A Lady of England 92

A Lady of England 92

The years 1884 and 1885 passed in the main quietly, marked by no especial

events. Work went steadily on as usual; holidays were short as usual;

failure and success fluctuated as usual. Miss Tucker’s loneliest time

in Batala was over. Now she not only lived with the family of Mr. and

Mrs. Weitbrecht, but two other lady Missionaries were settled in Batala,

helping to carry on the work. Not that Charlotte Tucker’s toil was

lessened thereby. She had a less heavy weight of responsibility; but so

far as actual work was concerned it could never be overtaken,--and it

could not have been overtaken by twice or thrice the number of workers.

Fresh openings were continually appearing, continually calling for

attention.

 

In the hot weather, indeed, she had a taste of her old manner of life.

Then, when other Europeans were compelled one after another to flee to

the Hills, Miss Tucker could safely remain on many weeks longer; up to a

certain point even enjoying the heat. On the whole, however, things were

altered. Not only were other Europeans in Batala most of the year, but

a railway had now been completed between Amritsar and Batala, bringing

all the Amritsar friends within a very easy distance. It became possible

to run over to Batala for a day’s visit; and Miss Tucker grew jealously

anxious, lest such visitors should in any wise hinder her work. ‘I have

let it be known,’ she wrote, ‘that I do not consider myself _off duty_

till 2 P.M., so that if friends come in the morning they visit the house

and not me. I must try to be firm in this, and make no exceptions.’

 

A certain little incident of this period may be mentioned. With a new

Principal, naturally new plans were adopted in the training of the boys;

and Miss Tucker did not always at first take kindly to fresh ideas. She

was now of an age to prefer the old to the new, simply because it was the

old. Dr. Weitbrecht writes:--

 

‘In 1885, by way of encouraging muscular exercise in the hot

weather, I tried the experiment of having the boys taught

wrestling by a Native athlete. The Auntie was at first inclined

to be a little shocked at the new development, and would not

grace the wrestling practice with her presence. One day, as it

was going on, Mrs. Weitbrecht went to a window overlooking the

arena, and there found Miss Tucker, stretched on the floor, her

head out of the low window. In some alarm lest the old lady

should have fainted, she offered to raise her, but was only met

with the reply, “Hush! I’m looking at the boys.” The ladies

soon saw they were discovered, as a handsome young Pathan

looked up with a smiling “Salaam.”’

 

Extracts from the letters of these two years, 1884 and 1885, must

unfortunately, for lack of space, be very limited in number.

 

‘_New Year’s Day, 1884._--I had a very sore parting with Mera

Bhatija; but on that I will not dwell....

 

‘The last day of 1883 was a very sad one to me; but I had

some of the little boys in the evening, and amusing them

shook me out of my melancholy. I awoke early--as usual--on the

New Year’s Day, and sang New Year’s hymns. After that I heard

unwonted music below my window. Good Miss Krapf and three of

the Singha girls had come to salute the New Year with a holy

song. Of course, I went to the city after breakfast.’

 

TO MISS ‘LEILA’ HAMILTON.

 

‘_Jan. 21._

 

‘I am quite _glad_ that my furniture is so simple. Had I had

plenty of gimcracks, I might have been a fidgety old maid.

As it is, there is no harm in having a nursery instead of a

drawing-room. But I have a nice little drawing-room of my own;

a screened-off bit of my fine large sleeping-room. I used it

for my classes when sweet Margaret was here; for I think that a

married couple should not be always having interruptions. This

arrangement does nicely in the cool weather; and in the hot

weather dear Nellie and her babes will be in the Hills. It will

be the old arrangement of Auntie and one choice nephew,--for

Herbert _is_ choice, and kind to my Leila’s attached godmother.’

 

TO MRS. HAMILTON.

 

‘_Jan. 28, 1884._

 

‘I feel as if I must have a talk with my Laura to-night; for my

spirit feels pensive and my heart tender. The ladies came and

took tea with us; and Miss Krapf brought her music. As Herbert

wanted to see a photo of St. George and Francie, I took my dear

old album into the drawing-room, which it very seldom enters.

While the sweet, rich music was going on, I was--yes, sighing

over my Album. More than twenty of the faces in it no longer of

earth! Sweet Mother, Fanny, Henry, Letitia, Aunt E----,--oh, so

many gone before! Then my Laura looked so like what she did in

old days. I must not look often over _that_ Album; it is like

my youth between two boards. What a changing world!’

 

* * * * *

 

‘_March 26._--I met with a perfectly mad woman in a Hindu

Zenana. She came and sat down beside me. V. and others made me

change my seat to another bedstead--the usual seat. I did not

at first know why, but was soon aware of the cause. The poor,

afflicted woman put her head right down on my lap. She did not

seem to be mischievous. It was insanity, not idiotcy.’

