The Henson Journals

[95]

Saturday, March 8th, 1919.

Probably I contracted a slight chill yesterday. This morning I was almost hors de combat. However I managed to work through the proof of the "Naked Truth". It is not quite easy in all cases to determine which of the oddities of spelling are genuine specimens of 17th century usage, and which are vagaries of the 17th century printers! In my two copies of the tract, both of which are originals, there is considerable difference. Mr Jarvis, who has been doing clerical work in Leominster for the last few weeks, came to lunch. He was wearing khaki, having returned 'gassed' from the Flanders front during the summer, and gone to Leominster to recuperate before returning to his own parish in Bristol. He had sought an interview with me in order to bring to my knowledge the dilapidated condition of the great parish church, and the even more dilapidated condition of the spiritual fabric in Leominster. On the whole Mr Jarvis impressed me well, & his testimony was equally convincing & depressing. After lunch we motored to Ledbury, and had tea with Lord Biddulph & his daughter. The old man has a scheme for purchasing a house which he says is ideally fitted for the use of the Vicars of Ledbury, & which might well replace the unsuitable building in which they now live. I did not gather, however, that his Lordship had any intention of providing the purchase money himself. For he spoke of getting it from Q.A B.

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