The Henson Journals

[653]

Saturday, February 12th, 1916.

558th day

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We bade farewell to our friends, and returned to Durham. The train left Lichfield at 9.52 a.m., and went as far as Burton, where we had a wait of about 45 minutes. This we utilized by strolling into the town the see the ravage of the Zeppelins, and the majesty of Beer. It is a city of breweries. The church, a pretentious & costly edifice in the Gothic style, is inscribed with the name of the Principal Brewer, whose statue stands outside it in regal prominence clad in peerage garb. Lord Burton's wealth has flowed over Burton, as Lord Burton's beer has flowed over Britain. The very children in the streets have the aspect of infant draymen & pot–boys – fat, somnolent, florid, & humourous! Leaving the Metropolis of Beer at 11.8 [sic] a.m. we proceeded with frequent stops to York where we changed, and went on to Durham, arriving about 4.45 p.m. The last stage of the journey was relieved by the company & conversation of some officers of the Sutherland & Argyllshire regiment, week–ending from Ripon.

The Church Papers treat Robertson of Brighton with suggestive neglect. There is no reference to him at all in the "Church Times": none at all in the "Record": a ludicrously inadequate paragraph in the "Guardian", ludicrous & misleading for it misses the whole point of his career, assuming that like the general run of popular preachers he had enjoyed a great celebrity in his life–time, and a sudden eclipse after his death. Whereas, the precise contrary was the fact in Robertson's case. The "British Weekly" alone did justice to the great Preacher's memory. Except the "Times" & the "Westminster" I cannot find that the secular press has noticed the centenary.

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