 

TO MISS ‘LEILA’ HAMILTON.

 

‘_April 22, 1884._

 

‘Among the little matters which vary our regular life at

Batala, I may mention almost nightly alarms about robbers.

The servants have got into a nervous state.... It is not a

comfortable state of affairs.... The Weitbrechts and I have been

putting our heads together. I forget which of us suggested the

plan which we hope may succeed. I sleep in the front room,

opposite to the servants’ house; so a great tumult naturally

awakens me, especially as my windows are open for air. The

Weitbrechts are more out of the way.

 

‘Herbert is to lend me his revolver, loaded, and we are to take

care that every one knows that I have the formidable weapon;

but no one but ourselves is to know that I would on no account

hurt any one with it. On the next alarm of robbers, I am to

jump up, and--fire--at the trees or the stars. The report

will probably awake Herbert, who has a rifle. Now you see the

double use of this arrangement. My Ayah may possibly even sleep

out-of-doors, if she knows that a yell from her may bring a

pistol-shot from her vigilant Miss Sahiba; and robbers, if

such there be, will doubtless dread my prowess, not knowing

how peculiarly peaceable I am, and that I would prefer being

shot myself to shooting another! I am to have a very determined

look; and we have all tutored each other _not to laugh_! Both

Herbert and Nellie have some fun in them, but they are to

look as grave as judges, as if Miss Sahiba were a dead shot;

especially on a very dark night, when there is no moon! Have I

not spectacles?’

 

TO MRS. HAMILTON.

 

‘_April 23._

 

‘Well, my loved sister, if you read my little note to Leila

first, you will be pleased to hear that the night went

over serenely. Even my frightened Ayah seems to have slept

peacefully under the wing of the Buzurg Miss Sahiba, armed

with a revolver! Would not dear Rowland have laughed to see

old Auntie learning from Herbert how to cock and fire a

pistol! I wonder how Nellie kept her countenance, when one

of the servants expressed a hope that Miss Sahiba would give

some notice before firing, for fear of a casualty to one of

the household; and then wanted to know what would happen if

Miss Sahiba _killed_ a thief! Nellie told the inquirer that

we English--she was too truthful to say the Miss Sahiba in

particular--only aimed at limbs to disable, not at bodies to

kill. Nellie knows pretty well that, if _I_ aimed at anything,

it would be at the stars.

 

‘I took care to lock up my dangerous weapon before sunrise,

treating my revolver with great respect. Do you remember that,

when I was known to be coming out to India as a Missionary,

dear, kind H. Boswell wanted to make me a present of his

pistol? I declined it, as a very unnecessary part of a

Missionary’s outfit; but I could not help remembering H.’s

kindness yesterday. Though I never fired Herbert’s revolver,

yet the _report_ of it--to speak in Irish style--had a great

effect.’

 

* * * * *

 

‘_May 3._--O yes, my Laura, _love_ your K.[115] The Native is

affectionate. Indians are not usually considered grateful;

perhaps they are not grateful for benefits bestowed through

general benevolence or a sense of duty; but my impression is

that they readily respond to _affection_. This is one of the

great secrets of ----‘s power.... I was rather amused yesterday,

when I was describing Philemon’s funeral to the dear Pandit of

O---- (K. S.), and had said that we went singing towards the

grave. “I will not sing at _your_ funeral,” said he. And then

he told me how he had _tried_ to sing at dear Margaret’s--but

it was quite a failure; he could not sing, his heart was much

troubled. The Pandit is a lovable man; and he loves.’

 

* * * * *

 

‘_May 8, 1884._ (_Her Birthday._)

 

‘When I came down in the morning before 6 A.M. I found in

letters of gold on a purple ground over the large front door,

“God save our beloved Miss Sahiba.” I told dear Babu Singha

when we met, as I walked on towards the city, that I liked the

“our.” He observed that “buzurg” seemed to put me farther away

from them. I quite agreed. I like “our,” which makes me seem

like the boys’ property....

 

‘I was surprised in a Zenana to-day by a request for some _old_

article of my clothes for a baby. “I will give you some new

cloth,” said I; for I make exceptions to my rule of not giving

presents to Natives in Zenanas, in favour of new babies and

brides. But the grandfather did not want _new_ cloth at all. He

insisted on something old. So I humoured him, and looked out on

my return home for something that I had worn....

 

‘How much I have to be thankful for, my Laura! I begin my Tenth

September with a quiet, peaceful feeling. “Oh, how kindly hast

Thou led me, Heavenly Father, day by day.” But the best is to

come. “Light after darkness--” Not that my present position is

darkness; but there is often weariness, of course.’