The Henson Journals

[43]

Wednesday, January 8th, 1919.

[symbol]

The irruption of long–winded parsons, obsessed with their own tiresome troubles, & set on fire with impossible aspirations, is a sore burden for a bishop to bear. Scarcely had I got rid of Wynne–Willson and Lilley, than I was invaded by the Revd E. H. Harrison, Rector of Ullingsworth [Ullingswick], who came to tell me that he wanted another living on the grounds of his own ill–heath, and the impossibility of educating his boy! He has no means, and has continued 14 year in his present parish. The patron of Ullingsworth is the Bishop of Birmingham. Now what conceivable advantage could he suppose would come to him to set against the trouble of coming into Hereford, & the folly of provoking the Bishop's resentment by wasting his Lordship's invaluable time?

I wrote to Archbishop Söderblom proposing the 3 weeks from September 21st for the 8 lectures on Anglicanism, which I promised before the War to deliver in Upsala; and I suggested as an alternative course that I should postpone my visit until the summer of 1920. Then I sawed wood for an hour.

After lunch a lady, Miss Gaw, called with the purpose of inducing me to support anti–tuberculosis efforts in Hereford. I made a vague promise. Then I went off to Brogyntyn, Oswestry, to stay the night with Lord Harlech, previous to the function in Shrewsbury tomorrow. The weather was wet and suicidal.

---