TO MRS. HAMILTON.
‘Murree, June 27, 1890.
‘This day fortnight I expect to start on my long journey to Batala.... Life in a large Hill-Station is hardly congenial to an old Missionary. It is curious how poverty is pleaded here by the gay and fashionable, who live in goodly houses, entertain elegantly, ride nice horses, dress well, etc. “Every one is poor at Murree,”—that is to say, when money is required for religious or charitable purposes. L. is collecting for Lady Dufferin’s Fund; a rich man’s response was that the journey to Murree had cost him so much! The poor Chaplain complained from the pulpit of the shabby collections for the Lahore Cathedral.’
In her letter of July 2 she wrote,—having been told of shaking her head in Church at something that she disapproved,—‘I am trying to cure myself of that trick.’ It had grown to be so frequent a habit, that one of her younger companions had already mentioned the tendency. If anything was said which she did not quite like, or even if in thought she recurred to something which she regretted, she would say nothing, but would sit silent, gently shaking her head. On being remonstrated with, she showed no annoyance, but at once said cheerfully,—‘When I shake my head, you must rap the table!’ The genuine humility of this answer is even more remarkable than the fact that, at her age, she should soon have entirely overcome the peculiarity.
On July 16 she described herself as ‘in a frisky mood, on account of getting back to Batala, and finding things so nice here, weather included;’—and a little later, ‘It is so nice to be amongst my brown Christian boys again!’
‘Aug. 22, 1890.—I must amuse you and dear Leila by a little Oriental episode. A nice simple young widow, called W., is being prepared for Baptism. Female converts, who have not husbands, are specially welcome, as there is a great difficulty to poorer Christians about getting wives. Even before W.’s baptism, therefore, —— wished to secure her for a favourite convert. I spoke for him to W., and she consented just to see M. N., being assured that, if either she or he were not satisfied, there should be no marriage. As we are very proper here, the important interview took place in my presence; but I went a little aside, so as to be no gêne. The man seemed very sensible and nice. He began religious conversation at once, questioning the girl to whom he was paying his addresses, as a Pastor might have done with a candidate for baptism.
‘So long as the wooer kept to this, all appeared going on well. M. N. questioned, and W. answered in her simple innocent fashion. But when something more personal was said,—I did not hear what, but I suppose that its gist was, “Will you marry me?”—I felt that there was some sticking, and came to the rescue. I asked W. if she were willing; and a little in the spirit, though not in the words of the old song—
‘“Amazed was the laird, when the lady said—‘Na!’”
‘I was surprised, and so I think was the visitor. I asked again, to make sure; and again came a quiet decided negative. So of course I let “Mistress Jean” “turn awa’.” ... W. has a perfect right to say “Na,” if she prefer a life of sewing, grinding corn, etc., to trying matrimony a second time. I like her the better for her independent spirit.’