The medical profession for man or woman is one that demands great sacrifice, and it is a calling that perhaps comes the least before the lime-light, for it does not advertise, seeks no rewards, no medals, clapping, or bands to cheer and encourage, yet many are daily performing heroic deeds, burning the candle at both ends in the cause of suffering humanity, and for what? Not applause, they get none, not reward, they get none from the world, but for love of their work, because they feel there is no higher calling. I do not think many people know how much this great work is indebted to Lord William’s collecting and his own personal assistance. Anything in the way of sickness and suffering appealed strongly to him. The Clewer Sisters in Calcutta also have little idea where some of the anonymous gifts came from that were I know from Lord William. Many treats enjoyed by children were the result of Lord William’s thought and financing, but he did not like people to know; he only wanted to make them happy and reaped a real happiness himself in witnessing their pleasure.
He was keenly interested in the leaps and bounds made in later years in the science and art of medicine. He could remember when it was the proper thing to bleed people for fainting fits and apoplexy, when it was quite usual to use the same family pocket knife to prune the roses and perform minor operations, before what they a little later called the faddists’ silly craze for sterilising instruments, came into vogue. “Such silly fuss and nonsense!” Though, if I remember right, it was only in George the II’s reign that a law was passed forbidding the company of barbers from practising the art and science of surgery, which sounds rather like Punch but is nevertheless a fact, and can be found by an anxious enquirer in Statute 18, Cap. XV.
CHAPTER XI
SOME SPORTING MEMORIES
Lord William’s Driving—One of Two Experiences—A Sermon in the Smoking-room—Useful Shirt Cuffs—Convenient Handwriting—New Year’s Parade—A Waiting Race—A Spoilt Meeting—Purchase of Myall King—Dufferins Leave India—Rules Issued by Lord William for Their Departure
The Autumn Race Meeting at Meerut saw Prospero win the Merchants’ Purse, value 1,000 rupees, for Lord William, Ryder up; also the St. Leger, value 1,500 rupees, with Tim Whiffler. The same month (October) FitzWilliam won the Steward’s Purse at Lucknow, 2,110 rupees, the Pony Derby, 2,410 rupees, with Little Nell, all ridden by Dunn. I have heard the winner of the Pony Derby called “Little Hell,” partly from affection and partly because she gave others so little chance, I presume!
I have always been under the impression that there is more money to be made out of ponies and pony racing than in Viceroy’s cups. In India a man who is a good judge of horse-flesh and knows their points can often pick up ponies fairly cheaply in the serais, sort of village cattle-market, where dealers are to be found with horses and ponies for sale. Then if the purchaser has good hands and good temper, he may be able to train some into good polo ponies, and possibly win a race or two in a small way, after which good prices may be realised, though some of the ponies bought in the rough, have a tiresome way of growing after having reached the required height, skilful shoeing is then the best chance to make them register the proper standard. If after this they still persist in being too big they can be sold as ladies’ hacks, if a woman has ridden them once.
Many poor men have been able to enjoy their lives and have all they wanted in reason, thanks to their training and selling ponies they have bought with an eye to business. I am speaking of some years ago, possibly ponies and prices are different now.
The Simla season ends in October, and the gaiety and festivities are carried on at Calcutta on a more pronounced scale though with less of the family party feeling, owing to the larger community. The poor big-wigs do not have much peace in either place, it is so difficult to escape from people, who, though doubtless are many of them charming in themselves, the amount of bowing and scraping they entail is fatiguing.