Rudyard Kipling

The Phantom Rickshaw and Other Ghost Stories Rudyard Kipling

One of the few advantages that India has over England is a great Knowability. After fiveyears' service a man is directly or indirectly acquainted with the two or three hundredCivilians in his Province, all the Messes of ten or twelve Regiments and Batteries, and somefifteen hundred other people of the non-official caste. In ten years his knowledge should bedoubled, and at the end of twenty he knows, or knows something about, every Englishmanin the Empire, and may travel anywhere and everywhere without paying hotel-bills.