Brittain, Vera, Diary, 5 July 1915

00000296.jpg
Description: 
Diary of Vera Brittain

Tabs

Case Study: 
From Youth to Experience: Vera Brittain’s Work for Peace in Two World Wars
Creator: 
Brittain, Vera
Source: 
diary
Date: 
5 July 1915
Collection/Fonds: 
Contributer: 
McMaster University Libraries
Rights: 
Vera Brittain estate; McMaster University has a non-exclusive licence to publish this document.

Identifier: 
00000296
Language: 
eng
Type: 
image
Format: 
jpg
Transcript: 

...a nice boy." "Yes, a very nice boy," said the first.
This afternoon I answered Mrs. Leighton's & wrote several other letters - to Schen, Miss Darbishire, Marjory, Victor & Stella. Mother & I went to St. John's & came out before the sermon. They prayed there for all the people in the parish at the front & for the souls of some others, among them the Raultons'? son.
Monday July 5th
I am too tired after a very long day's work to write much at this. I have just been looking at myself in the glass, tiredness makes me positively ugly. As I have got to be continously tired for many days to come I fear at this rate all I ever had of beauty will come to be a thing of the past. Such is war. Even attractiveness must be sacrificed for usefulness. I told Roland the other day that my roughened hands are not worth kissing now!
Lance-corporal Johnson was so delighted this morning because the splint was able to come off his leg in the day-time, though it has to go on again at night. I learnt from Dr. Sawdon that it was at Neuve Chapelle that Johnson was wounded.
Evening work at this hospital does not involve so much walking about as the morning & includes one or two really interesting things. I had to rub one man's back & paint another's frost-bitten foot with a strong-smelling mixture of some sort. Preparing the suppers is quite strenuous as every one of those in bed has something different. I had to make cocoa, bovril, hot milk & toast, & did not leave till 9.0. It is splendid having so much to do.
I had another short note from Mrs. Leighton this morning, written hurriedly, I suppose in case what she said yesterday should make me anxious, to tell me that they had heard from Roland at last. He apparently cut his hand in opening a biscuit-tin. I also had a letter from Miss Lorimer in most cordial terms congratulating me on my