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

JUNE–1918.

23. Sunday. In bed forenoon. F.P. rang up & I met him at Albert Hall for Felice Lyne - Sammons concert. Then we had tea at Knightsbridge & I brought him home for supper & he stayed till after 11. He was cross & tired & instead of him cheering me I had to turn around & smooth his little feathers.

24. Monday. Cloudy & cold Maud came & ate her lunch with me & gave me some. Nancy ran in & out. I stayed in bed till 5 when I arose & wrote letters.

25. Tuesday. Paul Walsøe called in morning saying we wd. go to Bedales tomorrow. Cold day showers & shade & occasional glimpses of sun. Pottered. Went to bed early.

26. Wednesday.

Met Maud at Waterloo at 9 & left for Petersfield for the Whishaws at the Village of Steep, Hants. Had a lovely day of rest and comfort among roses & hot water. Lovely day

JUNE – 1918.

20. Thursday. Wet again. Crawled out of bed in night clothes & no wash - went with Mrs Fisher to look at premises. Then home & to bed. Struggled downstairs after a little milk. Feeling depressed & in need of food. Oh for hot water & a cleansing bath after the fever.

21. Friday. Full of pain in joints but nothing to eat in hse. so struggled down to Minerva. F.P. called up there. Home & to bed. F. P. called again. Wrote letters & had slight temp.

22. Saturday. Maud came before lunch & took me home with her for tea. I got home very tired. Pollard also called. Sometimes warm sometimes cloudy. A Norwegian Capt. who had been in the Belgian Congo was at Walsøe's

JUNE – 1918.

16. Sunday Cold day - Had a tea party. E.C. Brown & F.P. Mrs T. Price, Miss Claire, M Barfield et al. Showers & too cold to go in garden.

17. Monday. Beastly cold. Worked at Minerva in beastly muddle, Beastly tired. F.P. and Mme. Jallay came in evening.

18. Tuesday. Beastly cold & showery. Worked in Minerva muddle Home dead exhausted

19. Wednesday. Wet cold day. Terrible attack of malaria hurting all my bones. got into bed at 5.30. Temp. 102.4° F.P. rang up but Ethel told him I was out.

JULY - 1918

14. Sunday. Typed again. In afternoon went to Dr Synge's at Peckham Hse. Mrs. French there we listened to Hyde Pk. orators on way home. Showers & dull all day again. Very heavy rain in morning.

15. Monday. Dully muggy day showers. Went to Minerva then brought paper home & typed all day. F.P. came from 7 till 8.30. Nina Boyle from 8 till 10.30

16. Tuesday. Better day but few showers. Helped at Minerva Then inspected buildings Home, rested & typed a little.

17. Wednesday. Same routine. Warm muggy day with heavy thunder showers at 7. p.m.

JULY -1918.

18. Thursday. Went to Minerva & waited at table. Home about 4 & did some washing & typing Finer day but showers in evening

19. Friday. Typed all day at home. Heavy showers all day. A.A.S. came home in evening. Depressed & worried – money running out.

20. Saturday. Rain all day again. Went to Lady Byles for lunch met there Mrs Brook & Mrs D

Week-end. [no entry]