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Transcription

[Page] 95

It was dry, and it was warm. Over a fortnight
of it I spent at St. Cuthberts and greatly en:
:joyed the change. Unfortunately I slightly
strained my heart by walking to Faldonside
& back, 7 ms. [miles], in the heat. I did not realise what
was the cause of the slight discomfort in my
chest, and I walked to the summit of the
east Eildon, and visited other favourite haunts
in the neighbourhood. It was not till I visited Dr. [Doctor]
Groom on my return home that I found out what
was the matter. “Go slow for a month or two
and if possible spend a couple of days in bed”
were his recommendations. These instructions I am attending to.
The war with all its vicissitudes, draws out
its weary length, The main events are matters
of history, and the histories of the future
will contain them. so I shall not fill my
pages with such material. What must be of
interest to my descendant, who years hence
may read this, is some account of how we
comported ourselves here in Scotland during
the greatest war in history. As I pass
my days here at Ormsacre chiefly working
at my garden, except for the frequent
sight of aeroplanes in the sky, and the
restrictions on diet, owing to rationing, one

would hardly believe that we are at war, and
as subject to air raids at any time possibly
in the fighting. My household is quite calm.
Today at lunch I heard a quick succession of
violent explosions. “Are these guns? I asked of
Margaret, the parlourmaid – “Catherine thought they
were guns” – was the reply – but lunch went on
just as if there was nothing to be disturbed about.
Here we have been little disturbed by air
raid warnings. A week or two ago we
had two in the middle of the night, and
a loud explosion due to the bursting of a
bomb near Dalmeny. I was not awakened
either by siren, or bomb, but my sleep was
duly disturbed to join the household in our
retreat. As the risk of a direct hit on an
isolated house like this is small, I prefer to
meet such a fate, if it comes, comfortably in
my own house, rather than in risking an
attack of pneumonia as well, by retiring to a
chilly, outside shelter. When the warning
sounds its dismal wail, we partially clothe
ourselves, and take up our position outside
the dining room door and in and around
the recess under the stair. This is the centre of the
house, and with two walls on either side,
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