The Henson Journals

[230]

6th Sunday after Trinity, July 7th, 1907.

A doubtful morning: to and from church under umbrellas. Knox celebrated at 8 am. when there were 35 cts. Bob Bineham fainted during the service.

There were poor congregations both at Mattins and at Evensong. In the one case the fact may be explained by the circumstance that the Bishop of London was preaching in the neighbourhood, in the other by the fineness of the weather, which rendered the Parks irresistible. I preached the old sermon on 'Friendship' which was published in the volume 'Preaching to the Times'. At Evensong I preached on "Absalom's Monument." The Offertories throughout the day amounted to £65.: and were devoted to the Restoration Fund.

Dr Tait, Mrs Tait, Tom, Willie Temple, Miss Barber, and Miss Lister came to lunch. Oxford brought an American Unitarian, named Blake, to see me.

[231]

On Thursday. (July 11th 1907) we lunched with Lord Balfour of Burleigh:

I conducted a funeral service in S. Margaret's for Sir Spencer Walpole.

We attended Mrs Herbert Gladstone's reception in Downing street. Morrison was there bursting with the latest gossip about church appointments.

We raised about £77 from the offertories on Sunday, plus some small amounts sent in privately. We can now complete the payments for the Restoration.

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Issues and controversies: St. Margaret's restoration