The Henson Journals

[115]

Friday, July 20th, 1917.

1082nd day

A brilliant summer day. We strolled on to the cliff after breakfast, & there witnessed a little accident. A soldier lolling on the cliff with a vesta exploded a loaded revolver which was in his pocket, & blew off his finger. I spent the morning in looking through the sermons for Sunday, and walking with Ella. In the afternoon there was a tea–party during which I succeeded in giving the mightiest offence to a good woman of the "onward & upward" type. Then we walked on the cliffs. On returning I found a letter from Holt which contained the unwelcome news that there would be delay in George's departure:– "The fitting up of young Nimmins' ship is being upset by a prolonged strike of the Mersey boilermakers' (not in the papers) but he is happily unconscious of this fact and will have made all the more progress in mathematics, swimming etc. by the time another one is ready." I am sorry for this delay. It is very undesirable that George should be hanging about in a state of suspense. After dinner I walked with Marion on the cliffs. The sky is rarely destitute of noisy aeroplanes, and at intervals there are heavy sounds of gun–firing – all very sinister and disturbing.

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