1933 September
From LJT to Annette
14/1 Rowland Road
Calcutta
Sept: 7th 1933.
My darling Annette,
So you are back at school again! The holidays must have been rather fun with such fine weather most of the time. I wonder how you feel with your new eye. I suppose you very soon ceased to notice it
In your letter you ask the name of a fruit with apricot coloured flesh and black seeds. It is Papaya, a fruit originally introduced from South America, but now found all over India, even in the Smallest villages It has certain juices in it which help the digestion, and from which an extract is made and sold by chemists.
While on the subject of trees, I must tell you that Mr Shebbeare is most interested in the method of taking rubbings of leaves with sooty paper in the way you told me about. He thinks it will be useful to the forest department in their work. He himself is doing some special study on Laurels, and at present has had to make careful sketches or photos of the leaves, This method will be much quicker and very accurate. Its nice to think how useful your passing on that little bit of knowledge has been.
I did not have a proper rally on Tuesday, but took a lot of 2nd class tests, which I am glad to have got through before the children go away for the Puja holidays. I spent all yesterday afternoon signing test cards, filling in the company register, and the big Company chart I made some time ago. It is extraordinary how long that sort of thing takes. Ho! I corrected and marked some written papers as well. Dad has been just desperately busy. I think this Council work on top of all the ordinary work is more than any one should be asked to do. He has been speaking almost every day, and I think he would rather enjoy it if he were not so tired. (Sorry about the paper slipping!)
I wonder how you will like German. In some ways I liked it better than French. I wonder whether you taking it up will egg me on to try to revive my forgotten knowledge. If I knew anyone who had the Linguaphone german records, and would be willing to lend them, I think I should have a shot to see how much I could pick up again.
You are in a new form this term are’nt you? If it is the 5th form, that is where I spent a lot of my time at St Monica’s I went straight into it when I went to school. which was when I was 15 I suppose.
I forgot to ask you to tell Auntie what you want for your Birthday presents from Dad and My-self. Will you let her know? It really seems better than sending things home from here. I must write and tell Miss Capstick that you may have a pound to spend on a birthday-cake and sundries.
There is the bell for my lunch, so I shall finish this.
Bless you, my darling, and best love
From
Mum
P.S. This cutting rather interested me, so I chopped it out in case it would interest you too.
From HPV to Annette
Calcutta
Sept 7th.
My dear Annetta.
These days are full of work and weariness. I go to bed immediately after dinner – having said several times the slogan “Ah goo goo!” which as you know indicates the limit of endurance and the arrival of exhaustion. (Thus Looloo!) Council drags on. The opposition are wasting time on purpose. They make the same speeches time and again about different clauses. And these last three days they have spent most of their time making personal attacks on me. Manners, morals, brains, knowledge, application, industry, vindictiveness, treachery, honesty – these are a few of my qualities which they have discussed. – I have been asking for it: for in speeches I have gibed at them and I have attacked the Calcutta Corporation which they are defending in such a damaging way that they feel they must get their own back. But they don’t. It is not for nothing that I have argued with my family.
Otherwise what? - Several evenings I have dived. On Saturday I went back to the backwards forwards dive. It is a long time since I tried it last – and I couldn’t get (diagram inserted to show stages of dive) it properly. Snatched at it. (One should jump backwards high – and I can’t manage it. High as high and 3 foot back: if you try it remember not to bang your head on the board.) So I asked one of the crack divers to show me. To my surprise and alas! Pleasure, he couldn’t; he came the deuce of a crack in a heap on the water. Others refused – saying it was too dangerous – but it isn’t.
Much love
Daddie.
From LJT to Annette
14/1 Rowland Road
Calcutta
Sept: 14th 1933
My darling Annette
The house is looking very funny, because we go off to Darjeeling this evening, and as the house is going to be empty for six weeks, I have put away a good many oddments, taken down curtains, and so on. It was amusing to see the cook sitting on the floor this morning make a dhobi list. Mogul is going away for his holiday, the bearer comes to Darjeeling with us, and the cook is being left in charge of the house. He does not know the names of a lot of our garments, and insisted on calling a silk vest of mine a petticoat!
Its a lovely day today. I hope it will be like this for us to drive up the hill tomorrow. Poor little Jock, Mrs Hance’s dog is very depressed. He guesses there is something up from the boxes. He is going to stay here with the servants, and go to visit his master each evening. Mr Hance is living not far off with some friends.
I am very glad to hear from Auntie that your tennis has improved. My golf began to look up a bit when I played on Monday, after having such a bad patch that it almost me weep. I am sorry that I shall not be able to play for six weeks now
What a pity it is that June is so untruthful. I wonder what gave her the habit. You are wise not to see too much of her if she is given that way, for it is a most difficult thing to cope with. The most difficult six months of my life, was when we shared a house with some people, and I very soon discovered that the woman could not speak the truth.
