The Henson Journals

[42]

Wednesday, November 14th, 1917.

1199th day

This day was devoted to the Edinburgh Article, with which I made some progress as far as quantity goes, but the quality was lamentable. However such as it is, it must serve, for I can do nothing better. I did not attend service in the Cathedral, but walked for an hour in the afternoon. I dined with the High Sheriff at the Club. There were present among others a barrister named Mortimer, who said that he remembered me at Oxford, but I had no recollection of him. He is a sidesman or churchwarden (I forget which) in Holy Trinity, Chelsea. I asked how Dudden was progressing, and he said that the congregations were as large as ever but that there was a great drop in subscriptions. He held D. to be a considerable preacher, but afflicted with a disagreeable voice, which made listening difficult. There seemed a general opinion that the P.M. had made an indefensible speech at Paris: that he may have been "riding for a fall": that it was extremely unfortunate that he should have spoken so rashly at this juncture. I observe that there is still an extremely violent prejudice against Asquith, which seems to me unfounded and unfair. Blackitt said that he could remember the time when there was no screen in the Cathedral: that he thought the present screen an abomination: that, in his youth, there was a custom of certain laymen sitting in the stalls. The stars were most brilliant, & distributed sufficient light to make me practically independent of the electric torch with which I had armed myself. I was back in the Deanery by 10.30 p.m.

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