The Henson Journals

[178]

15th Sunday after Trinity, September 16th, 1917.

1140th day

I went to the Cathedral at 8 a.m., & celebrated the Holy Communion. Only one canon, Watkins, & one minor canon, Dennett. About a score of communicants including three men, and three choir boys. I thought of George & the lengthening list of names of "old boys" from Barking, Ilford, Westminster, and now Durham. They symbolize the fact that one's life grows ever emptier of hopes and riches in memories. And of those memories, how many are regrets! After breakfast I wrote to George. As next Tuesday is Dr Johnson's birthday, it occurred to me that I might vary the too–familiar type of preaching by speaking about him, & saving myself the pains of writing a sermon by repeating the substance of the discourse which I delivered in Westminster Abbey on Sept. 19th 1909 when the bi–centenary of his birth was observed in the place where he lies buried. There was a very small congregation. Apart from the clergy & choir I do not think there more than a score of grown men in it! I learned afterwards that there had been a route march of the "National Volunteers": this, perhaps would have taken away a few: & some were absent from Durham on holiday. There were, of course, no members of school or university. Still it was not a satisfying or consolatory congregation to preach to. I walked with Elizabeth before lunch. We fell in with Mr Nimmins who showed me an excellent photograph of George in his uniform. He said that he was omitting the formula "viâ Siberia" from his letters, as that route was probably closed. I regret now that I followed George's direction in using it. I attended Evensong. Lillingston brought his brother–in–law, Campbell, an incumbent in Essex, to have tea. The latter gave no very encouraging account of the ecclesiastical situation in Essex. Watts–Ditchfield is said to model himself on Ingram: ("If the blind lead the blind, shall they not both fall into the ditch?") to give offence by "scolding" the clergy: to disconcert the educated laity by his vulgarity: & to have followed Evangelical precedent by appointing his son–in–law, a colonial–bred clergyman, to the living of Prittlewell, which, though not very valuable, is regarded as important.

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