The Henson Journals

[190]

Tuesday, October 2nd, 1917.

1156th day

A glorious morning. The hilarity of the rooks was extreme & contagious! There were air raids on London last night. Lord Muir–Mackenzie writing to me on Sunday a letter wh. reached me this afternoon, says: "Things are much worse than the papers represent, & I think that there is a good deal of danger or demoralization". I attended Mattins, & then spent the morning on the "Life". Helen Beeching, quite unrecognisable & now called Mrs Fanning, came to lunch. A young Wesleyan minister from Stockton, named Harvey, called to inquire about library facilities in Durham. He said that his sect was working at the 17th century. In conversation he disclosed the fact that his sect is rent with a controversy between "obscurantists" & "progressives". I was surprised to hear him speak of Maitland & Figgis as the men who pointed out the road to liberty by their doctrine of corporations. I attended Evensong, and then walked with Knowling. Freeman reports that there is a good crop of potatoes in the chapter–field. Under one root no less than 84 potatoes were lifted. He estimates that the total crop will exceed two tons of potatoes; this will suffice for the consumption of the choir–school for the next year, i.e. until the new crops come into use.

---