Musings

Tuesday, July 23rd., Les Sablons, Fontainebleau.

I began to see yesterday how my 'fine writing' and illuminating must develop. I saw that I could only advance with any hope of continuing by uniting utility with beauty; that I must not therefore make fine manuscripts for the sake of making them, but rather in connection with my own work; also that I must form a natural hand that could be written quickly. These principles having been arrived at, I began to practise a little. It occurs to me that in this respect, if no other, I am in tune with Morris's 'Arts and Crafts' movement.
See also, 'Finishing Clayhanger' - June 23rd., http://earnoldbennett.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/finishing-clayhanger.html

Marguerite and I went for a short walk in the forest last night. The moon was nearly full and very bright. But the effect was disappointing. I have noticed this before. To be at its best moonlight wants to be seen over a large flat landscape or on water. There is very little in the tree-tracery business - silhouetted against the moon, etc.

Yesterday I walked along by the Seine again in the morning, and constructed the short story which is ordered for delivery by the end of the month. In the afternoon I seemed to do nothing but oddments of high unimportance.