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[Page 25]
Oct. 4
21.
Home mail today.
Two from Mother, Aug. 4 & 12, one from Betty: one from Mat. So ten pages from Mother to read tonight in 'a lousy dugout by candle light' to misquote Service. Betty writes of receiving the post cards, and of two books arriving. The cards were of Lille, Arras, Rheims, Lens & another centre yet uncaptured, but the books? Were they Verhaerens Plays and "Letters of J.B. Yeats", but it couldn't have been Yeats because it was only sent from London on the 6th June, but if it is I'll not have to pay a fancy price later, as I'll have to for the Cuala Press Dunsany book. Certainly I remember having Verhaeren and Yeats together.
22.
In Chateau Segard, in the sandbag'd wall room, in the open grate of a once black marble chimney piece, in the 'room' the officers established themselves, now the 12th Batt. boys on water piquet are "at-home' off duty – during the day. Of the side not sandbagg'd remain the traces of its missing panelling, and the floor is earth and bricks, the ceilings lost its colour, and of its two windows and doors only a part of an opening for entrance is left.
From it s remaining faint traces of decoration concerts, all typically French and tawdry obviously it was once a Reception Room – opening on to the terrace, and facing the stream.
Now burns in the broken fire place the fire of a volunteer cook, and a merry party of a half a dozen followers of Rabelais tell tales to the entertainment of the ruins.
They're great company, and a half hour's yarning there is joy.
Bearers up in again tonight.
23.
The day's ended with a heavy hard wind that has blown across the rain and the heavy clouds. Still blowing, stars are here and there revealed in luminous patches, and the moon now behind long narrow flying clouds, blacking in silhouette the stark ruined and torn limbs of old trees.
An Edgar Alan Poe night, and we're waiting anxiously for the Boche planes bombing, and for Jack to return too. He left suddenly by some order of Mr. Nieve – to go somewhere – somehow, and he's still away.
Tom's not back either from the A.D.S.