The Henson Journals

[51]

Friday, April 7th, 1922.

A white frost again, and again a brilliant morning. I received from Welldon a letter supplementary of the formal answer of the Dean & Chapter. He conditions his approval of my scheme by 3 requirements viz. 1. that no professorship be attached to the Deanery: 2. that an adequate Fabric Fund be provided: 3. that the two Archbishops give a written undertaking to the Dean & Chapter that they will urge the Bishops to send ordination candidates to Durham. There is not much difficulty about the two first, but the last is absurd.

I received a telegram from Dibblee announcing Dicey's death this morning.

After lunch I motored into Durham, & attended a special meeting of the Bede College Committee. We agreed to approve a scheme proposed by the Principal. Then I returned to Auckland, and, after an interval, motored to Eldon, & confirmed 81 persons. The coughing was almost incapacitating.

After dinner Ruth played divinely. What a blessed gift it is to be able to give so much pleasure to tired mortals!

Another telegram from Dibblee tells me that Dicey's funeral is arranged to take place in Oxford on Monday at 2.15 p.m. This will necessitate my travelling by the night train on Sunday, an inconvenient arrangement which nothing short of genuine friendship could render acceptable.

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