Independent, The (London): DAYS LIKE THESE

11 August 1867

Anna Dostoevsky (right), in Baden on her honeymoon with her husband, the novelist, writes in her diary: "At 11 o'clock Fedya went off to the roulette tables. After having packed his and my trunk, I sat down to write a letter to my mother. When I had finished Fedya returned and said that he had not only lost the 40 francs that I had given him, but that he had also pawned his ring at Moppert's and had lost that money as well. I wanted to reproach him; but he fell on his knees before me, saying that he was a scoundrel, but that all the same I must forgive him. However much I was grieved by the loss of the money, I had to give him 20 francs to redeem the ring. But when he began counting our money, we found we should have to pawn my earrings to have enough to take us to Geneva. He said he would never forget the fact, that when we had no money at all, I gave him 20 francs and told him he might go to the tables and lose them. Fedya went to Moppert's and got an advance of 120 francs on the earrings, to be redeemed in two months' time. From there he went off to the tables. I asked him for the love of God not to stay there long; for our train was due to start in a very short time. In about 20 minutes he returned home saying he had lost."

11 August 1921

Virginia Woolf writes in her diary: "A fortnight already gone. It goes too quick - too quick. If only one could sip slowly and relish every grain of every hour! For, to speak the truth, I've thought of making my will for the first time during these past weeks. Sometimes it seems to me that I shall never write out all the books I have in my head, because of the strain. The devilish thing about writing is that it calls upon every nerve to hold itself taut. That is exactly what I cannot do. Now, if it were painting or scribbling music or making patchwork quilts or mud pies, it wouldn't matter."