h. As a headmaster
he was a gigantic character; of that there can be no doubt
whatever.

_January 28th, 1917._

No news yet of my application for transfer. But people "in the
know" tell me that it is only a question of time. The document
having been approved and recommended by all the necessary
authorities is, I presume, now wandering through the multifarious
ramifications of the maze of Army offices, but I am told it will
soon filter down. One thing that pleases me is an assurance that
the A.S.C. authorities, whatever may have happened in the past,
are not this time blocking my transfer. From your knowledge of my
weaknesses, you will no doubt have guessed that I'm on pins these
days--the period of waiting for the result of an exam., even if
you think you've passed, is always a trying one. It is especially
so for me on account of my absurdly impatient temperament. I fear
that leave is out of the question till the transfer is settled
one way or the other.

The cold weather now prevalent must add yet a fresh discomfort to
those that are being endured by our men in the trenches. I cannot
recollect a cold spell of such severity continuing for so long a
time. We had a heavy snowfall a fortnight back, and since then
there has been incessant and exceptionally hard frost. The roads
in places are wellnigh impassable owing to frozen snow. Going
down one steep hill to-day in our motor-car we all but turned
completely over, as at a curve in the road the car-wheels,
instead of answering to the steering gear, skidded on the frozen
surface, and the car swung completely round on its axis,
finishing by facing the opposite way to that in which we were
travelling. Where the roads are not very slippery they are as
hard as iron. A curious result is that you have a thick dust
raised over a snow-covered landscape and in bitterly cold
weather!

I was much interested in the Balliol College pamphlet and the
Master's accompanying letter. Balliol appears to have done even
more than its part in the War. Did you see that the Brakenbury
Scholarship in History for 1916 was taken by a chap from Gresham
School, Holt? I often wonder whether I shall ever go up to
Oxford. Almost needless to say, to go there would be the crow