The Henson Journals

[78]

2nd Sunday after Trinity, June 17th, 1917.

1049th day

We drove to church at Studley, an elaborate new church built by the late Lord Ripon. The decoration of the chancel is very rich, but has too gaudy an effect. The officiating clergyman was a chaplain to the Forces, & in preaching addressed himself to a score of Tommies who attended the service. He was a young man, with a strong accent which suggested the North of Ireland. He began by quoting Walter Carey's book "What do you mean by Christianity?", and he preached extemporaneously. There were no signs either of knowledge or of industry in the sermon, nor did I like its gist, but the preacher had a certain sincerity of manner & candour of aspect which induced a measure of attention far greater that his discourse could properly claim. The Churchwarden who was Lord Ripon's agent offered civilly to show us the ruins of Fountains Abbey. We spent an hour very pleasantly in walking about the mighty relics of that noble foundation. The great Tower had hardly been finished before the stroke of ruin fell. There was no lack of goodwill among the people, who ventured life & limb to preserve the monasteries of the North: but all availed nothing when the fateful hour struck. The sight of the ruins fills me with sadness & apprehension. After lunch we sate in the garden & talked, but my wretched throat soon put me out of action. The heat of the day disinclined one for exertion. However we all walked for an hour after tea. Mine hostess opened her mind to me on the subject of spiritualism, with which she has been brought into contact by the question of electing Lady Portsmouth to be President of the Y.M.C.A. Lady P is "interested in" spiritualism, and apparently a believer in its main assumptions. Naturally, therefore, an objection to her presidentship has been advanced by the senior members of the Ctee. I expressed myself in terms of decisive hostility to the whole mass of muddlement & folly which passes under the label of "spiritualism".

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