The Henson Journals

[26]

13th Sunday after Trinity, September 1st, 1901.

After breakfast I wrote to Hobhouse, and Carissima; also sent a note to the Hook to secure a berth on the night boat. Then we strolled for an hour, until we could go to church for the mid–day Celebration of Holy Communion. We avoided the Chaplain's discourse in the interest of our preparation for receiving the Sacrament. He kept us waiting until 12.50 p.m. before the Communion Service began: & the service itself was fearfully mouthed: he did, however, whisper the words of administration, which (after all we had suffered) was an agreeable surprise. On reflection afterwards I conceived it to be my duty to address to him the following letter. It was amended by Reichel, & approved by both him & Mrs R: before being actually despatched.

My dear Sir,

I feel that I ought not to leave Stockholm without frankly addressing you on a subject, which is equally important and difficult to approach. Let me assure you that only a sense of duty could induce me to do this, and therefore, I may claim the good understanding which every act so motived ought to receive. Last Sunday & again this morning I attended the service at the English Church, & on both occasions, the unusual & (you must forgive me for saying it) grotesque manner in which the Liturgy & Lessons were read made worship extraordinarily difficult. At one moment the sacred words reached the congregation in a stage–whisper, at another they were shouted in the most tremendous tones, the effect being altogether ludicrous & distracting. Surely this dramatic (to use no stronger word) manner of reading words so solemn & sacred is altogether unsuitable. Believe me, it is destructive of devotion.

Now, Sir, I know so well that unfortunate habits are contracted in carelessness & strengthened by repetition that I am ready to believe that you yourself are unconscious of the effect produced by this affectation: in that case, no act could be kinder than to draw your attention to it. Personally I owe so much to the kindness & courage of those who have done me the like service that I am disposed to think that you may not resent or misinterpret my desire to help you in this way. In any case it seemed to me the kindest & fairest course for a brother clergyman to adopt.

I leave Stockholm tomorrow in order to resume my duties at home: I cannot, therefore, hope to make your personal acquaintance, or to discuss face to face a subject about which after all, there can be little useful discussion.

Believe me,

Faithfully yrs.

H. Hensley Henson

Canon of Westminster.

P.S. It occurs to me that I ought to say that the opinion expressed in this letter is not confined to myself. I was accompanied by five friends, all of whom received the H.C. in the Church this Sunday, &, not less than myself, suffered acutely from your extraordinary manner of reading. I cannot doubt that this is the common opinion.

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