My Mother — Page 134
134 In October 1931 I was to visit London as a delegate to the second Round Table Conference. I suggested to Mother that she should send a gift to Lord Blanesburgh. She enquired, ‘What have you in mind?’ I said, ‘Your photograph. ’ She was intrigued and exclaimed, ‘What would he do with an old woman’s picture!’ I assured her he would feel greatly honoured. I had a personal motive also in making the suggestion. She was sixty-eight and we had no picture of her. Through this device we would obtain one for ourselves also. She agreed to face the cam- era on two conditions: She would not dress up for the picture or make any change in her dress, and I must remain in the room with her. I procured a simple but somewhat artistic frame for the pic- ture, a matching table and a small Persian carpet so that together they made a suitable centrepiece. Lord Blanesburgh was delighted with them. In the summer of 1931 I was in Delhi, as Senior Crown Counsel in the Delhi Conspiracy Case. Mother was with us. There had been a severe drought and the harvest was very poor. She was distressed. How would the poor farmers fare! Could we do something to help?I told her we would do whatever she wished. This gave her some comfort. She suggested that we might provide financial aid to those few whom we knew would be hard hit. I agreed. She dictated the names and amounts and a list was drawn up. ‘Are you sure this will not be a burden on you?’ ‘Nothing that gives you pleasure can be a burden on me. ’ Indeed the total amount was not very large and I could easily