The Henson Journals

[202]

Saturday, July 8th, 1922.

A rainy chill morning. Clayton went with me in the car to Darlington, where I caught the 9 a.m. express to London. I picked up Ella at 82 Eccleston Square, and travelled with her to Eton, where we arrived about 6 p.m. We were lodged in the Provost's house, where we also had breakfast. Bayley [Bailey] & his wife, and Dawson & his wife were staying with the Headmaster. There came in also to dinner Macnaghten (Coué's disciple & advocate) and his wife. Also another master and his wife. After dinner we returned to the Provost's lodging where Ella retired to her room, and I talked with the Provost until midnight. Monty James is certainly a very charming as well as a very learned man.

Both he and the masters assure me that the "profiteer" is not conspicuous in the parents who are entering their sons for Eton. In spite of the heavy taxation & other hostile circumstances there is no sign of any falling off in the right kind of boy. The old familiar names still appear in the school lists, and the pressure of application is unabated. Boys are being entered in infancy! Now all this is certainly comforting, and goes some way towards counterbalancing many unfavourable signs. The War seems to have given a marked encouragement to those who advocate the traditional public–school education for English boys.

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