Very warm day, with soft rain, the woods are now in full autumn colouring, everything looks very lovely, showing through the dampness.

The papers very guarded in their remarks to day, but we gather that there is fearful & desperate battle going on near the coast around Ostend & Meuport [Nieuwport].

In the afternoon at Dorothea Father & I went in to Lanson, on the way to Lezant. Saw Betty & Eleanor in the street, they told us that Henry was on the way back again from India, they suppose he will be sent to the front. We stopped at Landue on the way, & found the Tregonings in a fearful state of excitement, expecting a party of Belgian refugees. They have prepared a large room, which is generally used for entertainment’s & had divided it up into 3 rooms & made it most complete & comfortable.

We went on after seeing that, to the Rectory had had tea with the Cardwells. Mrs C gave me a book to read Women and War by Mrs Stobbart,“Link to the book” and when I got back I started reading it aloud to Mary, whilst I knitted, continued until it was time to dress for dinner. Poor old Dorothea, who was trying to prepare her Sunday School lesson had to flee away, & take refuge with Father in the drawing room, who was preparing his sermon. M & I found the book very interesting. It was all about Mrs Stobbart’s experiences in the Balkan war.