'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
'What was to hinder me? I cannot think why people find fault with that
bridge, one of the best bridges I ever saw.'
'Except that it has a broken arch and no parapet,' I suggested.
'Well! nobody wants to drive on a parapet. I think parapets are
perfectly useless.'
Then C.'s palanquin went by, and as he was standing with us, Mr. S. took
the opportunity of asking, 'What wretches of children are those, I
wonder?' 'Mine,' said C., 'or you would have had no pleasure in asking.'
It was such nonsense! Little 'Missey C.' is the smallest, prettiest
little fairy I ever saw, and the pet of the whole camp; they are really
beautiful children, and S. knew the palanquin perfectly. I told him at
last he was just what our governess used to call 'a child that had got
out of bed the wrong way,' and recommended his having his breakfast as
soon as possible, and he owned, he thought it advisable himself.
Delhi, Monday, Nov. 25.
I am glad to be at dear Delhi again; it is the only place in the plains
I have ever seen worth looking at, and it looks grander and more 'great
Babylonish' than ever. We arrived on Saturday morning and rode in
through an immense crowd, for besides all the regiments here, people
have come from all parts just to ask for what they can get; appointments
are filled up in November, because all the sick people who have been
knocked up by the hot season get their furloughs for going home.
G. hates Delhi from the very circumstance of all these applicants. We
had an immense party on Saturday evening, and nobody but ourselves knows
who composed it.
There were young ladies from Meerut come for the chance of two balls,
and all the ladies of our camp, and a great many from Kurnaul, and
several young civilians who really had come in from their solitary
stations to look for wives.
F. has caught such a cold she cannot go out. We never can settle whether
we would rather have a slight illness, or go through all the festivities
of a Station.
F. has not tried it before, but she now thinks she prefers the cold,
only she has too much pain in her bones.
The people will not tempt us with many pretty things to buy, or else we
have grown particular.
Tuesday, Nov. 26.
We had a great dinner yesterday, and G. and I went to the Station ball,
which was very well managed. I do not know why one ball should be better
than another; as far as the dinners are concerned, I think they are all
equally tiresome, but balls do differ.
This was a very _dancing_ business, and we did not get away till one. It
went on till three, and I have been obliged to represent to our
_engaged_ aides-de-camp how very wrong it is of them to dance three
times with the same girl--such a waste of time to all parties.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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