The Henson Journals

[82]

Saturday, June 9th, 1923.

"Visitation of the Bishop Auckland Rural Deanery"

I was woefully "unfit" for my task, and rather stumbled through, than fulfilled them. At 8.30 a.m. I celebrated the Holy Communion in the Chapel. 23 clergy were present. We gave them breakfast afterward. AT 10.30 a.m. I addressed them in the chapel: & them at 11.30 a.m. spoke on the subject of "The Marriage Law", and listened to their observations. They were rather maundering but not fanatical. At 3p.m. I addressed the Parochial Church Councillors on "Prayer Book Revision". They hardly understood what I said, or why I said it, but they seemed to be interested.

Sydney Webb arrived in good time for dinner. He is a little sleek, soft–spoken man with the manner of a professor, and the face of a revolutionary. He says that there are as many men in Great Britain as in 1914, the stoppage of emigration having fully made up for the wastage of the War. But why, then, is There the increased superfluity of women as disclosed by the Census?

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