Distracted

Sunday, December 3rd., Lusitania, at sea.

 

Still rough sea and following gale, and creaking and noises all night. Not yet one good night's rest on this steamer. If I ever go back to the United States I will make sure to go in the summer when the prospect of a restful voyage is improved. Mr. and Mrs. Compton Mackenzie had tea with me. She is a beautiful young woman. Very distracting. Concert in aid of Seamens Charities last night. Half of it done by Harry Lauder.

To take my mind off the weather I read most of Artzybacheff's "Sanine" in the night, skipping. Mostly clever, naif, and dull, but some of the salacious parts are pretty good. It has certainly caused a stir with its frank treatment of sexual matters and is, I believe, banned in Russia as pornographic. I don't think it is pornographic, but it is ahead of public acceptability, regrettably. What a society we live in when one of the most basic aspects of human existence is deemed "unclean". No wonder there is so much sexual ignorance and consequences thereof. I should think that Artzybacheff is an interesting chap but I wonder if he practices what his character preaches?