Page 435 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

433

1929

late. Mrs Marley much worse, in bed and quite incapable of doing anything. Its really a great nuisance. Fortunately
Mrs Holmes came across and helped, washing the baby and doing a lot for it. She is a very nice woman but terribly
deaf. Just before lunch Barrett sent over to say he was going in half an hour and would I go across. Did so and
remained till past two so I didnt get my lunch till about half past. Mrs Holmes in most of the afternoon looking after
the baby. Mrs Marley wanted to see Dr Holmes so I went up to the Mission and asked Dr Rottschafer about it. She
was decidedly annoyed but said she had better see him if she wanted to. He came along and said she had bad dysentry,
I hope she will be able to travel by the boat on Tuesday. Most awkward. The Strakers came in after tea, later
Rottschafer and Miss Dalenburg and an Indian nurse to stay the night here. All very worrying. M very bothered and
so bad for the baby to have all this fuss and worry. Very cool still. Didnt have any chance of conversation with Prior.

Monday 29th April
Court. Shaikh Sulman brought me in two large sheep which have to be killed and distributed among the neighbours.
This was done. If it is a girl only one, if any, distributed. The Shaikhs said that as he was born here we conform to the
local customs. Played tennis at Mespers in the afternoon. Very indifferent tennis, only Bardon there and he couldnt
stay late so we got no Bridge. Mrs Straker very annoyed with him at leaving so early. He had an Arabic lesson. Still
wonderfully cool weather for the time of year.

Tuesday 30th April

Biladya meeting at Muharrak. Prior attended but went first to call on Shaikh Isa so appeared at the meeting in uniform
with sword. It was quite a dull meeting and no rows, he said afterwards how pleasant it was, very unlike the Manama
meetings. Went in to the Agency after the meeting until lunch time. Went out to Sehla in the afternoon to see a village
that had been burnt down, and to the Fort on the way. Mrs Marley still very ill and doing no work of course, however
the Mission have lent us a very nice little Indian nurse, quite young but very clean and neat. Its a pity that we didnt
have her from the start. The Ayah seems to be fairly good but not very intelligent. We have got quite a lot of
telegrams, one from Mohamed Ali Zainal who is at home again at the Savoy as he was last year.

Wednesday [1 May]

Mrs Marley left on the down mail. She seemed very nervy when she left and quite incapable of saying good bye, as
she wanted so to go I think it was better that she should. The doctor took her out to the boat and settled her in. M was
up in her room today. Tennis at Mespers. There is a lot of feeling on the part of Mrs Straker about Prior not calling.
She considers that because they are married he ought to call, the proper thing, which I told her, is that Straker should
call on him first, as being the new Political Agent. After all he is the King's Representative in Bahrain. She was very
silly about it and tries to tell me that she knew better, she really knows nothing whatever about such things being of no
class at all. Her sister is telephone girl in the big ironmongers at Brighton where M deals. Makes it a little awkward.

Thursday [2 May]