WEEK 120: (1st – 7th March 1920)

“Tom came back by the morning train, having visited Harry & Lily, Mrs S.S. & the Stephenes as well as staying with Aunt Nannie & Aunt Isabella. Mrs S.S. told him a story of Frank Stephens’s school, how the boys came to ask F.S. to introduce punishments – all other schools had them, & apparently they didn’t know how to manage without. He said if he did it wd probably be caning & would they wish that? They consulted & replied yes if the girls were caned too. F.S. pointed out that the girls had not asked for any punishment, & he would not give it to them till they did – so I don’t know whether the boys had to go on as before or have some other kinds of punishment.”

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WEEK 119: (23rd – 29th February 1920

“She[ Mrs Power]  told me most of the shootings of policemen are done by robber-gangs of demobilised soldiers, or by policemen with personal grudges. They had a horrid experience there a few days before; a baby dying there from exposure on a journey & subsequent want of care. Louis got quite friendly with Marie, chasing her round the table. I’m sure she would be splendid at minding small children.”

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WEEK 118: (18th – 22nd February 1920)

“I finished typing Callaghan this Thursday. Tom and Dorothea say it is good in the main, & that the relations of Callaghan & Frances to each other are good, but they object strongly to the ghost, and pick out all sorts of things, like the mention of certain superstitions & of the stones in Frances’s ring, which they think will be considered silly & which may go against it with Maxwell I shouldn’t have thought a publisher would bother to object to such things.”

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WEEK 117: (9th – 14th February 1920)

“Anna Bell and Mrs Williams came to afternoon tea, and Henry Bell also. Anna says she finds Catholics more reliable and truthful than Protestants – meaning poor Protestants, I think, and confining it to the poor of both sects I expect it is true. It seems Jessie is getting up a prayer meeting to pray for knowledge of what the Lord wishes for Ireland. Mrs Williams was rather enthusiastic about it – I think all Protestant sects are invited to it. 

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WEEK 116: (1st – 8th February 1920)

Barronstrand Street Co Waterford 1907 - National Library of Ireland Ref Number P_WP_1732

“I went over to St Declan’s after tea, as Seán was there, and he had most interesting conversation about how much worse managers & bishops are at squashing the language in national schools than the National Board, re the new education bill, which wd put the schools in the hands of committees instead of under the clergy alone, & which is being litterly [sic] opposed by them for that reason”

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