The Henson Journals

[247]

16th Sunday after Trinity, September 15th, 1907.

A calm, bright morning for the last day of my canonical residence. I walked round to S. Margaret's, and was there joined by Harold, who had been to Communion. We walked round the bridges feasting our eyes with the fairest visions in the world of river & bridge, palaces & temples.

Kirschbaum preached at 10 a.m. It was a good sermon, but he spoke over–loudly for pleasant hearing. There were 101 commts. After service we walked round the bridges talking of d.w.s.

There was a very large congregation at 3 p.m. My voice was disappointingly weak & husky. I doubt whether everybody could hear the sermon. It was an old one on the difficult & now urgent matter of 'the claims of Ceasar & of God'.

Mrs Fleet & her daughter, relatives of Ella, were in the Abbey, and afterwards came in to tea.

An immense congregation in the Abbey at 7 p.m. I preached another old sermon, 'Staying the mind on God'. My voice served me well, & everybody seemed able to hear.

Then after supper, Harold & Wilson sang to us: & when they had gone away, I made my farewells to Mother & Marion, & went off to S. Pancras to catch the night express to Scotland.

[248]

On Monday, the 16th Sept: 1907, the motor met me at Annan about 7 a.m. and carried me quickly to Murraythwaite, where I had time to bath & change before breakfast. My wife arrived later in the day. We spent the week very happily in making motor excursions about the county. On Tuesday we picniced [sic] at the 'Devil's Beef Tub': on Wednesday at Sanquhar Castle: on Thursday, at the hermitage. On Friday we motored to Sweet–heart Abbey: on Saturday we lunched with the Johnson–Fergussons: on Sunday we rested according to the commandment: on Monday we visited Lethudy(?) Abbey & the Ruthwell Stone: and on Tuesday" took up our own carriages", and departed to visit Mrs Lang at Broadmeadows, Selkirk.

Here we received an affectionate welcome, & continued in great contentment until Monday, the 30th Sept. Mrs Hamilton was there with her motor–car, by means of which we were able to see much of the country, & to revisit the Abbeys of Jedburgh, Dryburgh, & Melrose.

On Sept 30th 1907 we left Broadmeadows, & journeyed to Sauchieburn, near Stirling, where we found a party assembled for the Stirling Ball. Ella went with the rest, & danced till nearly 6 a.m., with result that she was discomposed on Thursday, & held us back from going on as we had arranged. On that day I was taken in the motor to Kennet, Alloa, the house of Lord Balfour [249] of Burleigh, where the charming & admirable young lady, Miss Jean Bruce, showed me the relics of Mary, Q. of Scots, which are the pride of the family. These consist of

1. A ciborium of enamelled copper: a lovely example of Limoges work of the XIIth century.
2. A cup, said to have been Malcolm Canmore's.
3. A necklace, with a beautifully carved stone.
4. Some small tea–spoons.
5. A small brass bell.

Friday, the 4th Oct, was a lovely autumn day: we loafed about the policies until lunch time. Ella was now well again, & joined in a visit to the fishery after lunch. The spectacle of the trout – 2000 in each of the larger, and 500 in the smaller – was truly astonishing. They leapt in crowds for the chopped cray–fish & whelks which were thrown in to them. At 6p.m. everybody save ourselves & Mr Meicklejohn went off in the motor to Edinburgh for another ball. We dined peacefully, intending to depart on the morrow. We did depart, but thro' some blunder the cab failed to come in time for the train, so that we lost our connections and had to spend Sunday in Aberdeen. On the road I read with much interest Mrs Ward's novel, 'The Marriage of William Ashe'. In the course of the day we sent off no less than five telegrams in various directions.

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