The Henson Journals

[354]

10th Sunday after Trinity, August 23rd, 1908.

A most beautiful day following a rainy night. The atmosphere so clear that the hills seemed perceptibly nearer by many miles.

We motored to the Episcopalian Church in Helensburgh for morning service. The pastor – Baird – preached a carefully prepared sermon on a passage from Ecclesiastes – "God is in Heaven, & thou upon earth, therefore let thy words be few" – There was a philo–critical & up–to–date note about the discourse which surprised & somewhat disconcerted me. The afternoon was disposed of in the unintelligent manner traditional among British Christians. Mina & Olive Smith, & Henry Eadie & his wife came to tea: afterwards Ella & I called on old Mrs Drew, who will be 97 on the 31st inst: & is as bright as a cricket. The Lawrences were there. Returning from this visit my wife & I walked on the hills above the house for an hour & a half, enjoying the most admirable views of the lochs & mountains. Then home for dinner, & in due course for bed.

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On Monday, the 24th August, Edith & Bobbie went off by steamer to Fairlie. Mr Dennistoun & I motored to Alexandria, & left the motor in the works for repair. Then we went on by train to Glasgow where we lunched, and visited the barber. As the afternoon wore on, the weather changed for the worse: & by 7 p.m. the rain was falling heavily.

On Tuesday, the 25th Aug., a wet morning followed a very wet night. By breakfast time, however, the weather cleared, and, save for an occasional shower, remained fine. Nothing was done, or doing; for the motor remained in hospital. Ella lunched with the old aunts: & I walked for an hour and more on the hill.

On Friday, the 28th August, we motored to Edinburgh to pay a short visit to the Parker–Smiths. We lunched at Killearn with Miss Laurie on the way, and broke our journey at Linlithgow to see the Palace (a mere shell) & have tea. The next morning we visited the Scottish National Exhibition, & looked at the fine collection of pictures by Scottish artists. In the afternoon we met at tea Dr McGregor, the senior minister of S. Cuthbert's – a weird little man full of humourous stories & with an odd habit of clasping & all but embracing those whom he talks to. Afterwards we motored to the Forth Bridge [356] [symbol] and admired a squadron of five cruizers lying in the Forth. At dinner two interesting old ladies resident in the neighbourhood came in. These were Miss Chalmers, a niece of the famous divine, & Miss Shore.

On Sunday morning we went to S. Cuthbert's, where Dr McGregor was announced to preach. The sermon was delivered from notes, and belonged to a type which I had supposed obsolete. It was hard not to think that the world had slipped back 2½ centuries, and that we were listening to Richard Baxter, or some religious Puritan of his kind. There was no serious argument, but much fervid affirmation of Scriptural truth. The obvious sincerity of the preacher gave impressiveness to a discourse which had few other claims to distinction. After service we went into the vestry, where hung portraits of Tait, the present Archbishop, & Dean Stanley: of Bp. Whipple, several previous ministers of S. Cuthbert's: & rather strangely as it seemed to me, of Erasmus & Luther. Calvin was absent: McLanethan was there!

In the afternoon we walked on the Golf–course, and enjoyed the glorious views of Edinburgh, the Pentlands & the Forth.

The next day – Monday, the 31st Aug: – we motored back to Row, stopping to lunch at Sauchieburn, where Steel–Maitland showed us the fisheries.

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On Tuesday, 1st Sept. 1908, we mainly hung about indoors, save that in the afternoon we motored to Garelochhead & down the opposite promontory to Rosneath, where we called on Sir Charles Scott, and had tea with him & his wife. He lent me last night's 'Westminster Gazette' which contained a notice of the publication of Kuropatkin's Memoirs, in which the disgraceful origin of the Russo–Japanese war is laid bare. If ever a nation was betrayed by its rulers, that nation was Russia. I asked Sir Charles Scott whether he had any confidence in the ultimate success of the Turkish Revolution. He shook his head, & said that it seemed beyond possibility for Orientals suddenly to develop the requisite political qualities. Then we crossed the peninsula by a very steep road, which put to the test the machinery of the motor, and so returned viâ Garelochhead to Auchenlea.

On Wednesday, 2nd Sept. 1908, the newspapers reported a tremendous hurricane, which had compelled the cessation of the Channel traffic, & greatly damaged the unharvested crops in Scotland. I wrote to old Mrs Drewe congratulating her on her 97th Birthday (Aug. 31st), and to Harold.

On Thursday, Sept. 3rd 1908, we went to Murraythwaite, motoring to Glasgow & then on by train to Ruthwell, where the carriage met us.

On Friday, Watson's appointment to the Oxford Chair was announced in the newspapers. That episode is formally ended.

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