Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-31
Worries With :, Servants !, at
Dalhousies.
0B.DURACY
LIFE BELOW STAIRS IN A HILL
TOP COTTAGE.
Everyday Struggle to Get Food Proper
" Prepared and
Served.

Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
DALHOUSIE, India.
We had taken q cottage on the top OF
Upper Bakrorah, the highest OF the four
hills of the lovely little hill station of Dali
housie, and after very hard work had got
the walls tinted and the furniture in. ana
we were prepared to settle down for
week, at least, of rest and peace, when Ao-
dull our bearer-cook. was seized with sui
len and discontinued fit. and for ten days
made life quite uncomfortable. Abdul Is an
almost perfect servant while we are living
humdrum, perfectly regulated life, but
for a week at least after every move we
make he is perfect pest; becomes sullen,
goes about looking dirty and untidy and
finally informs US that he is going to leave.
We sometimes fancy that he smokes opium.
which would partly account for his be-
havior but have not been able to find out
so far. This last has been the worst bout
we have ever had with him. He sent us
UNBEATABLE food, and one day went to the
bazaar and stayed away for six hours,
leaving us tiffinleSs and tealeSs. and only
saying when he returned, Il forgot, hu-
zoor." Being reprimanded for that oHense'
he went to bed, and only five minutes be-
fore dinner did we discover that nothing
had been prepared for our meal, when he
sent word that he was too Ill to get up.
Fortunately for u.s. a trained nurse who
lived in cottage not far away, and had
been sent for professionally to look at a
bad finger of one Of the members Of the
party. was still with us, and agreed to go
and inspect the bearer for u.s. When ma
tive reports illness there are possibilities of
so many diseases, smallpox, plague and
few other agreeable pests, that one Is par
ticularly anxious to find out as soon as Is
possible the nature of the disease.
In this case there proved to be nothing at
ALL no fever and good tongue, so he was
ordered up al once, and by we had dinner.
such as it was. The next day the usual and
expected announcement that he was gong
to leave was sprung upon us. and this time
we treated it with a high hand. and said
that If he left us before the agreed time,
the middle of October, we would have him
arrested by the English police officer IN
Dalhousie. and that If he did not do his
work better than 1t had been done during
the last week we would make complaints
to the Chowdri lhead MANI OF the bazaar.
An Old Excuse.
Peace reigned for the rest of that day.
and. we hoped, for good and all. But, alas.
on the following afternoon Abdul came
briskly to the door, and. looking happier
than we had seen him for many day.
handed us a telegram and begged the
ing real tears into his eyes and drawing
down his cheerful face into a semblance of
grief. The telegram read. Come back to
your home; your father has been seriously
burnt and is dying" Alas for this strategy
OF Abdul whose memory was not equal TO
our own, for remembered that SIX
months before a one of the annoying times
just after we had made move, and when
we had determined to go, he had produced
the very same telegram. and we, believing
it, in our ignorance. had arranged to let
him go, but on our saying that we had IN
tended to raise his pay and were sorry to
have him leave, his father very suddenly
got out of danger. and we kept our servant
at an advance of rupees month.
Our eyes were opened later on about that
telegram and this time were fully, pre-
pared and though we hardly saw how to
manage him, we were quite determined that
he should not leave us until the promised
time had gone by. He stood before US,
neat white-clothed and dapper, with the
real tears trickling gently down his cheeks,
and said, ''HuZoorS, l must be going at
once. my papa being so ill. l can take one
ekka down tomorrow and so tonight must
leaving the huzoors who have been my
father and my mother for six long months.
However, the tenderhearted huzoors
looked at 1t in a very different light and the
stronger minded of the two, feeling rage
uncomfortable arising within her. said
sternly. You have probably forgotten that
this same telegram was shown us six
months ago and that your father then re-
covered very suddenly Now understand
that you on no account leave our service
until the middle of October. that If you
try to leave us you will be arrested at
Pathaukot, on your arrival there, and that
we are tired of your impertlnence and Shall
at once have you punished severely Now
go.
And he went, wiser and a meeker and
q very crestfalen man. An hour or two
later while we were sill talking over the
matter we were made very happy by the
Nf ana of hn tbrnz off m
had proved such good friends to in
Kashmir, and great was our surprise and
pleasure when he informed us that he
would be in Dalhousie for the whole of
September, as he had been sent to garrison
class
He Heard the Story.
The story of our woes was of course
poured into his sympathetic ear. and a
look of fury came over his face we told
about the telegram and how that horrid
bearer had been perfectly willing to leave
us at seven at night without a single soul
to cook either our dinner or breakfast for
US. Il will settle him." he exclaimed,
| leave him to me! and grasping his riding
whip firmly in his hand, he strobe off to
| the stone steps which led to the servants
godowns What happened during the few
| minutes he was away we have never
| learned, but from that day we have had
no trouble with Abdul.
Nothing more was said to his father 5
! illness and we were commanded by our
! enraged friend to deduct two rupees from
! his pay for the month That annoyance
| settled, we devoted all our energies to Sc
| curing a Masalgi "a boy to wash dishes and
wait at table, or a khitmatSar, a professed
waiter. We bribed the dandy coolies, the
| chokidar (the man left to take care of the
| place.. and the sweeper and bheastie who if
| they brought US u suitable person were to
| receive sixteen cents. but all to no avail.
They all declared that the place was so
| full that 1t was quite impossible to get a
! servant, but that in few weeks we could
i easily find one, as many people would be
| leaving.
Did Not Lose Heart.
| However, we were not discouraged. but
| we determined to find one at once SO one
misty morning. We put on walking skirts
| and sped off down the lovely path through
our own woods and along the curving road
| which led to the little bazaar on the hillside
the "chota bazaar" where one has to go
| down a steep path to reach the one row
| of tiny booths put up for the convenience
| of the many coolies who pass by daily