The Henson Journals

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Monday, October 21st, 1912. Ithaca.

A bright day, but with somewhat too much wind for a complete enjoyment of it. At breakfast our host talked with much interest, first, of the Jews: & next, of the soldiers of Napoleon, whom he had met in France during the early fifties. He had himself conversed with an old soldier who had been decorated by Napoleon himself on the field of Austerlitz. Incidentally he told us that within a few days he would complete 80 years of life. After breakfast he walked us about the University, shewing us the various buildings, & pouring out a stream of reminiscence. He spoke much of Goldwin Smith, who evidently made a deep impression on Cornell. A beautiful walk under the trees by the water–fall is still known as 'Goldwin Smith's' walk. In the Library are two portraits of him, one as a young, the other as an old man. We returned to the house, & I wrote several letters about arrangements. Then our indefatigable host fetched us out to see his Library, which is deposited with the Library of the University. It is full of curious & interesting things, which he has collected in the course of his long life. Inter alia we looked at a number of lettres de cachet, assignats, revolutionary documents bearing the signatures of many of the leading Revolutionaries, some curious caricatures of the same period &c. &c. All these 'flotsam & jetsam' served as texts for the erudite & always vivacious discourse of this astonishing old man.

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We had to be peremptorily requisitioned by Mrs White, who was naturally concerned with the appointed hour for luncheon. In the afternoon a retired Professor, Hart, took us for a drive in his motor to see the country. We went to the George Junior Republic, a philanthropic experiment designed for the reclamation of hooligans between the ages of 14 and 22. The method is to make them work, & to entrust them with complete self–government. The little community consists of 130 individuals of whom 45 are girls. It is modelled as far as possible on the United States. Thus there is, at the present time, an election for the Presidency proceeding. This mimicry is said to justify itself by very astonishing results.

I received letters from Reggie Still, Angel Colenso, and Compston.

There was dinner party in the evening at which divers professors were present. We had much interesting conversation in our host's study. Inter alia we discussed the 'social problem'. I was astonished at the revelations made of the moral condition of Ithaca: & the impression, which I had formed in audience of the courageous optimism of Dr White, was confirmed by the sinister facts disclosed by some of his guests. A very agreeable evening ended about 11.30 p.m. & we went to our rooms with the melancholy consciousness that our visit was ending.

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