And here a word about the advantage of going to the
hills. One of the authors recommends it as a preventative
measure, the yearly visit materially assisting in the main-
tenance of good health : her own experience of its benefits
was tliat, having brought up a large family during a resi-
dence of twenty years in India, she was never once invalided,
and only went to England twice during that period, and then
in the company of her husband and cliildren. Many wives,
no doubt, cannot make up their minds to break up their
homes and separate from their husbands, but if the choice
lies between a few months’ absence from home yearly and
visits to England lasting several years, surely the former is
j)referable. And a good wife can do much to keep her hus-
band’s home in the 2ilidns comfortable during her annual
visit to the hills : she can make wise arrangements before
leaving, and can even send him weekly bills of fare, lists of
servants’ wages, &c.
But what makes such a change generally a necessity ?
When a woman cannot sleep at night her nervous system
suffers, and failure to obtain a good night’s rest is one of the
great drawbacks of a hot weather in the plains. The days,
with their varied occupations, may speed happily along, but
the house is not sufficiently cool at night to enable us to sleej)
with any comfort, and sleejfiess nights in India j)redispose
the system to disease, e.specially of a malarious kind. And
tSy
190 The Complete Indian
the constant talking about the heat is so depressing, that the
mere tliought of being able to get cool l>y a trip to the liills
makes us better able to endure it Avhile it lasts, taking away,
as it does, the feeling of hopelessness which generally sets in
about July or August.
When the ehoice of a hill station has been made, there is
much to be tliought of. After all, it is either for the pro-
tection or the improvement of health that the home is broken
up : the selection of a suitable house is therefore all-im-
portant. Too often houses are taken for us which are an-
tagonistic to healthy conditions. There are houses on ridges,
houses on banks, houses in valleys, houses by the roadside.
Houses that bear sweet names, such as “Moss Grange” and
“Ivy Glen,” awaken early poetical memories; our spirit soars
as we read of the “Eagle’s Nest,” “The Crags,” or “The
Highlands,” whilst “Sunny Bank” and “The Dovecote”
open out a vista of quiet restfulness. But old stagers know'
that there is nothing for it but to go up and see for oneself,
and trust to no one. As a rule, we do not recommend ridges.
Cholera (please do not start !) often dwells in the clouds
which float over our Hill Capuas, and may just rest on the
ridge, to say nothing of its being enveloped in damp clouds,
and at the mercy of the violence of the storm. Banks
should be avoided, especially if the w'alls of the back rooms
are built up against them without any space betw-een. One
of the authors speaks feelingly on this point, having had a
providential escape from being buried alive in a landslip, by
which, though life was saved, valuable property was lost. A
house in a valley is too shut in ; good air is a necessity. Nor,
unless you wish all the community to see your rooms being
turned out, should you choose a wayside cottage. Go into
every room, and avoid houses with dark inner rooms.
Page 131
Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
And here a word about the advantage of going to the hills. One of the authors recommends it as a preventative measure, the yearly visit materially assisting in the maintenance of good health : her own experience of its benefits was that, having brought up a large family during a residence of twenty years in India, she was never once invalided, and only went to England twice during that period, and then in the company of her husband and children. Many wives, no doubt, cannot make up their minds to break up their homes and separate from their husbands, but if the choice lies between a few months’ absence from home yearly and visits to England lasting several years, surely the former is preferable. And a good wife can do much to keep her husband’s home in the plains. comfortable during her annual visit to the hills : she can make wise arrangements before leaving, and can even send him weekly bills of fare, lists of servants’ wages, &c.
But what makes such a change generally a necessity ? When a woman cannot sleep at night her nervous system suffers, and failure to obtain a good night’s rest is one of the great drawbacks of a hot weather in the plains. The days, with their varied occupations, may speed happily along, but the house is not sufficiently cool at night to enable us to sleep with any comfort, and sleepless nights in India predispose the system to disease, e.specially of a malarious kind. And
190 The Complete Indian
the constant talking about the heat is so depressing, that the mere thought of being able to get cool by a trip to the liills makes us better able to endure it while it lasts, taking away, as it does, the feeling of hopelessness which generally sets in about July or August.
When the choice of a hill station has been made, there is much to be thought of. After all, it is either for the protection or the improvement of health that the home is broken up : the selection of a suitable house is therefore all-important. Too often houses are taken for us which are antagonistic to healthy conditions. There are houses on ridges, houses on banks, houses in valleys, houses by the roadside. Houses that bear sweet names, such as “Moss Grange” and “Ivy Glen,” awaken early poetical memories; our spirit soars as we read of the “Eagle’s Nest,” “The Crags,” or “The Highlands,” whilst “Sunny Bank” and “The Dovecote” open out a vista of quiet restfulness. But old stagers know that there is nothing for it but to go up and see for oneself, and trust to no one. As a rule, we do not recommend ridges. Cholera (please do not start !) often dwells in the clouds which float over our Hill Capuas, and may just rest on the ridge, to say nothing of its being enveloped in damp clouds, and at the mercy of the violence of the storm. Banks should be avoided, especially if the w'alls of the back rooms are built up against them without any space between. One of the authors speaks feelingly on this point, having had a providential escape from being buried alive in a landslip, by which, though life was saved, valuable property was lost. A house in a valley is too shut in ; good air is a necessity. Nor, unless you wish all the community to see your rooms being turned out, should you choose a wayside cottage. Go into every room, and avoid houses with dark inner rooms.