Item 11: Miles Franklin pocket diary, 17 February-29 December 1918

MAY–1918

2. Thursday. Grey day but mild outside. Went to see Sir J. Cantlie 23 Harley St. at 11 a.m. Then to Am. Ex. Co. for money from Harris Bank.

3. Friday. Went to see Matron Nye at Gifford Hse. Roe Hampton S.W. From thence to Waterloo Stn. & to Old Vic to see "Winter's Tale". Home with family. Showery

4. Saturday. Rose late. Poked around & slept nearly all day. Went to bed at 7 again. Red Dr. Cantlie's book Sun Yat Sen

Week-end When Miss S died I sent this book to Nell in Serbia but she never got it

APRIL – 1918

28. Sunday– Cold miserable day. Went to Miss N. at 11 & left at 5.45. Worked on Ms of Macedonia retired at 11.45. Miss S away for week end.

29. Monday. Cold grey day. Sent off MS to Watt. Worked a little in garden.

30. Tuesday. Dull coldish day. Spent it in drawing room. Lady Byles came to see me in afternoon. Got out my shorthand books again.

1 MAY. Wednesday. Cold & grey. Went to Miss N at 10 left at 3.45. Went to bed with out eating & a bad attack of malaria. Temp. 103°

APRIL–1918

25. Thursday. Worked a lot in garden & had an attack of malaria went to bed in discomfort & with a temp of. 103°

26. Friday. Fine day. Got up at 12. feeling very weak but improved & did a good deal of work in garden

27. Saturday. Fine day at last. Worked in garden some & wrote some. Guns waked us at 20 to 12 last night but no raid ensued.

Week-end. [no entry]

MAY - 1918

23. Thursday. Grey cold showery & windy. Stayed in house & wrote some articles. Went to bed a little after 10.

24. Friday. Cold and grey. Went to Miss N. at 10 & left a[t] 2. Mrs Nelson Smith left after tea.

25. Saturday. Cold dull miserable profitless day. Alone in house so slept in afternoon. Weak for want of nourishing food.

Week-end. [no entry]

MAY - 1918

26. Sunday Feeling terribly weak all day. E.C Brown called after lunch for a little while. Then I went to Miss Wren for tea & she took me out on Heath. We heard cuckoo. Occasional glimpses of sun. Very feeble.

27. Monday. Went down to help at Minerva Café. Home at 5 & ['harry' crossed out] had a snooze. Feeling pitifully depressed. Warmish day.

28. Tuesday. Feeling terrible feeble & depressed. Cloudy, warmish day. Shower in afternoon. During afternoon called on Editors for Miss Newcomb. In evening went to Gertrude Peppercorn's piano recital with A.A.S.

29. Wednesday. Fine day. Very feeble - want of food partly I think. Lay down in forenoon in afternoon did editors again for Miss Newcomb's conference.