The Henson Journals

[129]

Tuesday, February 13th, 1923.

[symbol]

I left the Castle at 11 a.m., and motored into Durham, where I instituted and licensed several clergy in the Chapel of the Castle, and signed the commissions for the Rural Deans.

Then I called on Mrs Cruickshank whom I found much dejected by the melancholy death of her nephew: the young man, in a strange fit of melancholy, had committed suicide.

I lunched with J. G. Wilson. The new Chief Constable, an Oxford man, was there, a pleasant fellow.

I presided at a meeting of the diocesan Conference Committee, and afterwards had a long interview with Wood, the Vicar of S. Mark's, South Shields. It was not very apparent for what reason he had desired to see me!

Clayton rejoined me at the College gate, & we returned to Auckland, picking up Dr Short on the way.

The afternoon post brought a letter from M rs Gow, telling me that my old friend, her husband, "could only live a few days at the outside." This is sad news. For more than 10 years he and I lived next door to one another in Dean's Yard, and had converse together almost daily. His last years have been heavily clouded by physical weakness, but he has played the man, and kept cheerful in spite of all.

---