The Henson Journals

[478]

4th Sunday after Trinity, July 16th, 1916.

713th day

Caröe and I went to the Cathedral at 8 a.m., and received the Holy Communion. Budworth celebrated. The morning post brought me a very delightful & characteristic letter from Ernest. I read an excellent article by Alfred Fawkes in the current issue of the "Modern Churchman". It is full of good things well expressed e.g.

"The clergy are becoming to an increasing extent the private chaplains of the devout".

"The unity of the church is one of direction, not of creed–content".

We attended Mattins, & heard a rather windy harangue about the Mission from Brother Lillingston. Then we walked for an hour returning to lunch with Knowling & Fearne. I attended Evensong and afterwards gave tea to the Bishop & Mrs Quirk & their guests, Mr & Mrs Sandford. Bailey also came bringing with him a letter he had received from his brother who is a staff officer at the front. He describes some of the recent fighting. It is rather disconcerting to hear that our own troops (London Territorials) are still 'amateurs' as against the Germans; that they suffer from lack of experienced N.C.O.'s: & that they hardly know how to use their ammunition to the best advantage. I was pleased to hear that the Germans let us bring back our wounded, & even gave them assistance. We dropped a letter of thanks from an aeroplane, after arresting attention with a bomb! That appears to be the established procedure in that kind of correspondence. After dinner I shewed Caröe the volume of Raemacker's cartoons which were mostly new to him. They certainly are wonderful in their power, their depth of feeling & extraordinary suggestiveness. As a record of the Great War this volume is superior to all the histories now written, or being written.

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