The Henson Journals

[17]

14th Sunday after Trinity, September 13th, 1914.

40th day

A glorious bright morning after the rain. The war news is altogether favourable. A German retreat quickly degenerating into a rout, & leaving many prisoners & guns in the hands of the Allies, on the West is matched by an Austro–German débacle on the East. A son of the Kaiser is reported to have died of wounds in the Hospital at Brussels. The service in the afternoon was attended by the Mayor & Corporation: & also by the members of the D.C.E.L. which filled the North Transept. Lord Durham attended in uniform, & walked by my side in the procession. The congregation filled the Cathedral, but was not overwhelmingly great. I preached from two passages, 2. Maccabees vii. 36 and 2. Corinthians iv. 18. In the course of my sermon I suggested a parallel between Antiochus Epiphanes and the Kaiser, which impressed Lord Durham so much that he forthwith borrowed Bevan's "House of Selencus" in order to learn more about the older tyrant! The High Sheriff & a party came in to tea. The collection amounted to no less than £149 – a record in Cathedral Offertories!

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