d every chance of playing, no matter whether against
the 1st XI or against the Junior School. In character he was
extremely simple and unaffected--not a great scholar, but a
shrewd thinker with a serviceable knowledge of history and
literature, and a fine taste in reading. Personally he was one of
the kindest of men and so easy to get on with. Though in no sense
a professional soldier, yet from a strong feeling of duty he
joined right at the start as a private in, I believe, the Rifle
Brigade, with whom he served many months in France. He then got a
commission in the 7th Lincolns, with whom he was serving when
killed.

[Footnote 5: Lieutenant F. L. Nightingale. Born, 1881. Killed
in action in France, December 19th, 1915. A master at
Dulwich, 1906-1914. A man of ripe culture and a splendid
cricketer.]

Here was a man who threw up all to take up soldiering, not
because he had the military instinct, but from sheer patriotism
and sense of duty. It was just like him--at school he would
always put himself out to play in a game if a team was a man
short. He was always called "Nighty" by the boys. Can you wonder,
with the example of such a man before me, that I should be
longing to get into the Infantry? Heavens! A man would not be a
man who did not feel as I feel about this matter.

Well, Sir John Simon has resigned. Rather a pity that such a
career should be cut short. Still, at best he was a mere
politician, and to tell you the truth I don't like politicians
much. All the same, I do think Simon did some valuable work as
Home Secretary, and earlier as Attorney-General.

For once the British Government appears to have acted with
vigour--I mean by occupying Salonika and telling the Greeks
politely to "hop it." Result, the Greeks have hopped it. How much
more simple and effective this than to jaw about "the rights of
neutrals," the "sanctity of small nations," etc., etc.! No! take
a strong line in this world, and you're more likely to get what
you want than by cajolery.

_January 26th, 1916._

One day last week I mounted my horse at 2.15 P.M. and rode in a
south-easterly direction. For the first couple of miles things
were as usual--crowds of soldiers about, of course, and lots o