22 June 1914 - 13 Oct 1914

This section of letters begins with Jack in his last weeks at Malvern, griping about all the preoccupation of the school with cricket. He's getting along well with Smugy and there is included here a poem Lewis wrote with his remarks, which are minimal. Smugy took Jack and a friend on a countryside walk one day, which was greatly appreciated by Jack. They went by a cottage used by Sir Edward Elgar, who had been a close friend of Smugy's.

Jack is reading Newman's poetry, preferring Dream of Gerontius above the rest, which he thought were of a beauty too delicate for his taste.

13 July, he describes a fight scene between two prefects at Malvern and comments upon it all: "So this is our public school dignity, politeness and hospitality which we are always hearing about! These are the institutions that all other civilised countries envy us for, and would imitate if they could. Bah!" p. 67.

Well, thankfully, Jack gets to go home and the next letter, 12 Sept., finds him at Bookham with the Great Knock. He absolutely loves the local village and the countryside; he says it reminds him of something right out of the Vicar of Wakefield, and that Arthur would especially love it. He thinks he is going to have the time of his life there - and he does. 26 Sept., he's reading more Wells and Austen's Sense and Sensibility. 30 Sept. he writes about his study and some of the comforts of the Kirk's home.

The war begins and Warnie is commissioned a 2nd lieutenant, but the family calls him "the Colonel." He attends the local church every Sunday, St. Nicolas, which was also attended by Jane Austen when her grandfather was the vicar (which we learn form a Hooper note - God bless him). He visits Boxhill (ref. Austen), and he says to his father, referring to their new education plan as the latest stunt, "We have at last struck the real thing in education, in comfort, in pleasure, and in companions. I could almost believe that Malvern had never existed or was merely a nightmare which I am glad to forget." p. 75.

16 Oct., a letter to Arthur, is very interesting because Jack outlines for him his play Loki Bound, along with descriptions of how it would be dramatised. He's also reading H. T. Buckle's History of Civilization in England and Ibsen's plays. On p. 78, we find his daily schedule. Sounds great!

13 Oct., there's a paragraph about war rumors people are believing and Jack thinks that if people can believe such things, it "is hardly to be wondered at if primitive man believed a good deal of nonsense." Reminds me of the chronological snobbery business. Looks like the next letter from Arthur is going to contain Jack's reactions to Arthur's critiques of Loki Bound.