| Description | William wishes he was at home. His mother's last two letters have been sad and he wonders at the state of things at Nether Hall. 'M.H.' [Mary Hardcastle] had been 'made a cat's paw of J her husband' [Joseph Alfred Hardcastle] and cannot love anyone after. It seems to be the wretched result of marrying for money, 'or of the habits which led to his first marriage'. It is unlikely that a peace will last, William thinks, and there must be an unknown pressing need that makes Joseph behave in the way he does. William knows nothing of [Alexander] Gordon's misfortune, hearing little or nothing from Bombay [Mumbai]. A rumour did reach them of 'a scrape' but they thought it must be old by now. His last news of Melia [Amelia Wade, née Herschel] was that she was learning Chinese, but in trepidation about the power of commercial interests and the 'escapades of the missionaries'. He gives a description of his children. He is grateful for his mother's intentions for his son. He had lost sight of Alex's [Alexander Stewart Herschel's] holiday and hopes he has not lost the chance of Norway. William describes his finances and retirement plans briefly. He comments on news that England is to stop the opium trade, saying that the days of carrying it into China meant that they were no more than pirates and 'the evil odour of those times no doubt hangs about the traffic still'. The violent disregard for law was the shameful element, he thinks, rather than the character of the merchandise. They have been told that rice beer, brewed by hill tribes, should be put down instead of being taxed, but Sir John Lawrence 'rose up in wrath' at the idea. Opium in India has been highly taxed and the improvement is great, since it used to be grown 'like corn'. |