and been such a dynamic force for change in the district and for the whole of the Ceylon Tea Industry. He had come out in 1908 keen and eager to make a go of it and in due course had created one of the finest properties in the Island, and his dearest wish was for one of his sons to take it on. He had clashed with Hugh and then I had come to his rescue and his delight, and yet here eleven years on I too was having to leave because of the political situation. I felt in a way a failure and helpless in the face of politics and so I had tears in my eyes as I said my last farewell and shortly after, the great liner drew anchor and sailed out into the Indian Ocean. There was a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes as I raised my glass of scotch to the end of my young carefree days in Ceylon. It had been a wonderful eleven years working there, with wonderful company and friends. It was where Jill and I had married and had lived out our honeymoon over nine years of perfect bliss without really a care in the world, in an eternal feeling of a youth and happiness that we expected would go on for ever . Alas politics had stepped in and now as I felt the throb of the liners engines as she steamed into the Indian Ocean in the late evening glow, I knew that there was a “new life” ahead and what was in store heaven alone knew. I sipped my drink again!
Slowly the Oronsay turned north heading first towards Bombay and then on via Aden, the Red Sea the great Suez Canal, Naples, Marseilles and England. I was overjoyed to be finally on my way to a reunion after 7 long tiring and frustrating months, with my lovely Jill and our three children, but also continually apprehensive of what lay ahead in my future world of farming in England.
The voyage was uneventful and was helped along by a most amusing young English Doctor Thomas Atkins who had been working in India and had the most enormous funny repertoire of stories both of his disastrous first marriage, and the Indian friends of his in the city where he worked. The time passed quickly and at last on the 14th April on a bright spring morning we moored at Tilbury. There on the quayside I spotted Jill and once the companionway was fixed we were re-united once again, never ever to be parted again for such a interminable time. We kissed and hugged on deck with tears in our eyes. Oh what a wonderful reunion it was, and what a wonderful tribute to have had a faithful wife who for seven long months had coped all alone with a family of three in a cold but bright chalet bungalow all through the long dark English winter. Our reward now was just being reunited and together again and a great swelling pride in both of our hearts that we had got through this long ordeal still solidly faithful and true to each other, and absolutely determined to make a go of our new life whatever hardships there may be in the future.
For Beauty was not Beauty till you came
And now shall Beauty mean the sign you are;
A Beacon burnt above the Dawn, a flame
Like Holy Lucifer the Morning Star,
Who latest hangs in Heaven and is the Gem
On all the widowed Night’s expectant Diadem.
(Belloc)