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© Rob McGibbon, 2013

2nd January


Wake up early.  Rather funny feeling!  Ah! Paris today, that accounts for it. Much rushing + hurrying by Dad + Peggs, leave at last amidst luggage + Eileens’ [sic] tears. Snow very thick between Paris Margate + Dover. Slip most of the way! Board the boat, luckily am not ill, Peggs [her stepmother] not sure – but decides to spare us. Arrive Calais 2  o’clock, feeling peckish! No luck, can’t speak French! Awful muddle with luggage! Get in train with lunch basket + pheasant-faced Froggie, argue with him about seats! Settled at last. Arrive Paris, more bother with luggage, get a taxi who does us for a few francs before at last throwing us out at the Grand Hotel.

3rd January


Fall out of bed at 10.30 after hearty (?) meal of 2 rolls + 2 pots of butter, learn that its “French” not to eat early morning, rather sorry. Visit Gallery Lafayette, very nice, better with if a millionaire. have lunch, plenty to eat this time, go to school, rotten place, cannot enter there, meet Misses Meagher, have tea at Cafe de la Paix, enjoyed it very much, go to the priests about new school, one priest – Father McCarthy – very nice, offers to find all about new school, leave with lighter heart, dress for dinner, plenty more to eat, taxis distinctly dangerous, get nearly killed on the way to the Alhambra, splendid show, feeling quite gay, return home to comfy bed + a nice snooze.

4th January


Up at 10 o’clock. went to mass at the Madeleine, lovely place, nice singing, dejeuner 1 o’c, went to the Louvre to see the old thing with the eternal smile! saw nothing wonderful in her! met Father McCarthy with good news of nice school, things looking up a bit in that direction, tea in Winter Garden, plenty of cakes. write letters, dress for dinner. Go to theatre, a very bad one, don’t understand a word, all in French, leave in the interval + make tracks for bed.

5th January


spend the whole morning shopping, after lunch more shopping, get frightfully knocked about at the Gallerie Lafayette, never seen such crowds at a sale before in my life. Drag our weary bodies home to tea, then start off to see the new school, which seems very nice indeed, + the directress positively sweet!! knock against very fierce look[ing] apache [the French period term for dangerous street ruffian], feel my days are at an end, but he evidently does not fancy freaks! visit Father McCarthy at College des Irlandais in the latin quarter go over part of the college, very nice too! bring him back to dinner + spend a most delightful evening! write p.c’s [postcards]. turn in for the night.

6th January


get up extra early because we have to spend the day shopping for school. Meet the Misses Meagher + go with them, passing shop, see nice costume Peggs goes in to order one + is fitted, no time to go further return for dejeuner, feeling rotten, last one for some time there. After, go to Bon Marche for clothes, frightful muddle, order them at last + return for tea. Go with Dad + P to school have dinner. bed.

7th January


wake up feeling rotten, after being ill nearly all night supper upset me. rather bad in morning, go to lie down for a little, miserably homesick, but look forward to next day, shall see dad + Peggs next day have music + drawing lesson. tea. recreation. study. recreation, talk to American girl, what a treat to speak English, not that I have been speaking French! have hardly spoken at all, all day. go to bed, feeling much better. excited for the next day. wake up in the night with awful pain, indigestion like I had at The Patch, lie down, miserably waiting hours for the bell.

8th January


Bell goes, manage to say am not feeling well nice mistress who speaks English comes, stay in bed. get up for lesson at 10.30, 11.30 get ready, meet Dad + Peggs who take me to Grand feeling very rotten. Castor oil! lie down. feel a bit better go shopping, am taken ill again go hoa to Miss Meaghers to tea, then home. too ill to go to school again, spend the night with Dad + Peggs.

9th January


better, but not quite. feel very miserable. Peggs + Dad leaving, decide to send me to stay with the Miss Meaghers till Monday. say good-bye + go with Molly. Father MacCarthy calls + talks with us some time. Dejeuner. go to book seats for opera + then to Mrs Martins to tea, feeling middling, go home to dinner + have another nasty attack. talk + read. bed.

10th January


wake up. pain still wretched. decide not to get up till late. get up + sit reading in salon, read + sleep till 4’o. Mrs Martin comes to tea. pain better, but, any how fly to bottle of castor oil. by dinner feeling quite well + cheery. spend a nice evening laughing with Lily + Molly. start to read “The Rosary”. very annoying book but must finish it. bed.

11th January


get up late. feel quite well. have finished “The Rosary” in bed. dejeuner, go to very thrilling opera [Tosca at Opéra Comique] but enjoy it. back by dinner. funny attack of faintness but soon passes off, spend a very nice evening. bed.