The Henson Journals

[167]

Tuesday, February 28th, 1922.

Clayton and I motored into Durham, and lunched with Colonel Bell, the High Sheriff, in the Shire Hall. For the first time at that function ladies were present. I proposed the High Sheriff's health, and then went with him into the Police Court, to see an ancient Judge (Bray) administer justice. I sate beside him for 45 minutes, and the proceedings were not wanting in a certain sombre interest; I was particularly impressed by the spectacle of the gallery crowded with men, mostly very young men, who listened to everything with the closest attention. Then I shook hands with Rhadamanth and went to the college where I had tea with the Cruickshanks. The youngest & most recently appointed of the minor canons, Needham, has died of pneumonia following influenza. His burial takes place tomorrow. He was not yet 30 years old. On arriving at Auckland Castle, William reported that the front spring had broken. This is a considerable disaster.

Princess Mary was married to Viscount Lascelles in the Abbey Church of Westminster this morning. It is a curious commentary on modern democracy that the newspapers of every kind should for days past have been filled with detailed descriptions of the dresses, presents, decorations &c &c. The only compensating reflection that occurs to me is that even this is less unwholesome than the normal provender of crime, lust, scandal, & falsehood!

Edward Caird was "not a good correspondent", and his letters to his wife – "Caird wrote to her every day, often several times a day" – were "by a deplorable mistake" destroyed after Mrs Caird's death. His letters to Miss Mary Talbot begun in 1882 and continued till near the end of his life have been preserved, & some specimens of them are included in his "Life". They are excellent.

"But, after all, the one thing we do not know is just what effect particular lines of action, in the complexity of things, will produce and we must fall back on the idea that we are soldiers under orders, who have to wait for the word of command, & the faith that in some way whatever good is in us will have an outlet found for it better than we could contrive."

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