week – I hope perhaps the family one will be less so.
Best love [Joan (crossed out)] Mum – (That shows that I am sleepy!)
From HPV to Annette
Darjeeling
May 10th 1933
My dear Annette.
By all means wear stockings. Economy is the only real argument against the practice as a general rule. However your legs are sufficiently shapely to make their absence seemly. Stewed cabbage is not a bad thing to have a brain of – compared with wet cotton wool which is what mine resembles today. I picked up a chill on Monday and didn’t recognize the fact as serious. And it is not serious. But I’d have done better not to have gone to office yesterday. This hotel like all the Darjeeling hotels is full of draughts. Alas! if only we had some fine weather!
Curiously I don’t remember “La chance merveilleuse” unless its about a man who lost and then recovered his memory:- which annoyed me because it seemed so stupid of him to pretend not to have found it again for reasons altogether futile. When you read light novels in French do you remember any of the phrases? They are full of them: which is an absurd remark: full of idiomatic phrases and neat terms of speech. For myself I find that not very much sticks. A decision to note on each page the words with which I wasn’t quite familiar has not led to much. However, at intervals I read to myself aloud from the linguaphone book: passages which I know about by heart. So as not to forget all that I learnt in France.
You needn’t be afraid of my being sarcastic. for I’m not. You must be reading into my letters things which aren’t there.
Much love
Daddie.
From LJT to Annette
Rockville Hotel
Darjeeling
May 17th 1933
My darling Annette
There was lots of interesting news in your letter this week. The Highways establishment seems to have been full of events during the Easter holidays. Its a pity Susan did not have grey kittens. I should love to see you in your new wide legged pyjamas. I think you had better get someone to take a photo of you in them in the summer holidays. Now that pyjamas have such wide legs, I am rather leaning towards having some myself, but I have several night dresses to wear out first.
It was nice to hear that you had all taken to gardening with such vigour. “Down the Garden Path” is a most entertaining book is’nt it? Beverley Nicholls is a clever young man, though a bit annoying in some ways.
Marvellous to relate I am not feeling very well this morning! Yesterday I ate a mangoe which was not very ripe and it punished me in the way that the proverbial green apples punish the proverbial school boy. I took a dose last night to cure the effects and consequently I am feeling a bit “low” this morning. I have also ricked or strained my wrist in some way. I don’t know how. I noticed it soon after I had started playing tennis yesterday afternoon and had to stop playing after a while, and have just cancelled an arrangement to play this afternoon. Its a great nuisance. I hope it wont take long to get well.
I have really been out rather more than I like since last Wednesday and consequently have had little time for reading or writing. Darjeeling’s “May Fortnight” is over now, so perhaps things will quiet down a little bit.
Dad is considerably more cheerful this morning than he was when I wrote the “family” letter yesterday. He was singing “The Song of the Prune” this morning, which I feel sure is a good sign. The weather has really been better the last few days, but still does not seem at all settled. It is a great nuisence, because I want to fix up to go across to see Lorna Janvrin at Kalimpong – and as that entails riding and walking for 28 miles, its not much fun doing it unless the weather is going to be fine.
Have you been taking any interest in Ghandi’s fast? I wonder whether he will last out the 21 days. We think he has behaved very badly, for he was let out of jail on the understanding that he would not touch politics, but stick to this religious cause for the uplifting of the Harijans or Untouchables – and the moment he was out of jail he made a pronouncement about Civil Disobedience and noncooperation. I am afraid he is not quite the Saint he has sometimes been taken to be.
I have not seen Lovey, except for a moment at the Children’s Rink Carnival yesterday, for some while – but she is coming up to lunch with me next Tuesday.
My brain feels rather wooly this morning, and I don’t think I am in at all a good mood for letter writing – so I shant go on any longer with this.
Best love, darling.
from Mum
P.S. Have you started your tennis coaching yet? And How are you getting on? Remember two things.
1st. Keep your mind on the game – Dont let your thoughts wander to anything else – Its hopeless if you do. 2). Keep your eye on the ball. Watch it keenly till its right on your raquet. Unless you try hard for these two things no amount of training will be any good to you.
Mum
From HPV to Annette
Darjeeling
May 17th
My dear Annette.
My temper is not really good. I could bite glass. The result of some days in bed with a chill – or the result of the chill itself. There was I proceeding on my way with satisfaction, feeling that the daily dose of physical jerks and of Kruschen were strong supports, and in a moment having been careless about draughts I came down to dumpishness. Finished now but I gnash my teeth when I forget. Also your mother has produced a bottle of condensed liver again. It worked marvels with me once but is none the more pleasant for that. However you may feel assured that in three days or four I shall be restored to vigour and as it were breaking stones with my fists.
But staying in bed does not give much news to write about. The weather has been dreary but shows signs these two days of clearing up. Yesterday there was quite a lot of sun in fact though mist covered the hills opposite to us.
