Letter 10, 27th December 1935
be an outstandingly interesting job – apart on the kudos of its status. Your namesake
and cousin, when he and I were commanding the two halves of the 4th, had a long
spell there; he, as you remember, has a way with him when it comes to the wine list,
in red or yellow or even plain white
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and he brought back (and, somewhat inventively, retailed to me) some extraordinary
confidences which he had gathered from his Jhemadar’s brothers, nephews, etc
when slightly elated. I must tell you them, some time, when you're down here.
Naturally, I will not mention your news to anybody, but I expect it will be official
before very long. However, till you say the word, I'm dumb.
Queer that you should have come across that letter I wrote to Mrs. Bailey from
the Abor country. I remember the fact well on which you reminded me, and the
drippy smoky shack in which I sat when I wrote it. Don't destroy it. Some day,
someone will want to write your biography, and then all such letters throwing sidelights on your leading achievements will be of value.
Forgive the untidy scrawl – written on my knee sitting up to a fire in my frozen den
at the top of the house, too cold to sit up to the writing table only six feet away.
- My best messages to you both
- My best messages to you both
- Yours very sincerely
- Yours very sincerely
- L.A. Bethell
- L.A. Bethell
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Letter 10, 27th December 1935
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62, Hillfield Court,
Belsize Avenue,
N. W. 3
27 . XII . 35
My dear Bailey,
Many thanks for the card: a very striking epitome of the
underlying Buddhism of the Gurkha Hindu worship beliefs. it could hardly have been
better epitomised, than the outsize dorje in front of a Hindu temple. And a fine
camera you have: I've rarely seen better definition.
When I saw your envelope, I thought it was going to contain your comments on
“Barclay” of “Adedoids” (December Maga) and possibly something crisp about my
having exceeded what you once suggested as permissible about your Tashkent
times. I wrote to you about this, a month or more ago, but our letters probably
crossed: and I look forward to your answer. I am still rather nervous about
