The Henson Journals

[169]

Wednesday, September 18th, 1918.

1507th day

George went off about midday. I walked to the station with him. Christian Caröe left in the afternoon. Accompanied by Norcock, I motored to Sellack in order to preach at the Harvest Thanksgiving. We were entertained at an early dinner before the service by Mrs Maclean (n&ecute;e Pease) who knew many of the Durham people. Mr Whitehouse the vicar also dined. The parish church is an interesting building. It possesses the Laudian hand–rails, introduced by Lord Scudamore, and the custom of using a houselling cloth at the Holy Communion still persists. The alter–table is Elizabethan, and the pulpit with its sounding board Jacobean. I was told that the plate was good of Charles I's time. The East Window contains some ancient glass. The fabric of the church has been rather badly pulled about, & many interesting features destroyed in recent times. There was a good congregation, & a hearty service. I preached from notes taking for my text the words of St Paul. "Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ".

All my spare time was given to the King's College Lecture, but to no purpose. Wynne–Willson came to see me during the afternoon. The weather was fine during most of the day, but rain was falling as we motored home from Sellack. There is much corn still unharvested in many parishes, but in Sellack itself most of the crops had been safely gathered in. The yield is said to be greatly above the average.

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