The Henson Journals

[166]

Monday, December 11th, 1916.

861st day

A most miserable day, with nothing in its events to make it interesting. I attended Mattins and Evensong, walked to the school and saw Arthur Morgan, & his pedagogue, who reports well of him. Then with Fawkes to the station to inquire about the trains to Liverpool. Lady Londonderry (dowager) with Lady Beatty, & other friends came to the Cathedral, & caused the Precentor to play for their delectation. I went to the Cooperative Hall in Clay Path, and made a speech to a scanty gathering on the subject of War–Savings. Old Galbraith M.P. was more than commonly prosy and adhesive. He was very mysterious about the political changes, but disclosed his real discontent by observing that it was a fine thing to fight for liberty & wind up with two or three dictators. I suspect that that sentiment will find very general expression, especially if the new Government has no better luck than its predecessor in their conduct of the War. Fawkes and I had a long conversation before going to bed mainly about the actual working of the Roman Church, in which he served as a priest for more than thirty years. I asked him what had induced him to become a Papist, and he said it was the attraction of the Papacy itself. Perhaps his decision had been hastened by the example of some personal friends. We discussed the Confessional, and he agreed that it was a far less unsatisfactory institution in the Roman Church than it is the Anglican. He thinks that the level of clerical life and character is probably somewhat higher in the Anglican than in the Roman Church.

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