The Henson Journals

[216]

Friday, November 24th, 1916.

844th day

The post brought me a letter from Alice Barwick giving me some information about Gilbert. He 'was wounded on Nov. 13th. He was 'in the great advance of that day, & only reached the first line of German trenches when a shell exploded near him wounding him in the hip, hand, & throat'. Later in the day I wrote to him. After attending Mattins, I worked at next Sunday's sermon, being interrupted by visits from Bailey, Col. Burdon, & the Mayor. Col. Burdon stayed to lunch. I attended the Mayor's meeting at the Town Hall. Two officers from Gen. Montgomery's staff attended, and explained that the Government intended to place in Durham a battalion (1600–2000 men) of dockers. A committee was appointed to act with them in arranging for the housing of the men. After the meeting I walked with Gee for an hour.

The "Guardian" contains three letters criticizing Gore's 'Manual', severally from Ralph, from myself, & from Bethune–Baker. Ralph includes in his letter an extremely severe, but thoroughly well–merited rebuke of Headlam, whose insulting reference to him & to me, appeared in the "Guardian" of last week.

I received a letter from Ernest, who is still at Gravesend. He writes rather despondently of himself, & his observations on religion and the Church do not wholly please me. His real interest is for the present directed almost exclusively to Shakespeare & Dickens. Perhaps, I ought not to exert any influence in the direction of getting him to seek Ordination. I cannot honestly say that so far I see any clear evidence of what it is the general custom to describe as 'a vocation to Orders'! (cf p. 709)

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