Your letter says that you’ve written to Miss or Mdlle (that’s gone wrong) So and such the names of the French books that you’ve been reading. But why not give us the names instead. Remember the whole point of my argument about those books is that they all use much the same words and the same phrases. After reading in one the account say of a motor trip read the account of a motor trip in another and thus hammer the phrases into the memory. As literature they are not to be boasted of. But I don’t suppose that Round the World is either.
Running a gramophone all day is not so bad as keeping the wireless on: for at any rate it is exercise. You have to wind it and change the records. If I had known (1) that I should have my gramophone stolen and (2) that Richard would buy one – I might have left my earphone thing behind me.
Farewell. And much love
Yrs
Daddie.
From LJT to Annette
Rockville Hotel
Darjeeling
May 23rd 1933
My darling Annette
Its great fun getting your letters. I am thankful that you and Richard are good letter writers and that Rosemary is begining to shape well in that way too.
I am sorry I mis-times my last letters and sent them to school instead of to Highways. I hope you found them safely when you got back to school. I wonder how the wide legged pyjamas were received at school. Have lots of other girls got the same sort of thing, or are you along in your glory?
I am glad to hear from Auntie that you have got over the begining of your “monthly affairs” without any trouble. When people are not very strong it sometimes makes them feel not very well – but you have always been a hardy brat hav’nt you? Long may it continue!
Its good to hear that you are going to work hard at tennis. It will be splendid if you can learn to play up to Richard’s standard. I don’t suppose he really means to be condescending when he gives you advice. You know with tennis, as with many other things, one can see other people’s faults, even when one cant do the thing well oneself. Diving is a great example of this. One may not be able to do any fancy diving oneself, but one can see what other people are doing wrong – That is why Dad loves to have me there to watch each dive he does and tell him how he has done it.
As a matter of fact it is a most difficult thing to give advice, without seeming to be condescending. I was feeling that yesterday. I was trying to give some hints about riding to a friend – a woman who is as old as I am, but knows nothing about riding. She came out on a riding-picnic with us on Sunday. The Lebong Races being over, we had most of us got Race ponies to ride, who do pull a bit when they get excited and she could not hold hers – She would lean right forward and grasp the reins right up on the ponie’s neck. Of course the more she did that the faster the pony went, because that is the way they are taught to race up here. I hope I did not sound condescending, when I tried to explain to her – but I have an awful fear she may think me so.
In my “family” letter I mention being asked to go and sit next a French lady, who could not talk any English to speak of. I so much enjoyed the chance of talking a little French – and was glad to find that I had not got terribly rusty, although for the first few minutes, the words did not come very easily. This French lady – Mdme de Salle played the piano so beautifully. She comes from Calcutta, though I have never met her there – but I shall call on her when I go back.
I find it difficult to keep to my idea of reading French for ten minutes or a quarter of an hour each day. If I start a book, I want to finish it quickly and then read something else –
Do you remember the Town Hall in Darjeeling? It is just near where all the motors stop – a big stone building with a tower. That has been turned into a cinema and was opened about ten days ago. I went on Sunday evening, but I did not care about the film at all. It was about gangsters and rum-running and people getting involved in absurd love affairs – and somebody being tried for a murder which he did not commit – and so on. It was called “Free Souls” – but the friends I went with and I, decided that we would rather have our souls heavily fettered, than be led into all the complications and unpleasant things that these people were led into.
I am getting my mail done to-day, because to-morrow – May 24th- is Empire Day and we have a big joint rally of Boy Scouts and Girl Guides to which I have to take my company. We assemble at 10-45 in the Park – After the show there are to be refreshments and then they are all to go to the new Town Hall Cinema to see a Talkie film. I am feeling a little nervous about the drill part of it as I have not been able to get exact instructions or practise it with my girls. We are to make one big horse-shoe and salute the Flag. I have simply told the girls they must be very much on the alert to obey any orders that are given them.
Dad has just been reading a long-winded but rather amusing book about the Congress of Vienna – You know all the Kings and Princes of Europe or their representatives met at Vienna after Napoleon was sent to Elba – to decide how to re-divide the Europe that Napoleon had so largely conquered – Napoleon of course, escaped and got back to France and upset all their plans.
The Congress had already been sitting for five or six months and the Kings and the Princes vied with one another in giving lavish entertainments. They also vied with each other in bestowing the orders of their different countries on their fellow monarchs – and when they had exhausted that, they got the idea of making one another honarary colonels of famous regiments. Thus – the Czar of Russia would make the Emperor of Austria, colonel of one of his regiments – and in return the Austrian would make the Russian colonel of an Austrian regiment. Then the great thing was to get the correct uniform made as quickly as possible – and special military tailors rushed to Vienna to carry out all these orders – How childish it all seems, does’nt it. In the book it says that as Napolean set foot on French soil at Cannes someone said to him “The Great Congress is sitting at Vienna” – Napoleon replied briefly “The Congress is dissolved” – and so it was! The news of Napoleon’s return was received at Vienna in the middle of a State Ball – The guests quickly disappeared and many of the great men started to scurry back to their own countries that very night –
Dear! Dear! I did not mean to give you a history lesson, but parts of that book we found very amusing.
