Jan 11th, Thursday
I went up today to take the Mothers Meeting for Mrs MacNamara (the vicar’s wife). This poor creature will have a bodily and mental breakdown if she isn’t careful. They have no servant and there she is with the whole house to do and both children, but a maid came today so it is to be hoped easier times are in store for her.
Jan 12th, Friday
My son is 20 today. I can’t realise that it is actually 20 years since I first held that little pink bundle in my arms! A string hunt in his honour today, with many mad games.
Jan 13th, Saturday
I took Win over the hill today, a perfect white frost. I went to see the poor little Turner girl who has lately lost her baby, a sad tragedy. They are in a very poor way, he is a collier with infrequent work and another small creature expected. Dirty Lane is excelling itself. It is feet high in mud, thick red clay and almost impossible to walk in, and these wretched people all pay road tax!
Jan 14th, Sunday
The usual Sunday programme. Everyone is busy reading. It is quite strange to see them doing this as for some time H has been reading each evening to us “The Woman In White”, that book of ancient fame by Wilkie Collins, and finished it last night. It is simply ripping being read to and we all sit round and work, getting through tons of stitching in consequence. I am hoping to get him on to “The Moonstone” but I must wait awhile I think!
Jan 15th
We’ve been spending the afternoon planting while the three girls knocked golf balls and turf around. The lawn looks as though it had small pox now. A day of domesticity.
Jan 16th, Tuesday
A day in Glos. My business was the monthly Cotswold meeting being the annual business one, a great deal of silly nonsense but then Jack Haines read us a paper called “Paradise”. I wondered what he knew about that place but it turned out to be Gloucestershire of which he had many nice things to say. I have come to the conclusion there is nothing wrong with the place if only ones domestics didn’t tease and torment us so!
Jan 17th
A grim day but I have been too busy to notice. The drawing room having its clean out, a rush up to Popes Hill and packing for Babs kept me well employed.
Jan 18th
A day of desolation as it always is when one of my brood leaves. My dear Miss Mouse returned to school today and I miss her most horribly. I couldn’t even see her off as I had to go to the Mothers Meeting at 2pm.
January 19th, Friday
I had to go my round taking magazines and announcing the MU meeting for next Thursday. Had a long gossip with Mrs Harris who is a crony of mine. We talked treason for half an hour!
Jan 20th, Sat
A letter from Mother who writes that being fed up with Salzburg she is flitting to Wiesbaden where she hears are lots of English and much gaiety. I wonder how she will like the French occupation of the town! There has been for many a month such trouble over German reparations and the French refuse to give way therefore they have now marched into the Ruhr and seized the coal mines as a protest. Furious indignation on the Germans part, strikes of miners and railway men etc, arrests and fracas of all sorts and one wonders how it is all going to end. I cant think it can be wise for anyone to go and live in Germany at present but I daresay it sounds worse than it is. I shall be curious to hear from her.