Documents

» Show All     «Prev «1 ... 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 ... 199» Next»

Download PDF




Ryland and Lois Drennan letter to Barbara Byrne 1920

(two letters together in one envelope from Ryland and Lois Drennan to Barbara Byrne)

The Great Eastern Hotel LD
Telegrams "Greastern Calcutta"

Calcutta Dec 12 1920

Dear Barbara

Many thanks for your kind letter and believe me I was glad to hear of your doings at home. Also tell Fernald I think he is a somewhat lazy young lad not to drop us a line or is he too much interested in the Milk Whats Sterd

That you are also riding I am glad to hear. It sure must be fun exercise. Almost all the English people ride here in the morninggs. Today one of my business associcates had a bad fall from his horse and his wife told us he could not enter a beauty contest now.

I play tennis and golf for my exercise and enjoy both very much. Your Aunt Lois says I am rather helpless in getting around to look at the sights and I guess she is right but then I keep my eyes open when I am out and have noticed many strange customs of the people and different castes.
(Uncle Ryland didn't have time to finish so I'll end this with his best love to you all - Aunt Lois)
-------------------------------------
The Great Eastern Hotel LD
Telegrams "Greastern Calcutta"

Calcutta Dec 12 1920


Dear Barbara:

Needless to say both Uncle Ryan and I were delighted to receive you letters and to hear of the various episodes that take place in your family.

India is very interesting there are so many different sects and castes of the people that are very distinctive.

You see so many different markings upon their bodies. From xxlly the face and chest in colored daubs that denote the various sects. The xxx two differs from the almost naked coolies to the veiled ladies. I saw one of the ladies the other day she looked like a Halloweeen spook as evidently she was of the lower class and had just cut holes in a white sheet which she wore over her whole body. In the movies here they have special boxes for them and a thin net curtain hangs up from the top of the box to hide the ladies from the the public gaze.

Today Uncle Ryland and I spent a couple of ours in the Indian Museum - we were fortunate in getting a very close glimpse of Clemenceau the noted French Statesman as he was inspecting the exhibits. In this museum are many fine specimens of the xxx Buddha - that have been taken from the old temples. They are so hideous in face and form that you wonder how they could worship them and yet they do even now. We saw an old mummy about four thousand years old and much of the body was exposed and the teeth all showed and seemed perfect.

The finest things in the the museum were to our minds the beautiful fabrics, both cotton and silk, and also the fine brass trays and metal art xxx that are very old and such as I have never seen any where.

The market place here is very interesting it covers about four city blocks and little shops are crowded one after another and you can buy fruit, vegetables, groceries, drugs, xlat many flowers, art curios. In fact almost everything from lions to elephants and love birds, small animals of course the live things are in a space by themselves.

Uncle Ryland plays a good deal of golf and I'm sure you'd like his outfit. It consists of short khaki pants & long stockings and of course six inches of bare legs shows but it's quite the fashion. He must be in style - I hope to get his picture so you can see how cute he looks and perhaps your father would like to copy him.

I have not forgotten your Xmas present - in fact I have here swell things for each of you girls and some time will find a way to send them.

There are lots of beggars here - and many religous mendicants - or holy men - they appear only a breech clout their long hair matted with dirt and they rub their bodies all over with ashes. We often see two in the early morning going to their regular begging places - one carries a long iron staff, the other one a brass one.

I'm going to write Louise a letter too, and if you can read hers for I am going to tell her different things.

With love to you and your brothers and sisters.

Aunt Lois


File nameRyland and Lois Drennan letter to Barbara Byrne 1920.pdf
File Size4.67m
Linked toBYRNE, Barbara; DRENNAN, Ryland; NICHOLS, Lois Mildred

» Show All     «Prev «1 ... 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 ... 199» Next»





This site powered by The Next Generation of Genealogy Sitebuilding v. 14.0.3, written by Darrin Lythgoe © 2001-2024.

Maintained by Hugh Byrne. | Data Protection Policy.