I hope you are flourishing and enjoying life, my dear – I am expecting “Lovey” to lunch at any moment.
Best love and lots of kisses
from
Mum
From HPV to Annette
Darjeeling
May 23rd
My dear Annette.
I am glad that you are pleased to be having tennis lessons. Dont expect marvels: for although I’ve not had tennis lessons I’ve had lessons in golf and know that there the main thing is practice. One has to plug away – and skill comes when least expected. So do not, my dear, admit discouragement if progress is slow. It is the nature of things.
The effects of my chill are gone. I do believe it. Thanks to the liver extracts (trade name, Macks) which your mother has procured for me. A thing outrageously costly: but no harm.
How sad that Richard having spent his all on a gramophone now says that everyone else seems to like it better than he does? How sure and well founded my instinct that the only way to enjoy a gramophone is not to buy any records for it. Though, second best, there is always a silencer. If I had a gramophone I should buy one record at a time and learn to hum or sing it.
Keep a book with a page per person and write in it typical sayings, anecdotes, and your ideas as to their character – with key words to recall them to your memory. Far better than your birthday books. Like Meredith’s “He has a leg!” – can you see the man? a vain fellow.
Good luck to you this term. Be bold when you dive – and cleave the water like a fish. Would I were back in Calcutta! I might have done some deeds. One of the exercises should help.
(little diagram inserted) So. It comes with several dives and somersaults. Moreover it is good for the figure.
Much love
Daddy.
From LJT to Annette
Rockville Hotel
Darjeeling
27.5.33
My darling Annette
Shortage of time and no letter to answer (for to-day is only Saturday.) mean that this wont be much of an epistle this week – still I feel I like to send you a little line, besides the “family” letter. By the way – do you give that to June to send on the Auntie Doris each week?
Captain Boileau has just brought me up the most wonderful bunch of gladioli from his garden. He brought them up in a “Chunga” as in a vase – that is a section cut from one of those huge thick bamboos with a watertight joint at the bottom – so they are most beautifully fresh and make the room look so pretty. I am sorry they have come on the day before I am going away – at least, I am not going away to-morrow – but I am going to be out all day and off to Kalimpong the following day. It will be fun staying with Lorna.
Dad is working frightfully hard, writing a “memorandum” of his scheme on all the information that he has collected during the past year. He is so wrapped up in it that he can scarcely think of anything else – and as its extra to his own work, he is getting a bit overtired – I hope it will be finished before long. I don’t like to say much to dissuade him from working so hard – because I know his heart is in this scheme – and it will be a great thing for Bengal if he carries it through.
This week has been full of all sorts of small doings that seem to have prevented my getting down to work on the book – I have also been arranging some parties and writing out the invitations for them which always seems to take a long time and is an unsatisfactory way of spending time too.
Mrs. Walter Boileau is coming to lunch with me and will be here any minute – so I think I will pop this into your envelope
Best love, my darling
from
Mum
From HPV to Annette
Darjeeling
May 30th
My dear Annette.
Would that I could manage to write a whole letter legibly. Just finished a letter to Richard: and it ended as a mere scrawl. Nemesis: I write all day, you know more or less – less because I have to read the files before I write on them – and my writst or my patience gives in by the evening. I have to thank you for a letter. Let me repeat that you need not trouble to write to me a separate letter if you’re at all rushed: your mother reads to me or hands over to me your letter to her.
I doubt if swimming takes off weight: many swimmers are plumpish. Also how much swimming will you do at school? Is it not likely to be rather cold for the first half? not that that matters much really: though I wouldn’t like it now.
Two hours after your mother left for her walk and ride to Kalimpong a storm came over the hill and it rained as on the Ark. Straight through the window panes: the putty being cracked with age. You may well ask whether your mother enjoyed her trip. I do not know. But if that rain struck her it cannot have been pure bliss.
I’m glad that you like your tennis coaching. Practice does it. Largely it is a matter of developing muscles which normally one doesn’t use: largely one of training them to do certain things by instinct. One great advantage of being coached is that one pays attention. I have been reading in a golf book of a pro who started giving golf lessons before he knew anything about golf, before he ever played himself: and all his pupils said how good he was. Probably he got them into thinking thinks out for himself. – The body does the work: as in almost all games: not the arms, so much.
Reveal to me what Mademoiselle said when she heard what French books you had been reading in the holidays! The French don’t approve of tripe stories. Dont forget to read Round the World now or to tell me if it is not good.
For me not much French lately. Rather fagged: my irrigation scheme takes up too much time: it is a vampire and sucks any energy.
Much love
Daddie.