'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
We had provided luncheon at a large booth with the sign of the 'Marquess
of Granby.' L. E. was Old Weller, and so disguised I could not guess
him. X. was Sam Weller; R., Jingle; and Captain C., Mrs. Weller; Captain
Z. merely a waiter, with one or two other gentlemen; but they all acted
very well up to their characters, and the luncheon was very good fun,
and was kept up through three relays of company, fifty at a time; and as
we found all the food, the proceeds for the charity were very good. Then
G. gave some prizes for the Ghoorkas to shoot for, and the afternoon
ended with races; a regular racing stand, and a very tolerable course
for the hills, all the gentlemen in satin jackets and jockey caps, and a
weighing stand--in short, everything got up regularly. I never can care
about races, but this was a popular bit of the day with most of the
people, who had vague recollections of Epsom in their young days. Half
the stakes went to the charity. Altogether there is money enough to keep
up the hospital for four years, by which time another Governor-General
will be here; but I'm afraid when Dr. D. goes, it will not be the useful
establishment it has been. Everybody likes these out-of-door amusements
at this time of year, and it is a marvel to me how well X. and R. and L.
E. contrive to make all their plots and disguises go on. I suppose in a
very small society it is easier than it would be in England, and they
have all the assistance of servants to any amount, who do all they are
told, and merely think the 'Sahib Logue' are mad.
Friday, Oct. 4.
This has had a week's interruption, for I was taken on Saturday with
spasms, and then fever, and so on; and have been quite laid up.
The August overland arrived yesterday. Letters of August 12th here on
October 3rd. Quicker than ever! By-the-bye, I beg to remind you that we
left Portsmouth this day four years. There is something in that; I do
not exactly know what, but something--the waste of four good years, if
nothing else. Your letters from Newsalls, and all the letters, had a
quiet, pleasant _family way_ with them, but very few events. It is
rather shocking to see you regretting your London season so much. I am
afraid, my dear M., that after 'a youth of folly' you will be reduced to
solace yourself with 'an old age of cards.'
With the Bombay dâk came that shawl of Colonel Skinner's I told you we
were expecting, but we were so occupied with the letters, we could not
at first attend to the shawl; but now, upon investigation, we are all of
opinion there never was so handsome an article seen. The dâk was, I
suppose, overloaded, so that only one shawl is come. F. and I are in
such a horrid fright, lest the other should be lost. We have not the
nerve to draw lots for this one; it would be almost less unpleasant to
cut it in two.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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