The Henson Journals

[24]

Monday, May 13th, 1918.

1379th day

I visited the Minor Canon's Houses, and looked at the vacant house which Mr Eckett would fain let. Then I went to the Cathedral, and instituted Mr King–King to the Vicarage of Leintwardine with Adforton. After lunch I presided at the annual meeting of the Diocesan Preventive & Rescue Association. There was a fair attendance. Miss Higson spoke very well, & Archdeacon Winnington–Ingram. Later, at 8 p.m., there was a public meeting in the same interest. The Mayor presided: and Miss Higson and I were again the principal speakers. Again the attendance was quite good. The afternoon post brought me a very kind letter from Lady Londonderry: and an impulsive, characteristic letter from Edgar Dobbie. The worst of drawing out the confidence & affection of these boys is that they exact more in the way of letter writing than I can easily give. However, I suspect that such letters are more really serviceable, than my ordinary correspondence. Edgar Dobbie, like Olaf Caröe, is exercised on the subject of ambition. Is it wrong to be ambitious? Not altogether an easy question for a spiritual Guide to answer. There is always the Parable of the Talents to appeal to on the one side: if we must reckon with the demand for self–suppression (‘He that loveth his life shall lose it’) on the other. I also received a letter from Miss Anson who clings with pathetic confidence to the belief that I shall actually carry through the Memoir of the Warden which too rashly I undertook. A letter from Marion gives no good account of Carissima's health: but an old lady of 77, living in the war zone is not particularly well placed.

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