The Henson Journals

[145]

Passion Sunday, March 29th, 1914.

A cold, blustering day, inclining to rain. There was a very large congregation in the cathedral at the morning service. I preached on "Civic Duty", with designed reference to the present crisis. My text was "not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others". The people seemed to me attentive, & certainly were very still in their places. I preached for about 25 minutes.

When we were leaving the cathedral, I was addressed by a tall man, with the speech & aspect of a gentleman, who said that he had listened to the sermon with much interest, & desired me to give him a message which he might disseminate at his own expense through the country. Adjudging him to be crazed, I answered briefly that he might say from me that at this crisis every Englishman worthy the name should set his country above his party.

At tea Kitty had brought together some of my old boys from Westminster to meet me. Gilbert & his fiancée, Clarence Stock, Reggie & 'Nimbus', and Colin Kennedy – they all seemed glad to see us. "The thoughts of a boy are long, long thoughts". Who knows how these things will look like in their retrospect?

[146]

In the evening I preached in the Abbey. The weather was wet & comfortless, yet the church was crowded. In the congregation I noticed a good many of the old faces from St Margaret's. Both churchwardens were there. I preached on "Jesus Christ as the Example of the Life of Faith – the author & Perfecter of Faith". There was no interruption from suffragettes, & the attention was close & sustained through 35 minutes. The Dean, Pearce, & Charles were present: & two minor canons.

Charles rather communicative after supper. Clearly relations are strained between the Chapter & the minor canons. These latter are more aggressively "Catholic" than heretofore. Certainly, it is difficult to imagine a more insolent proceeding than that of which 4 of them were guilty when they signed the memorandum to the Upper House of Convocation.

Fee from S. Paul's	£2.11.8
Fee from the Abbey	2.2.0
Manchester Guardian	3.13.6
	£8.7.2

[147]

On Monday, the 30th March, the weather was wretched. I walked in the rain part of the way to Westminster, & took a taxi when the deluge was too violent. I spent the morning in the Athenaeum, & wrote many letters. After lunching in the club, I walked back to the Deanery. Finding myself chilled, I went early to bed. This was the more annoying as both Violet Markham & Lady Lugard were at dinner: & I was dullness incarnate!

On Tuesday, the 31st March, I went to Westminster, & in St Margaret's married Dorothy Tait to Hugh Russell Smith. There was no choir, & a large congregation.

After the service we called on Lady Margaret: and then I attended a conference arranged by the Anti–Slavery Society, in order to consider the deplorable situation in the New Hebrides. It was decided to ask Sir Ed: Grey to receive a deputation after Easter. Later, I dined pleasantly with Sir Kenneth Muir Mackenzie. Sir Henry Graham, Butler, & Harold were of the party. We had much political discussion.

On Wednesday, April 1st, I called on Hine–Haycock, & had some talk with him. Then walked to Westr & called on Miss Pearce: then went to the Athenaeum. Then lunched with Dr Mackenzie in his flat in Kensington, & stayed talking with him until 4 p.m.

[148] [symbol]

He is a very alert & interesting man. He told me that he had talked long with Percy Dearmer over his book, "Body & Mind", but could do nothing with him, as he did not seem capable of understanding the force of his own statements. He said that while he found High Church clergymen very attractive, he found High Church laymen extremely unpleasing: & that he could not explain why. I could not help him here, as all High Churchmen of a certain type seem to me exasperating.

I returned to the Deanery, where Kitty had brought together a numerous company of our friends. Sir Lionel came, & talked much of his son's experience in Dublin, where he had received a peremptory requirement, marked 'strictly confidential' to decide between serving in Ulster & being dismissed the service! This is gross behaviour indeed. Lady Emmott, Lady Flower, Parker Smith, Arthur Smith, Mrs Murray Smith, divers relatives of Ella, Harold & Elsie – were there. We dined quietly at the Deanery, with our hosts.

On Thursday we lunched with the Craiks: and dined with Mary Scott.

On Friday we returned to Durham.

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Issues and controversies: irish home rule; female suffrage