Fit as Fiddles and as Hard as Nails

Her brief ‘home-front’ journal runs only from 1 August-12 September 1914; it comprises 27 loose leaves of lined paper, and it is clearly incomplete, ending in mid-sentence.

Diary 1 August- 12 September 1914

• War declared between Austria & Servia in morning paper.
• Evening paper announced Mr Redmond’s fine declaration that all Irish volunteers would work together to help the empire.
• England declares war with Germany. Latter declined to respect Belgian neutrality.
• The Volunteer Corps who gave 3 hearty cheers for Father & were very nice & hearty.
• He arrived in London with 6d in his pocket but managed somehow to get home (to Yorkshire).
• He was on the Ballycannon gun-running vessel & was leader of a sort of “scallywag” company of artillery.
• He had to hold himself ready to go out to India without his wife.
• There are rather contradictory reports about Liége the Germans claim that the town has fallen.
• Talk of a German ship putting typhoid & cholera bacillus into the Edinburgh water supply.
• I think war was declared with Austria today or last night.
• The Germans seem moving on very steadily in spite of checks.
• Mrs B said she heard the Black Watch had been wiped out I earnestly hope it is not so.
• Mr O’Duffy very busy doing soldiers’ teeth evidently gratis.
• The rumour about the Black Watch officially denied & is said to be of German origin.
• There is too a feeling of great uneasiness about the Home Rule question.
• He would rather be governed by William 2nd than by the Pope & a set of priests!
• Two windows had been smashed the evening before with an idea of frightening the guests.
• I worked hard getting house ready yesterday & this morning.
• The British force have been engaged again battle probably still raging.
• Fighting in Belgium was raging from Saturday to Thursday the British force retiring by degrees
• Ulster has absolutely declined to make any advance or relax their attitude of suspicion
• First bit of casualty Genl. Arthur’s 2nd son Graham killed & Lord Howarden believed to have died in hospital
• It is quite confirmed about her son & she is heartbroken poor thing.
• Their hands very queer not what nuns’ hands should be
• News still good. The Germans are being slowly driven back.
• We are very sad about the south of Ireland being so backward
• Another Russian vistory over the Austrian army near Lublin reported.