The Henson Journals

[44]

Wednesday, February 7th, 1917.

919th day

The bright, bitter weather continues. By the morning post I received a letter from Ingram, from which I incline to think that he shrinks from the publication of his former letters & mine, & that he will probably do nothing further in the matter of my visit to the "City Temple".

I replied to a communication from Mr Bonar Law asking how much I proposed to invest in War Loan. I told him that I myself had purchased, or rather applied for £1000 of War Loan Stock: and that the D. & C. had contributed £5000 from their corporate funds.

George came in, and helped me to clear up my room (a Herculean task) preliminary to my departure to York. Though not brilliant in any measure, the boy is intelligent, pleasant, and respectfully affectionate. He begins to disclose a fondness for Scott's novels, which is not ^now^ so common a feature in boys of his age as in those far–off days when I myself came into that category. I reward his occasional services by gifts of those incomparable romances. He has already had, and read, 'Quentin Durward', 'Anne of Geierstein', 'The Abbott', and 'Ivanhoe'. Now I shall bring him on to the historical trilogy (as they may be improperly described) 'The Fortunes of Nigel', 'Woodstock', & 'Peveril of the Peak'. These will teach him some English History, a subject on which he is now rather woefully ignorant. Why should I bother myself about this boy, who will probably have vanished from sight & knowledge in a few months, & will almost certainly have forgotten me & my admonitions altogether? The childless married man is for ever making this kind of blunder, if blunder it be.

I went to York by the afternoon train, & travelled comfortably enough. Lieut: Bowers R.N. was an interesting companion most of the way.

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