The Henson Journals

[108]

Monday, January 1st, 1917.

882nd day

O merciful God, I desire to commit myself into Thy hands at the beginning of another year. Shew Thou me the way that I should walk in for I lift up my soul unto Thee. Keep me from the sins which so easily beset me, & make my way clear before my face. Thou knowest my weakness, & my dangers. Thou knowest also the desires of my heart. Lead me in the way everlasting. Let Thy Blessing be upon my life throughout this year, and keep me from errors of judgment, and failures of effort, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The mildness of the weather is remarkable. Ella and I went to the Cathedral, & received the Holy Communion. Before breakfast I read aloud to her and the Bishop the reply of the Allies to Germany's proposal for a Peace Conference. It is vigourous in phrase, and uncompromising in substance. "There is no peace for the Wicked."

I attended Mattins, and then saw the Bishop off in his Suffragan's car. Then I went in to the town in order to get some money for the payment of wages, but to no purpose for everything was fast shut up. We are near enough to Scotland to catch the habit of their holiday–making on New Year's Day! Old Victor Williamson called after lunch to offer us his seasonable felicitations. He spoke of alarming occurrences at Birtley, the precise nature of which he knew not. I showed him Dean Stanley's table in my study. He recognized it at once. 'That is the table at which the Dean used to stand & work' he said. After his departure Ella and I walked together to Mrs Apperley's, & wished her the usual good things. She spoke of ghosts, & alleged that she had really met a person who had seen one!

[106]

Parish churches preached in during 1914:–	In 1916 the list is:–
1. St Ignatius, Sunderland	1. Tanfield
2. Brandon	2. Stockton
3. Hebburn–upon–Tyne	3. S. Margaret's, Durham
4. Bishop Middleham	4. Seaham Harbour
5. Bishopwearmouth	5. Brancepeth
6. Belmont	6. Coxhoe
7. Dunston–on–Tyne	7. Eppleton
8. Sunnybrow	8. Willington
9. Wolsingham	9. S. Giles's, Durham
10. S. Gabriel's, Sunderland	10. South Moor
11. Stockton	11. Sunderland, Ch. Ch.
12. S. Columba's, Sunderland	12. Darlington
13. S. James's, Stockton	13. Crook
14. Parish Church, Sunderland	14. Whitworth
15. Gateshead	15. Muggleswick
16. S. Thomas, Sunderland	16. Beamish
–	17. Haughton le Skerne

[104]

Bishop Boyd–Carpenter's anecdotage is prolific. His latest book "Further Pages of my Life" is mainly the sorriest stuff, but it contains some new material on Robertson of Brighton. Boyd, who was Robertson's vicar in Cheltenham, was Boyd–Carpenter's uncle, & his sister, Miss Boyd, was an intimate friend & correspondent. From her Boyd–Carpenter became possessed of some interesting letters which throw light on the situation in which R. found himself at Cheltenham, and at Oxford. There is also a chapter on "the Emperor William" which has a certain value & an inevitable interest at the present time. The Kaiser had evidently a strong regard for the little Bishop, & wrote to him frequently & freely.

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