Brittain, Vera, Diary, 24 September 1916

00000308-2.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: 
24 September 1916
Collection/Fonds: 
Contributer: 
McMaster University Libraries
Rights: 
Vera Brittain estate; McMaster University has a non-exclusive licence to publish this document.

Identifier: 
00000308-2
Language: 
eng
Type: 
image
Format: 
jpg
Transcript: 

go back to Malta. I was very attracted by the idea of seeing these famous and to me quite unknown corners of the Earth, though the idea of a long voyage had no attractions for me; I know I should not like being on the sea.
In the morning we had a very lovely service on one of the lower decks; in view of our voyage the hymn "Jesus Lover of my Soul" brought tears to my eyes, as also did a wonderful prayer for nurses that they had "that we may shine as lanterns of hope in the darkest hours of distress and fear." And we had rather a wonderful sermon from a little red-haired Chaplain, who said that to a certain high type of human nature "the perilous thing has always had an alluring charm."
In the sisters lounge we found some letters for us after lunch; Stella had several letters & one or two telegrams from her family, who must have written immediately after they said goodbye to her, which my family never thought of doing. But I had a telegram, worth any amount of letters, forwarded from Camberwell; it was from the Leightons, saying simply "God speed you."
In the afternoon, as I was writing my final letters which were to go by the pilot before we sailed, all the passengers arrived. By far the greater number were V.A.D.s bound for Malta; there were a few English sisters for Egypt, and several Canadian sisters and a Canadian matron for Salonika.
We sailed about 4.30 in the afternoon. as the great screws began to throb and thrash the water, Stella and I went on to the boat-deck (which together with a good many other parts of the ship reserved for officers was afterwards forbidden ground) to see the last of England. as the dear land grew more & more faint & seemed to be slipping away from