The Belgian government has moved to Ostend, the Germans are shelling Antwerp, soon Belgium as a nation will cease to exist.

Another lovely day. Warm & sunny & very still. There are such a number of Bella Donna lilies out in the walled garden, Dorothea picked a lot this morning & sent some to Ursula & some to aunt Ella. In afternoon Dorothea met Polly Harris, who was walking over to Smithson pushing the pram with one baby in it, & one walking. She was going to see her mother & write a letter to Alice, describing the harvest Festival, it being the first Alice has ever missed attending.

Fancy walking 2 miles to write a letter. But it seems that Mrs Wills is not able to write very much. The next event was that the dogs went hunting, Dorothea thought she had shut up Hector, & did not know the door of the yard at the other end was open, & so Shottie found him, & took him off. This is the first time they have gone off since Whitmonday. D went off after tea & found them again, Parsons Wood, they were neither sorry or ashamed.