The Henson Journals

[326]

Saturday, October 7th, 1916.

796th day

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I wrote a letter to Reggie, and to Ernest. Also I sent letters of introduction to the Bishops of Massachusetts, New York, & Connecticutt [sic] for the use of Mr Grant Allen, who is going to America to raise funds for the Professional Classes Relief Council. I attended Mattins and Evensong, after which I walked round to the hospital, and saw Walter Jackson, who is now approaching a state of convalescence. I wrote letters to Carissima, Gow, & others. A telegram from Bishop Mercer announced that he had lost his train connection, & would not arrive until the last train. The Bishop of Jarrow dined with us.

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Burke's warning against hasty generalizations as to the opinions of a nation is never superfluous:–

"Because half a dozen grasshoppers under a fern make the field ring with their important chink, whilst thousands of great cattle reposed beneath the shadow of the British oak chew the cud and are silent, pray do not imagine that those who make the noise are the only inhabitants of the field, – that, of course, they are many in number, – or that, after all, they are other than little, shrivelled, meagre, hopping, though loud and troublesome insects of the hour".

Shortly before midnight Bishop Mercer arrived from Chester, having had a crowded, comfortless, & tedious journey. He tells me that he is now acting as alter ego for the Bishop of Chester, who he thinks has had a slight stroke of paralysis, and is in great apprehension of another. These are no days for invalidish rulers whether in Church or State: but certainly in the former we have a good many of them. They wind up by taking pensions, & living indefinitely!

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