Thank goodness all you children seem truthful enough. May you ever remain so!
Will you forgive me if I do not write any more? I am a bit busy.
Best love, My darling
From
Mum
From HPV to Annette
Calcutta
Sept 14th
My dear Annette.
Off today for Darjeeling and so conscious of being weeks and months behindhand in my work that I can scarcely keep from worry. Life is merely one interruption after another: the interruptions mean work too: but political and so really useless.
After Council which went on a week longer than expected (but actually up to the date which I had put down some four months ago as possible) I had to waste three days in going off to two meetings at Ranchi: in Chota Nagpur. Look it up and visualise rolling country red soil, with black hills sticking up here and there, bright green crops and trees and startlingly blue rivers except after rain when they’re brown. The people aboriginals: like the (?)Tanthals somewhat. Capital of Bihar and Orissa in the hot months: otherwise Patna is. The meetings were about lunatic asylums: I got the grants cut down so as to save Bengal money. Annoying to the officers: they’ll have to look carefully into accounts now.
However are you interested in the administration of lunatic asylums? No. So I end.
Much love
Daddie
From LJT to Annette
Rockville Hotel
Darjeeling
19.9.33
My darling Annette
Misfortune has fallen upon me! I – who am so seldom ill, have been smitten down with fever – It began on Saturday night and has been a sharp attack – I swallowed quantities of quinine and lay in bed with a buzzing head – sometimes cold and sometimes hot and sometimes dripping perspiration and unable to face any food except an occasional cup of tea, all Sunday and Monday – My temperature dropped to 99.2° this morning and I have been taking solid food and am quite a different person to-day – It would not have mattered (however unpleasant) except that we are starting out on our trek on Saturday, and I have a good many things to see to and ought to be taking long walks to get into training, instead of lying in bed getting weak! However – I am sure all will be well – I shall probably feel quite fit again to-morrow. Poor Dad has been frightfully depressed and miserable, as he always is on the rare occasions when I am ill.
We had a pleasant journey up here – It was cool in the train and a gloriously fine morning – The snows were showing up beautifully from Jalpai. It was delightful driving up the hill in an open car with the hood down. Poor Dad never finds the journey delightful, because he always feels sick, but he got throught it without being sick this time, though he did not feel too grand.
Luckily I saw the Sirdar, who is arranging our trip and the ponies and coolies and so on on Saturday morning, and I brought our stores up from Calcutta, so things are not as bad as they might be.
My writing seems to be rather shaky. I am lying on the sofa with the pad propped on my knee – I hope you will be able to read what I write.
There was a Sale of Work in aid of the Girl Guide funds on Saturday afternoon, which I had to open. I did not say much. Later I look charge of a “sideshow” which consisted of Corinthian Bagatelle played for a prize to the highest score and a charge of 4 annas a game. It was very popular.
I cant manage the family letter this week, and next week you wont get any letter at all, because we shall be out in the blue away from post offices
Sorry this is such a poor letter, but I am still buzzy in the head and not feeling very bright.
Best love, my darling
from
Mum
I have just realized a complication about your birthday. No letter next week and the one the following week will not reach you till the 23rd I think. I hope you have let Auntie know about a present – and I have asked Miss Capstick to let you have £1 for a party – I think I’ll make the other letter my birthday one – You will know that our thoughts and wishes are with you on the 22nd.
From HPV to Annette
Darjeeling
Sept 20th
My dear Annette
I picture you returning to school about this time. Good luck go with you! Here we are having superb, magnificent, formidable weather. The hills stand out invitingly: in the early mornings the snows are majestic as the psalms and invite thoughts of immortality – which I do not give them. All but man is - - what is the end of the quotation? vile? surely not. Anyhow the idea is obvious. It is I who am vile: temperature much below normal (96 ½ - 97) and temper much above it. That’s not true: because with a subnormal temperature one is abject but not bad tempered. The cause? overwork maybe: being at 7500 fee maybe. I never am very fit in Darjeeling for some time after coming up and I went out on rather a strenuous picnic ride on Sunday. Your mother has fever or has had. She is ‘normal’ now, but only since tea time yesterday and even so went up slightly in the evening afterwards. Today is Wednesday the time 8.30 – I am meditating breakfast: and she has had fever since Saturday night. But she insists that she’ll be fit to start off on our projected trip on Saturday.
My pen is running dry. I also. It was with pleasure that we read of your holiday activities
Much love
Daddie