The leisure of an Egyptian official Free PDF book

Lord Edward Herbert Cecil





These sketches were written by Lord Edward Cecil at various times during the eighteen years of his service in Egypt. ' My Daily Life ' and most of the other papers, including the unfinished ' Going on Leave,' belong to a period long anterior to the War. Only two of them, ' Lord Kitchener ' and 'An Official Correspondence,' are of comparatively recent date. Though they were only written for the amusement of his family, it is thought that these pictures of the lighter side of Egyptian life may be of interest to a wider public. The characters introduced are, of course, not drawn from any individuals. Three of the sketches, viz. 'Lord Kitchener,' 'An Official Correspondence,' and 'A Day on the Suez Canal,' have already appeared in the National Review.My first sensation in the morning is usually a confused impression of noise. It is often combined or half combined with my dreams. There is an earthquake, and the house is falling. There is a battle, and they are shelling the house. As my consciousness returns, I become aware that it is my servant. He is four foot odd high and weighs about as much as a big retriever dog, but he makes more row than a giant. He has never yet come into my room of a morning without falling foul of something. Sometimes it is the table, some- times a chair, or sometimes he does his great feat, which is to catch his foot, fall against the table, upset my tea, and bang the door, all in one movement. After years of careful practice, he has discovered how to drop a woolen garment on a thick carpet, and make it sound like a plank falling on the pavement. He is a quaint personality belonging to curious people, people literally without a history. Older than the old Egyptians, they have lived on from the dawn of history as hewers of wood and drawers of water, producing countless servants, watchmen, grooms, and cooksAuthor: Lord Edward Herbert Cecil Publication Date:1921