The Henson Journals

[63]

Sunday, 23rd after Trinity, November 15th, 1914.

104th day

At day–break the country was vested in white, & a considerable snow–storm was in progress – an ill promise for this afternoon's service! In spite of this, we motored to Sunderland, where I preached in the Parish Church to the Mayor & Corporation. There was scarcely anybody else in the congregation! After service we went to a Boys' School hard by the Church, & there took part in a little function of welcoming the Mayor & thanking the Preacher. We then returned to Durham through driving rain, which rapidly cleared off the snow. On arriving at the Deanery I received a message from the Chief Constable to say that the troops at Cocken would not attend the service in the Cathedral owing to the weather. Reeves brought me a copy of a telegram from French announcing that Lord Roberts had died of pneumonia in France, whither he had gone to visit the Indian troops. I wrote a brief preface to my sermon to do some justice to these new circumstances. There was a larger congregation in the Cathedral than, perhaps, might have been expected, & the khaki uniforms were fairly numerous. I preached from the words of St James: "So speak ye, & so do, as men that are to be judged by a law of liberty". I incidentally pressed for an earlier closing of the public houses. The new Mayoress & her daughter came in to tea bringing the Mayor's excuses on the score that he was too wet! Later I went to the Town–Hall accompanied by Hughes in order to fulfil my promise to give a ten–minute address to the soldiers who, it was supposed, would have thronged to a mingled–entertainment provided by the Y.M.C.A. About 30, mainly officers were present: two solos were sung: & everybody felt a two–fold humidity – the rain & a 'fizzle–out'!

---