The Henson Journals

[175]

2nd Sunday after Epiphany, January 20th, 1907.

My wife took to her bed last Monday, and developed a quinsy, with which she has spent a miserable week, & still is in great discomfort. Peile called last night to inquire: he cried off staying the night here on the score of his mother's illness: which happened conveniently for us. The doctor tells me that Influenza is raging in Westminster.

A dull, cold, misty morning not favourable to large congregations. I preached on 'The naturalness of Christianity' at the morning service, and begged for the Church Missionary Society: but the congregation was both scanty and poor: and the collection did not reach £24.!

Haddan preached at the afternoon service in the Abbey from the words of Job; 'Canst thou by searching find out God?' It was an eloquent and well–delivered sermon, of a somewhat archaic type. There seemed, so far as I could judge from my stall, to be a large congregation.

I preached in S. Margaret's to a rather disappointing congregation. My text was Isaiah LVII.20,21. Anthony Brown came in to supper: & afterwards I read Browning's "Saul" aloud to him & Harold.

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