| Description | Charlotte continues hospital visiting, during which she reads to patients. She also visits her brothers who are becoming very frail, and receives visits from Cecil, Ethel and the children, and from other friends. She spends the rest of her time reading, writing letters, and occasionally doing some dressmaking. She tends to travel by taxi, and attends church when she feels able to. She misses Mary greatly who, on 22 April, she describes as her 'companion through so many years of widowhood' and she also writes on 6 March that she 'felt very lonely tho' so many blessings are granted to me'. She seems to have 3 servants but no special companion.
She often reports feeling unwell, or 'ailing', and keeping the house. Dr Bland continues to treat her for a prolapsed uterus. She also notes that her eyes are 'poor, using them an effort' on 18 August and has them examined by Mr Cargill on 8 September. Sidney visits on 20 April and is there to celebrate Charlotte's 80th birthday. He visits again on 14 September. Charlotte's brother Brice is reported as suffering from bronchitis on 25 October and is very weak. On 3 November, Charlotte receives a telegram from Arty to say that Brice 'passed away peacefully' and the funeral is held on 8 November at Hoddington, Hampshire. The service was taken by Sidney and Cecil attends the funeral, but Charlotte does not.
Certain entries show the effects that the First World War was having on people not immediately involved in the fighting. Charlotte notes deaths of a relation, Johnnie Pearse, at the Front, and of a friend's son in the Dardanelles on 3 May. On 10 May, she writes that she 'read more of the terrible loss of the Lusitania', and records that 'The Italians join the allies' on 21 May. On 9 September, she 'had gas turned off fr[om] the main as precaution for another zeppelin raid: there was a destructive one last night over W. End of L[ondon]'.
Charlotte travels to Folkestone in August with Alice Field. They sit out on the Leas, listen to the band, and Charlotte goes out in bath chair, and sees friends. She returns home on 25 August.
Reading matter includes 'Inheritance of the Saints', 'an article on Germany before the war' (noted on 22 February), 'The Gospel of the Resurrection', 'Life of L. Roberts', 'The Outlook of the Soul', 'L. Kitchener's speech at the Guildhall' (noted on 10 July), 'book on Belgium', 'Prince of Sweden's book on Siam' and 'Russian Realities'. |