You may smile, but I mean
what I say. I have seen other young fellows just as full of work
and enthusiasm as you are, but I have never seen an exception to
the rule, unless, of course, they took up something so as to give
their minds a rest."
"The Doctor has just been scolding me because I am not fond enough
of work," Captain Doolan laughed.
"You are differently placed, Doolan," the Doctor said. "You have
got plenty of enthusiasm in your nature--most Irishmen have--
but you have had nothing to stir it. Life in a native regiment in
India is an easy one. Your duties are over in two or three hours
out of the twenty-four, whereas the work of a civilian in a large
district literally never ends, unless he puts a resolute stop to
it. What with seeing people from morning until night, and riding
about and listening to complaints, every hour of the day is occupied,
and then at night there are reports to write and documents of all
sorts to go through. It is a great pity that there cannot be a
better division of work, though I own I don't see how it is to be
managed."
By this time they were walking towards the lines.
"I should not mind taking a share of the civil work at the station,"
Captain Doolan said, "if they would make our pay a little more like
that of the civilians."
"There is something in that, Doolan," the Doctor agreed; "it is
just as hard work having nothing to do as it is having too much;
and I have always been of opinion that the tremendous disproportion
between the pay of a military man and of a civilian of the same
age is simply monstrous.
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