15 January

Today Uncle Jack and I went for a long ride up to the hill where one can see 5 counties. Thankfully, the weather held—it had looked like rain early. He was most silent on the subject of his recent absences and restricted the conversation to the subjects of my studies and my pending adulthood. He does say that he will be gone more now than he used, and that he is most concerned that I continue to be impeccably (sp?) brought up in his absence. Asked me the most peculiar questions about Miss Prism (!) and made me recite a small section of The Iliad and also corrected my on my German. Uncle Jack is so very *serious* of late!