INDIAN LIFE KECALLED 373 



Army. The exchange was made easy by a word from Lord 

 Roberts, who was a personal friend of Sir Joseph's. Soon 

 he passed his Staff examinations and entered the Pioneers. 

 Nothing could delight Hooker more than that his son should 

 serve in the country with which he was himself so closely 

 connected. 



Your first object must be the interest of the Indian 

 Government which you have undertaken to serve. Keep 

 that always before you and you will never regret even a 

 failure. 



He threw himself, if it were possible, even more eagerly 

 into his son's every interest. Hindustani must be learnt. 



I well remember how helpless I found myself for the 

 first year in India, and how little I understood of my sur- 

 roundings, and especially of the Government of the country, 

 and the position and duties of the political and civil officials, 

 from Baboos up to Judges, into intercourse with whom I 



■was thrown when travelling up the country, and down 

 again, before going to Darjeeling. 

 But of course there was a great change since the day of 

 John Company. 



The Hookah was then quite in use at the dinner table — 

 the meals were long and heavy, much wine was drunk, 

 and people toasted one another in tumblers of beer ! All 

 this is, I hear, a thing of the past, but there is too much 

 tippling of ' whisky and soda ' at all hours of the day. 



But an abstract word of warning is not enough. Practical 

 wisdom must suggest some feasible way to avoid being drawn 

 into a habit which is doing great mischief. This comes in 

 the experience of an old friend lately home from India. 



He says that it requires great firmness, with a pleasant 

 manner, to resist the invitations to join a friend in whisky 

 md soda. He always did so, putting it off by having a 

 )ipe or cigar, or the soda without the whisky. Worst of 

 " is the common habit of taking one before going to bed. 



