The Henson Journals

[461]

Monday, October 25th, 1915.

448th day

Cecil went off after breakfast. He asked me when I would again come to Hatfield, & I promised that I would do so on the first suitable opportunity. Welldon walked with me to the barber, where I was shampooed. The man expatiated on the Dean's popularity. "He's just worshipped in Manchester: every rough boy in the place knows him, & touches his hat". This is very creditable to Welldon's character, & must indicate some genuine goodness of heart. With cleansed head I walked into Manchester, made inquiries about my train, & so returned to the Deanery. I called on the way at the Bishop of Manchester's house, & found that his Lordship was in London. Welldon & I lunched together, & then went to the 'Churchmen's Union' meeting. Just before we left the house, the sky was spanned by the loveliest of rainbows. The room, not a large one, was fairly filled. Sir Edward Russell presided. I addressed the meeting for 35 minutes on "Some probable effects of the War within the sphere of English Christianity", speaking from fairly copious notes. There was no discussion, only a vote of thanks. The whole business was over in an hour. Welldon took me to the Club in order to while away the interval before my train started. Here I found Lord Bryce, busily engaged in preparing a speech for the public meeting in aid of the Armenians which had been arranged for tonight. We had a brief conversation, from which I gathered that he takes rather a gloomy view of the situation in the Balkans, and thinks that our affairs in that quarter have been mishandled. I left Manchester at 6.40 p.m. and travelled to Durham changing at Leeds and York. I arrived in the Deanery about 11 p.m.

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