Today feeling somewhat indigestible, so to say, I stayed out of school and neglected my duties for a day. Mrs Thresher this morning poured out her grievances to me ending with up with the meritable ‘they didn’t ought to do it, they never used to do it in Mr Ladell’s time!’ I must tell Ladell what a reputation he has… Today I hear from Mrs Thresher that one of the small new boys (I think Smurthwaite) has pronounced that I am ‘jolly decent’, this…I consider to be one of the greatest compliments I have ever had paid me, and has made me very happy all day. It has quite cheered me up and I was feeling somewhat low and depressed this morning…
I spent the latter part of the evening trying to ‘raise’ Sheridans for Lit. Soc. tonight. Eventually after drawing the Common Room blank, much to my consternation as it is usually a safe find, I raised all but one even braving Fox in my efforts and wonderful to relate he was quite amiable and smiling I quite expected to be slain and glared at. We began reading the ‘Rivals’ in Lit Soc. tonight with Father as Sir Anthony and myself as Captain Absolute consequently the Father and son scenes were rather funny and delighted the rest of the Society who were much pleased at the references (somewhat personal) to ‘the aunt’ in the play (Aunt Mary comes in but does not read). Gilmour was quite good as was Malaprop and on the whole the standard of reading is higher than usual; if you once get two or three good people, they pull the rest together. Graham is pretty hopeless at present, not looking at his part and reading anyhow. The French word ‘ton’ did him as it was only printed in italic and not thus ÔÇ£tonÔÇØ. Of course out came tun!…
All the small boys were in the Dormitories when I went round about 9-25 tonight, I gave the 3- bedder a bad shock but I hastily replied to inquiries that it was all right the half hadn’t struck.