The Henson Journals

[68]

Thursday, May 17th, 1906.

We were busy packing our bags most part of the morning: and at 2.10 p.m. left Vevey on our return journey. We travelled via Chebne & Olten to Berne, & hence to Basel which we reached at 7.30 p.m. Here we had dinner, & registered our luggage. Then we "killed" time as best we could during a long wait until 11.50 p.m. when the train for Boulogne made a start. In leaving the "Hotel des Trois Couronnes" the tips to the servants cost exactly 25 francs.

[69]

Our journey homewards was uneventful. We arrived in Basel at 7.30 p.m and dined. A tiresome interval of nearly 4 hours after dinner preceded the starting of the train at 11.50 p.m. We secured a compartment to ourselves and got through the night not more uncomfortably than was inevitable. We reached Boulogne about 10.30, and went at once on to the steamer which, however, did not start until nearly an hour later. The sea was tranquil, and our passage without discomfort. We arrived at Victoria about 4 p.m: and, after the usual conflict about our luggage: drove to Dean's Yard, where Harold bounded out to welcome us, and we were again at home. I attended Evensong in S. Margaret's, and looked through my letters. The next day was to have been dedicated to the composition of a sermon, but I had too bad a headache, & after typing 8 pages, I had to desist, & acquiesce in the necessity of using old sermons tomorrow. It was Harold's birthday (May 19th ) and I gave him the suggestive present of a safety–razor in a neat case! The boy is 18.

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