'Up the Country': Letters Written to Her Sister from the Upper Provinces of IndiaEden, Emily
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'Up the Country': Letters Written to Her Sister from the Upper Provinces of India
Eden, Emily
Eden, Emily, 1797-1869 -- Correspondence; India -- Description and travel
that is a large proportion. My stall altogether produced nearly 1,400
rupees. W. and his allies got 160. The A.s and B.s kept an eating stall,
but did not make much by it. As soon as the auction was over, we all
went to luncheon with them; then the Ghoorkas shot for some beautiful
prizes G. gave them, and he gave the sword for the single-stick
fighters. Then we all went to W.'s games. Captain D. was dressed up like
an old woman, and Captain P. exactly like a thimble-rigger at Greenwich,
and they kept everybody, even Sir G. R., in roars of laughter. It was
very amusing to see the grave pompous people, like R., taking three
throws for a rupee, and quite delighted if they knocked off a tin
snuff-box or a patent stay-lace. Then we had pony races, which ended in
Colonel F. riding his old pony against a fat Captain D., and coming in
conqueror with universal applause. And then, the sports having lasted
from eleven to five, and everybody amused and in good humour, we all
came home. It is lucky it was so very shady, for, as it is, hardly any
of us can see to-day, from being unused to daylight. The best fancy
sales in Calcutta never produced more than 2,000 rupees, so this is
quite wonderful, considering that the whole of our European society is
only 150 people, and many of them have not a great deal to spend. F.
did not keep a stall, and I was rather afraid of it at first, for the
natives are slow about that sort of novelty; but as soon as they fairly
understood it was for charity, which is the only active virtue they are
up to, they thought it all quite right.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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