The Diary of Virginia Woolf

Friday 1 January, 1915

                     


  To start this diary rightly, it should begin on the last day of the old year, 
when, at breakfast, I received a letter from Mrs Hallett. She said that she
had had to dismiss Lily at a moments notice, owing to her misbehaviour.
We naturally supposed that a certain kind of misbehaviour was meant; 
a married gardener, I hazarded. Our speculations made us both uncomfortable 
all day. Now this morning I hear from Lily herself. she writes, very calmly, 
that she left because Mrs Hallett was 'insulting' to her; having been given
a day & nights holiday, she came back at 8.30 A.M. 'not early enough'.
What is the truth? This, I guess: Mrs H. is an old angry woman, meticulous, 
indeed as we knew tyrannical, about her servants; & Lily honestly meant no
wrong. But I have written for particulars - another lady wanting a character 
at once. Then I had to write Mrs Waterlow about the chimney sweeping 
charges foisted on us, such a letter as comes naturally to the strong character,
but not to the weak. And then we tramped to the Co-ops. in rain & cold to 
protest against their bookkeeping. Manager a bored languid young man, 
repeating rather than defending himself. Half way home we heard "British
warship...British warship" & found that the Formidable has been sunk in the
channel. We were kept awake last night by New Year Bells. At first I thought
they were ringing for a victory.