The Henson Journals

[612]

4th Sunday after Easter, May 21st, 1916.

657th day

I went into the Cathedral at 8 a.m. (new style) and there received the Holy Communion, feeling (Heaven forgive me!) most woefully slumbrous. Budworth celebrated. Ella accompanied me to Brancepeth where the service had already begun before we arrived. Here I preached to a congregation largely consisting of wounded & invalid soldiers from the hospital in the Castle. After the service Mr Hamilton Russell, Lord Boyne's brother, who does his "bit" by supervising the Hospital, shewed me over. No place could seem more perfectly adapted to the speedy recovery of shattered nerves: & everybody looked clean & cheerful. We returned to the Deanery for lunch; & attended Evensong in the Cathedral. After tea we all walked out to Mount Oswald, and called on the Rogersons. They took us to see their horses, hounds, and gardens, & in this way we disposed of nearly two hours pleasantly if not profitably. Both Jim and Clara are more familiar with these things than for those things which even so secular a parson as the Dean of Durham must in some sense stand for! Accordingly they found themselves in congenial surroundings, as Rogerson detailed the pedigree, price, & racing record of his horses! We returned to the Deanery just before 8 p.m: the Day yet seeming young thanks to the "Summer Time Act", which has come into operation today. The blue–bells in the wood opposite to Mount Oswald are in bloom, & make a brave show: here 'Logic' went off on his own, and never returned before 10.45 p.m., when we were meditating retirement. He made such atonement for his vagrancy as was possible by extraordinary demonstrations of affection to his justly offended master, which is, after all, the normal method of human transgressors also!

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