May 26/16
Dear Mother
Very many thanks for 2 letters from you, one on Tuesday & one on Thursday. As usual two mails turned up next door to each other, a favourite trick these days, & then we go for about a fortnight without a mail at all. Your letters were dated April 26th & May 3rd, so one of them took best part of a month on the journey.
So glad dear old Nell had such good times at Delaford & that you all liked her so. I hear from you all & you all say such ripping things about her, that I don’t know how to thank you enough. She is rather a dear is’nt she. So she managed to get over to Godalming to have her photograph taken! She tells me they are quite good; I should think Adrian would make a very pretty picture of her. She told me all about her new clothes before she went; from all accounts they are very smart & becoming. Did Ruth go & stay with her I wonder? When’s she beginning at Guy’s by the way? I expect she’s started by now, but the holiday & rest at home must have done her a lot of good.
Poor old Topher, it is bad luck on him about his leave; it surely is time they gave everyone a whack of leave by now.
How’s specs these day? And how does he like conscription! I suppose he has been roped in with the rest of them. Few good things have been done by the government since the war began & this is certainly one of the best of them, though they’ve taken long enough this time about it. Yes, Kut was bad luck was’nt it & such bad management. However it’s no good criticising an effete and despicable system; I fancy the British public will not stand much more of this, & then the politicians will stew in their own juice.
Still very hot up here, though we get cool nights. Famine is rampant in Garhwal & Government is giving as much relief as possible, but I’m afraid the poor inhabitants are suffering terribly. I don’t know how the rest of India is faring but there has certainly been very little rain everywhere this year.
Fearful hurry to catch the mail, will write longer next time
Best love to all
from yr loving son
Ted
Tell Ben the bearer had a regatta in my room this morning. Just like old times, the whole place turned upside down!
I’ve not been able to find information about a famine in Garhwal in 1916. This suggests that famine is frequently under-recorded.
