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

NOVEMBER - 1918

3. Sunday. Went down to dinner with Maud & back to tea at Smith family party First helped Ethel she was so sick. Poured all day. Started work at 7.30 a.m. & got Sam bound & corrected

4. Monday. Took Sam to Watt & Son. Trudged to bank & various places in pouring rain. Got home & cleared up various odds & ends. Very tired after weeks hard struggle trying to type & earn living as well.

5. Tuesday. Lovely early morning like yesterday. Stanley's suggestions of "Down Under" came. Kept an hour late so got home too tired to sleep.

6. Wednesday. Twilight day. Sat in the hopeless muddle & did a little shorthand. Searchlights wonderful glory at night.

NOVEMBER - 1918.

17. Sunday Cold grey miserable day. Stayed in bed till 12. Cd. not struggle to Church on a bit of cold war bread & margarine. Set table & went to sleep in evening Mabel Barfield & Miss there for tea.

18. Monday. Cold grey day again. Feeling very poorly. Struggled thru day. Stanley McK. came in evening to discuss Down Under Thank God had fire to ourselves.

19. Tuesday. Acrid fog even indoors. Got home & went to bed miserable. Coughed all night. Very weak & weary.

20. Wednesday. Dense fog lights on all day. Another dull useless trivial unsatisfying day. Coughing badly. Ethel away celebrating death de son père

NOVEMBER - 1918.

14. Thursday. Stayed in bed. Not enough to eat & then miserable discomfort & cold - clammy mausoleum damp in bed-room. got up at 6 & had a wash but impossible to keep warm in cold so went to bed again very miserable & depression coming on fog thick in house

15. Friday. got to office at 11.30. Pulled thru day. Telegraphed Stanley not to come. In evening F. Post rang up saying he was off to Paris. Went to bed sick & depressed. Nearly died in night. Fogs.

16. Saturday. Foggy cold & grey as ever. Crawled out to office. Ghastly depression. Answered Bill's letter. Stayed in office getting home at 5.30 & found Mrs French waiting for me. Went to bed cold and miserable.

Week-end.

NOVEMBER - 1918.

10. Sunday. Grey cold day. Feeling tired, illnourished & miserable because I wanted to work & no warm spot to be had alone. Miss Smith had family party lasting from 3.30 till 9.30 Uncomfortable & disgruntled. Oh for a little means to procure comfort!

11. Monday Peace Maroons went at 11. Then people began to celebrate. Came on to rain & people slopped around all wet & draggled. F. Post rang up & asked me out to celebrate with him but couldn't go as Mr. A. was muddling off to a conference

12. Tuesday. Cold grey day. People still celebrating in pubs. Had painful sore throat & weak heart. Went to bed at 3 o'clock & slept till 5. Got up rested and typed a little of "Down Under" Nelson Smith came at 7 also with a cold.

13. Wednesday. Twilight all day. Fog Felt myself getting worse. Crawled home typed a little & went to bed. Oh the cruel lack of comfort if one is ill. Cold salad not right sort of food

NOVEMBER - 1918.

7. Thursday. Twilight day with a fog. Very fatigued felt very tired & cold. Took double dose of cachets & nearly died in night. Not able to do anything on play.

8. Friday. Grey day. Went to bank & fooled around on various office boy errands. B. Kinred came at six: we went to eat at Colonial restaurant thence to Coliseum. Very exhausted & cold.

9. Saturday. Grey day & foggy. Got home at 3.20 Had dinner & went to bed till six. When Mlle Bloust & Signorina Bambacioni came & stayed to supper to share our already pitifully inadequate food. Miss Smith tried her planchette board. Seems to me it is reflection of thoughts of one who operates it.