Susanna and Rose went off at 8.30 a.m. with Mrs. Fane to Murree. The house seems very empty and Daisie feels lonely. How awful it must be when a child, an only child, dies.
Murree
1915 – October 24
We have had a delightful time with a nice clean empty Murree looking quite beautiful – feeling much fitter but far from strong yet, after all that Diarrhoea and fever and my tummy not right yet. Susanna has been a great delight and she and I have had long walks alone over the hills – she gets along very well though she is such a tiny mite. The weather has been glorious and we have all been very happy – much too happy for these horrible times of war.
1915 – October 14
1915 – October 12
Arrived Forest Dell, Murree, Miss Key, where Susanna was born – 11. a.m. such joy to see Susanna, such a dear and looking so well – though thin.
1915 – July 6
Arrived Kalka 6 a.m. Left by motor rail at 7.45. a nice bath at the station. Very absent-minded, left my satchel in the train, braces, tie and tie-pin. Recovered the satchel from a passenger on another train later on. Arrived Simla fine, but so cold in a silk suit. An A.D.C. at the smart liveried Rickshaw in which I drove to Snowdon, the Commander-in-Chief’s beautiful residence, just in time for lunch. Sir Beauchamp Duff, very cheery but worried. In the afternoon the Chief drove me all round Simla in his phaeton.
I hoped to stay in Simla till the 10th and then at Murree till the 19th, but my leave is cancelled and I have to return to Peshawar immediately after the lecture, because General Campbell is at Cherat and there is no General at all in Peshawar. So I have 4 nights in the train and all this expense for 1 night in the hills and a hundred rupees fee for my lecture.
1915 – July 5
Arrived Pindi 6 a.m. Daisie left for Murree at 9 a.m. in the motor bus and I left for Simla by the 1.30 p.m. train. Met Major Little an old friend of the 26th Punjabis. He had lunch with me on the train as he was on his way to Ferozepore to take over command of the 20th Depôt from Elliott, who has gone to Simla sick. We sat for some hours in the restaurant car and had long interesting talk on religious matters – he is a Roman Catholic, and one has to be tactful to avoid quarrelling. R.C’s are so easily aroused to fury.
1915 – June 29
It is really hot now, the bungalow is generally 92º [F]*, but we keep fairly fit and cheerful. We miss Susanna very much, but she is well looked after and happy in Murree. I go to Simla on Sunday to lecture on Wednesday. Daisie goes to Murree and I join her there for a few days leave after the lecture. We shall both be glad of some fresh air.
33ºC
1915 – May 6
Left Murree by tonga 3 p.m., arrived Jhelum 1 a.m. leaving Rose and Susanna with Miss Key.
1915 – May 3
Nice to be in Murree again. Daisie, Rose and Susanna staying at Forest Dell with Miss Key, I up at the Club with Gen. Kitson to whose coat-tails I had to cling. Rather expensive bridge at the Club.
1915 – May 2
Left 1.47 a.m. Monday morning special carriage Murree. Susanna has been having fever. She and Rose stay with Miss Key up there and we two return on Thursday by which time I hope punkahs will be up as the mosquitoes are bad and we are dreadfully bitten. It is wonderful how stupid C.O’s are – In the 20th we always had mixed guards, half Mahomedan and half Hindu, anyone with a grain of sense would naturally do this. My guard is now furnished by the 25th P.I. who were in China and whose Sikhs are supposed to sympathise with the mutiny that is ready to break out – and the O.C. that noble regiment gives me a pure Sikh Guard! Of course I can say nothing about it as it would look like scares, so there it is and we are quite happy, but it is rather silly, isn’t it? Last night as we lay in bed, the Sikh sentry kept stopping just outside the chick and bumping his rifle down with a thud which made Daisie think he was going to shoot, and so he was perhaps, but he didn’t. I want a guard to guard me from my guard.
C.O.: Commanding Officer
O.C. Officer in Command
Stalky's World War 1 Diaries 