The Henson Journals

[137]

Friday, July 23rd, 1909.

We started in a hurry with packing manifestly ill–done. The train was a whole hour late, and we only got on board with fuss & toil. Then we found ourselves in the midst of a company of old, hard–faced, talkative sluts, who made it sufficiently plain that they were the members of the International Women's Conference returning to Europe. Heavens! What creatures, voices, hands, complexions!! A young Canadian, who sate by me at lunch, was plainly in an agitated condition. He said that one of the ladies had 'talked his head off'. First, she impressed him as a Christian scientist, and he was desperately bored. Then, she spake as an 'atheist', and he was grievously shocked. "I took off my hat, & said Good Morning, for I'm not given that way". A philosopher might conjecture that a public parade of these women would kill any cause which they advocated. The weather was detestable all day: we arrived in Ottawa in a deluge. After much fuss at the station we reached "The New Russell" Hotel, where we found a rather sumptuous room had been reserved for us in response to my telegram from Toronto. After dinner we wrote letters. I wrote to the Sub–Dean, Hine–Haycock, Knox, Aubrey, & Mrs Walter Henson.