I Shall Pass

The words below were written in Ruth's hand at the back of her 1944 diary. According to Wikepedia - the words arecredited to Stephen Grellet. However Aunt Ruth wrote R.L.S below the poem - so I wonder if she believed it was attributed to Robert Louis Stevenson. When I read these for the first time they struck me as being the words by which Aunt Ruth lived!

I shall pass through this world but once.
Any good thing therefore I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now, let me not defer it or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again.

December 1944

Friday 1 December Betty rang up during the evening.

Saturday 2 December  164 to ken. Shopped in the afternoon. Stayed in all the evening.

Sunday 3 December  165to ken. Wrote to Betty. Went for walk in the afternoon with Neil.  John and Pat rang up.

Monday 4 December  69.70.71 Three air letters , surface letter and anniversary telegram from Ken. 166 to hi. Lovely day. Collected the rent.

Tuesday 5 December 167 to Ken. Stayed in all evening.

Wednesday 6 December  In all evening. Jock rang up.

Thursday 7 December Spent evening at Kathleen’s. Terrible weather all day. John came back from Seaton.

Friday 8 December 168 to Ken. First snow.

Saturday 9 December went to Betty’s for the weekend saw Carmen Miranda in ‘Greenwich Village’

Sunday 10 December 169 to Ken. Got back from Betty’s on the last bus. Had a very nice weekend.

Monday 11 December Started 170  to Ken. Talked to Jock on the phone.

Tuesday 12 December  Letter from Betty.  Finished 170. Wrote to Chief. Wet and miserable weather again.

Wednesday 13 December  74 from Ken. 171 to him. Very foggy day. Went to Wycombe and did some shopping before going to work.

Thursday 14 December  Packed up Xmas parcels and wrote letters. Ken’s mother rang up. Letter 172 to Ken. Miserable weather again.

Friday 15 December Usual sort of Friday at work.

Saturday 16 December  Collected Red Cross. Neil and I went to the pictures. No 173 to Ken.

Sunday 17 December Washed my hair. Played gramophone records. Started 174 to Ken.

Monday 18 December Lovely day. Collected some rents in the morning . Finished 175.

Tuesday 19 December  Xmas greetings in letter from Ken. Very foggy day. Mother and I went to Wycombe and bought reading lamps for John and Neil. 176 to Ken.

Wednesday 20 December 10.15 a.m Mr Vaughan. Very foggy in London. Had quite a good day. 177 to Ken.

Thursday 21 December Letter 76 from Ken. Jock rang up.

Friday 22 December Finished work at lunch time. Went to Wembley to take duck to Peggy. 178 to Ken on the train. Betty came.

Saturday 23 December Neil, Betty and I went to Wycombe in morning and had a drink at the Red Lion. Mad mince pies in the afternoon. Stayed in all evening. Jock rang up. 179 to Ken.

Sunday 24 December  Chief came home from France for 7 days leave. B. he and I got very merry on John’s gin at night. Very cold and frosty.

Monday 25 December  Oranges from Ken. Betty x Chief went to London for a broadcast. Letter from Chief. Wrote to Ken.

Tuesday 26 December Betty and Chief went back. Went to the pictures in the afternoon. Started 181 to Ken. Jock rang up during the morning.

Wednesday 27 December Wrote to Ken’s Mother. Didn’t go to work. Heating system frozen up. Finished 181. Received lemons from Ken. June came for a few days.

Thursday 28 December Did office work at home as heating was frozen up. Very dull evening.

Friday 29 December 182 to Ken. 77 from him. Still very cold and frosty. Mother full of xxxx as usual.

Saturday 30 December Collected for Red X June came with me. Stopped in all evening. Very miserable. Letter from Ken’s Dad.

Sunday 31 December Went for walk in the afternoon. Very Dull. 183 to Ken. Jock rang up. Saw the new year in. Jock range after midnight to say happy new year.

Monday 1 January 78 from Ken. Token for him. Wrote 184 to Ken. Very lovely weather to start 1945.