Sunday 1st It was showery in the morning, fine in the middle of the day, and heavy showers in the late afternoon. I conducted service in the Claim hall in the afternoon, there were only 10 present including myself. Collection 4/10 .
Monday 2nd It was a very fine day, ‘tho very cold.
Tuesday 3rd It was a very fine day. King George’s birthday & a public holiday. I did some gardening for Dolly, and finished cleaning up the flower garden . Jack, Pat and Tom Greenwood went out fishing, Jim had a bad cold on his chest and staid in bed all day.
Wednesday 4th It was a very fine day. I took up the sticks of the Kuntucky Wonder Beans, went to see Mrs Addison and called at the P.O to see if there was a wire from Elsie.
Thursday 5th It was a beautiful day. We got up early and Jane drove me to the top wharf as I was going to Auckland in the SS “Waipu“. Mr & Mrs Whitaker& Laurence, and Mr Evans Snr were fellow passengers. At Ti Point Eileen Torkington came on board, she is going to work for Donald Jones who lives at Stanley Bay. At Leigh we picked up Mrs W. Harper’s sister, Mrs Johny Greenwood Jnr and a Mr Milligan who has bought Mrs McKinnon’s cottage. We had a very calm trip up. Soon after arrival Laurence & I went across to Devonport where we received a hearty reception at the Wallaces.
Friday 6th We only just got up in time as the wind has changed to the E. I went over to Auckland in the morning, it was a very dull day.
I met Elsie in Queen St, went to see the American Consul about Mrs Addisons pension claim. Had lunch in town and returned to Devonport in the afternoon.
Saturday 7th Wind blowing strong from E. A wet day. I did not go to town.
Sunday 8th Went across to Auckland in the morning , it was so foggy that the ferry boat had a difficulty in finding her way across the harbour. I took the car out to Green Lane and walked to Morewa road where Archie Dunning Junr lives. Mr & Mrs A. Dunning Senr were staying there. I had dinner there and then returned to Devonport. It came on a steady rain and I got wet walking up from the boat. Soon after I got in Willie & Grace came in, Vic Simpson had seen me in the street while driving a cart and had told Grace’s mother.
Monday 9th It was a misty & showery day. I did not go over to Auckland until the pm. I went out to see Elsie and her mother who live at 77 Carlton Gore road , I had pm tea there and came into town in a motor buss. It was raining coming up from the wharf and I got a little wet. Mrs Peterson came in the evening and we played 5 handed 500.
Tuesday 10th It was a very fine day. I went across to Auckland in the afternoon and went to the Winter Show which was held in some large sheds on Princess wharf.
Wednesday 11th I went across to Auckland in the morning, went to see the steamer off, met a lot of Omaha people, Mr & Mrs A. Dunning were returning home, Archie has entirely recovered from his operation, had lunch in Queen St and then went to the Community singing at the Town Hall, met Mrs Wallace & Mrs Peterson after it was over, we had pm tea and went to the winter show.
Thursday 12th It was fine in the morning, but showery in the afternoon. I went across to town in the morning , called at the American Consul’s office to fix up Mrs Addison’s pension papers. Then I went to Mr Elliott’s office and received £19, being half a years interest, had lunch and then went to the Farmers Trading Co to price the cost of arm chairs. On returning to the Shore I met Elsie at the Ferry wharf and we went across together, she took me to her sisters place in Calliope rode, [sic: road] her sister Annie married a young Mr Michaels, I had afternoon tea there.
Friday 13th It was a fine day, Laurence W & I went across to Auckland in the same boat and then went up to Symon’s Street to Dr C. Aickens, found that he would be at home for consultation at 3 pm so we called at Warwick Sadlers, who keeps a boarding house at Albert Park, as I shall have to wait a long time to see the Dr so I came across to Devonport, but returned to Auckland again in the afternoon, went up to see the Dr. I was suffering from stricture of the bladder, the Dr told me that an operation was the only permanent cure, so he gave me an order to go into the Public Hospital, so I took the order to the hospital and was told that I would have to go into the hospital today, so I went back to Devonport, took a wagonette up to Mr Wallaces, packed a hamper with a few clothes, and returned to Auckland and hurried up to the hospital, after having a bath I went to bed.
Sunday 15th There was an Anglican Service in the morning in our Ward (14) conducted by the chaplin Revd Budd, there was an organ and several lady singers, being Trinity Sunday. The parson gave a very good sermon on the Three Persons in the Godhead. As I had known Mr Budd several years ago , I told one of nurses to ask Mr B to come and see me.
In the afternoon Mr Wallace, Willie & Grace and Elsie came to see me.
Monday 16th I was taken into the operating room and a tube was put into my bladder and when I got back to bed a bottle was suspended to the bed and the tube inserted to take the drips, at night I was in agonies of pain as the urine tried to pass in the usual way.
The visiting days at the hospital were:
Tuesday and Friday evening from 7 to 8 pm. Wednesday afternoon & Sunday afternoon from 2 to 4. I was fortunate in having many friends to see me, Mr & Mrs Wallace, & Mrs Simpson, Mrs Peterson, Willie & Grace, Elsie & her mother, Jane & Minnie, Jack & Henry, Mr Kirk, Eddie & Jim Wyatt, Mrs Gravatt, Elva & Berta, Reg, Arthur Torkington & Harry T. , Mrs Holder, & Charlina, Canon Hasledem, Miss Grigg, Arch Dunning, Hettie, Mary & Sarah, Edie Thompson & Maggie, Alec Meiklejohn, Roddie McKinnon, C. Greenwood, Toni Christian, May Dunning, Janet Christian, George Davey, Arthur Greenwood, Mrs & Laurence Whitaker, & P. Young, Capt Bazeley, Ken Wallace, Mr Sadler, Mr & Mrs Auger.
There was only one visiting day that I did not have any one to see me and they used to bring me magazines, fruit, oysters, cakes and lollies. The nurses were very kind and attentive and the patients were very kind.
Monday 20th [sic: 23rd] I was operated on by Dr Aicken, my bladder opened and the swelling removed. They did not give me any chloroform, but they injected morphia [morphine] into my arm to deaden pain. The tube was taken out and the urine flowed out of the wound, the nurses dressed my wound several times a day, gradually the wound healed and then I was able to make water naturally. With lying on my back in bed such a long time I got swellings & sores on my feet which were very painful, the nurses used to rub them with methylated spirits. When I got a little better the nurses used to get me up and sit me in a chair and sometimes take me out on to the verandah when it was fine.